Is concrete durable? Yes! In fact, concrete floors that are sealed and properly maintained can last indefinitely, even in high-traffic areas.
However, many homeowners do not know how to properly maintain their garage floors. Because of this, concrete garage floors can crack, stain, and discolor. To make sure your concrete floors stay in good shape for years to come, you must learn how to take care of them.
Do you want to learn more about garage floor maintenance tips? Keep reading this article for everything you need to know about taking care of concrete floors.
Immediately Wipe Up Spills
One of the most important concrete floor maintenance tips is to immediately wipe up spills from your garage floor. When you have standing liquids on your floor, they can stain your concrete floor over time.
Plus, puddles on your concrete floor can be serious safety hazards.
When you notice any type of spill on your concrete, besides rainwater, you need to absorb it with sawdust or cat litter. This will prevent the floor from staining and will make it much easier to clean up without spreading the mess.
Sweep Your Floors
It is also important that you regularly sweep your floors once you are sure there is no standing liquid on the ground. This should be done every couple of months to keep your floor looking clean and fresh.
If you don’t sweep or vacuum your floor, the dust and other debris on the surface can cause scratches on the surface of your concrete garage floor. If you have painted concrete floors, this can damage your paint and the overall appearance of your floor.
Deep Clean
Once you have removed the grit and other debris from your garage floor, you can deep clean your concrete floors. This is necessary for any type of concrete floor.
First, you can begin by scrubbing the floor. You can get a deck brush, a bucket, and a garden hose to make this even easier. Then, you can make a solution of dish soap, baking soda, and laundry detergent to clean the floor with.
Then, you can pour this solution on the floor, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub with a hard brush. Once you have finished deep cleaning the floor, you should use your hose to rinse the floor until there is no more cleaning solution on it.
Treat for Stains
While you are deep cleaning your garage floors, you may notice that there are some stains or discoloration. During the deep cleaning process, you can treat these stains.
If you have oil or grease stains on your garage floor, you will need to find a degreaser solution. This will help pull the oil out of your garage floor.
For rust stains, you can use an acidic cleaner to remove them! Something like vinegar or lemons will cut through these rust stains very easily. To make sure your garage floor looks new for longer, you need to treat stains as soon as you notice them.
Fill In Cracks and Chips
Once your floor is completely clean, you can begin to patch any cracks or chips in your concrete garage floor. First, you need to start by removing any loose materials inside the cracks. You can do this with a chisel and a shop vac.
Then, once the cracks are free of debris, you can use a putty knife and epoxy to fill in the gaps. As you fill the cracks, scrape away any additional epoxy and smooth it over with a trowel.
After your filled-in crack dries, you can use sandpaper to make sure it is smooth.
If you do not know how to do this yourself or if you have major cracks or significant concrete damage, you can hire a professional garage floor maintenance company to help you. This way, you will prevent the damage to your concrete floors from worsening.
Apply Concrete Sealers Or Floor Coating
You can also apply concrete sealers or a floor coating to your garage floor to improve the durability and appearance of your garage floor! Sealing your concrete floor will help your floor repel moisture, prevent cracks and stains, and will make your garage floor even easier to maintain.
Other floor coating systems will also improve the appearance of your garage floor. For example, Garage Force uses polyurea coating which is 20x stronger than epoxy. The chip coating installation makes it easy to customize your garage floor.
During this simple home renovation, they will prepare your concrete, clean the surface, repair cracks, and seal your concrete floors.
Don’t Forget Your Garage Floors
Finally, you need to realize that frequent upkeep is essential to keeping your garage floors in good condition. While it can be easy to push off floor maintenance, it is much easier to stay on top of if you do it every few months.
Plus, it is much easier to prevent stains and cracks in your garage floor than it is to repair them.
Need Help With Floor Maintenance & Garage Floor Upgrades?
Maintaining your garage floor does not have to be complicated! By following these easy tips, you will keep your concrete garage floor in good condition for years to come.
Do you need help with floor maintenance and garage floor upgrades? Garage Force can help! Our team provides garage floor coatings that are resistant to stains, scrapes, chemical corrosion, and more!
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you with your garage renovation and updated flooring or find a local installer.