Did you know that 82 million American homes have garages? If your home has one, how’s the floor looking? The fact is, in lots of homes, they’re looking distinctly shabby.
The daily grind of hot tires, home storage, and repair job spills mean that garage floors are often scratched, marked, and stained. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Pick a garage floor coating that’s up to the job and you’ll get a lifetime of good looks and a fantastic finish.
Let’s take a look at how to pick a garage floor coating that you won’t regret.
What a Great Garage Floor Coating Does
When you work with a floor coating provider to refinish your garage floor, you get more than a new look. The new floor should also:
- Address damage, cracks, and moisture
- Drastically improve appearance
- Be easy to keep clean
There is no DIY route to getting a great garage floor. You need to work with professionals, who will prep the surface and remove imperfections. They will then prime it and apply a high-quality, durable finish.
Not all contractors provide this level of service. Check out their process. Make sure they mechanically prepare and clean the surface before they apply the coating.
Floor Coating Options: Materials Matter
If you love constantly maintaining your garage floor, then there’s no better choice than concrete paint. It wears out quickly, scuffs easily, and will need to be refinished as often as every six months.
Nobody’s got time for that. For a long-term solution, your two main options are epoxy and polyurea.
Pros and Cons of Epoxy Coatings
Epoxy had been the garage floor coating of choice for professional and home garages for many years. It is a hard-wearing option, and its advantages include:
- Easy to clean
- Non-slip
- Range of finishes
- Hard-wearing
- Stain-resistant
However, there are some major disadvantages to using epoxy. These include:
- Not UV resistant – will turn yellow over time
- Takes several days to cure
- Can develop bubbles during curing
- Sensitive to temperature – can only install at certain times of year
These disadvantages mean that epoxy can quickly disappoint customers. Nobody wants a bubbled garage floor surface that starts to turn yellow when the sun shines on it.
Pros and Cons of Polyurea Coatings
In recent years, polyurea coatings have emerged as a superior alternative to epoxy. They have all the advantages of epoxy that we listed above. But additionally, they provide the following benefits that epoxy does not:
- UV-resistant
- Fast curing
- Install any time of the year
- Corrosion-resistant
- Up to 20 x stronger than epoxy
Polyurea garage coatings are ready to use within 24 hours. That means less downtime for your garage and disruption for your family.
Comparing coating costs is important, but make sure you factor in the durability of the product. Polyurea will last for decades. Garage Force is proud to offer a lifetime residential warranty on polyurea coatings.
It won’t go yellow and resists most common chemicals, so it’ll look great for years as well. You may pay a little more upfront, but that’s not always the case. When you weigh all the factors involved, polyurea is the clear winner for a lasting, dependable floor coating.
Consider Garage Floor Maintenance
Dirt, salt, and oil on tires can quickly make garage floors lose their looks. You need to choose a surface that’s easy to clean.
Most of the time, simple sweeping will stop dirt from building up on your polyurea floor. These coatings are waterproof, so they can be mopped and hosed down.
It’s best to spot clean spills as they happen. But if you don’t get to stains quickly, you can usually scrub them off the polyurea coating without damaging it.
Stamp Your Style on Your Garage Floor
Gone are the days when garage floors were all block colors, like gray. Now you have a wide range of coating systems to choose from for polyurea garage floors.
Full Chip System
The full chip or decorative chip system adds a pop of color and texture to your floors. After the first polyurea layer goes down, a second layer of decorative chips is applied. Then a final clear polyurea topcoat seals them in.
Color options include Saddle Tan, Zen Green, and Wombat grey. They can elevate a boring garage floor into a statement piece in your home. They come in a wide range of tones to complete your home’s decor.
Metallic System
The metallic system creates a futuristic metallic finish to your floor. They come in a huge range of colorways, from the oranges and yellows of Papaya to the deep blues of Reef. A high-gloss topcoat completes the look.
Medici System
The Medici system is perfect for garages, interior rooms, and even exterior patios. This finish is achieved by coating with two contrasting colors over a solid color basecoat, delivering a sophisticated stained concrete look.
These are just three of the polyurea coating systems available. You don’t just have to pick a garage floor coating based on practicality. There’s a luxurious finish to suit every home’s unique style.
Check Out Online Customer Reviews
Reviews are a great way to get unbiased opinions about garage floor contractors. You always need to take some comments with a grain of salt, but you can usually see a pattern of either satisfaction or dissatisfaction as you read through them.
Take note of these such as:
- Contractor communication
- Speed of completion
- Satisfaction with the finish
- Range of finishes on offer
Also, note whether the contractor takes the time to follow up on negative reviews. Most review sites allow companies to respond and try to resolve negative situations. If they do this, you can tell that they prioritize customer satisfaction.
Ready to Pick a Garage Floor Coating?
You can set yourself up for life when you pick a polyurea-based garage floor coating. It gives you all the benefits of epoxy and more. It’s durable, UV-resistant, and ready to go in 24 hours.
With a huge range of colors and finishes, it’s the best way to truly express your personal style in your garage. We have Garage Force locations throughout the country and our teams are ready to transform your garage!
Find a location and request a quote today!
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