Concrete is a common choice for garage floors. The problem is that concrete floors have a major weakness: oil stains. Not only does the oil look bad on concrete garage floors, but it can also compromise the strength of said floors over time.
But garage floors will inevitably get exposed to oil at some point. Cars, which are a common site in garages, often leak oil. And car owners doing mechanical work on their cars can spill oil.
So the solution is to get a garage floor coating that successfully repels oil. Read on to learn about what this garage floor coating can do for you.
Why Are Oil Stains Bad For Concrete?
So why do oil and concrete not mix well? The sections below have all the details.
They Look Bad
The first downside to oil stains on concrete is obvious. They look bad. Numerous dark, stained spots from old oil stains on your garage floor can be embarrassing and annoying.
They’re Hard to Clean Off
There are ways to clean oil off the surface of concrete garage floors. You can apply a solvent to the surface to clean up the oil. You can then vacuum up the resulting hydrocarbons (residue).
The problem is that this method does not help if the oil has penetrated deep into the concrete. If a ton of oil has deeply penetrated the concrete floor, it may have compromised the concrete structure. Technicians may need to replace the concrete floor, or at least a section of it.
They Can Weaken the Concrete Structure
Experts used to believe that oil was harmless to concrete. Some even believed that it could protect a concrete garage floor against freezing damage. But new evidence has shown that oil contamination can destroy the structure of concrete garage floors.
Workers make concrete by mixing water, a binder, mineral aggregate, and chemical additives. These materials have to stick together so that concrete can maintain its strength. Oil can act as a barrier that can push these components apart.
When the bonds between concrete materials are broken, concrete can’t maintain its strength. These floors will begin to crumble and crack under the weight of cars, humans, and other items people may store in their garages.
They Can Get Through Covers
Yes, you can put dropcloths or pans under your cars to catch the oil. You can even put drop cloths and/or tarps over your whole garage if you wish. But it will be hard for your car to drive over these.
Plus, you’ll have to keep replacing these items. The oil will soak into the dropcloth and start dripping through the other side. Cloths and tarps can also wear down and tear over time. Oil-soaked cloth can also be a major fire hazard.
Get a garage floor coating that can protect garage floors from oil instead. This will save you from having to replace tarps and drop cloths. It will also provide better protection for your concrete floor.
What Is Polyurea Floor Coating?
Polyurea is a type of coating from the polyurethane family. Manufacturers form polyurethanes by creating a reaction between polyol and diisocyanates. The latter is a chemical and the former is an alcohol that has two or more reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule.
Floor coatings made with polyurea are two-part compounds. Our garage floor technicians will mix these two parts. Once the compound is ready, they will apply it to your garage floor.
The coating will then bond to the elements inside the concrete garage floors. Once it hardens, it becomes a barrier that can protect garage floors against oil and other enemies. You should be able to clean the oil right off it.
Why Is Polyurea Good Against Oil?
Concrete is porous. That is, there are several microscopic holes in the material. The naked human eye can’t easily see these holes, but they’re there.
These holes are what allow oil to penetrate the concrete. When oil does this, it breaks down the bonds between materials and leaves behind ugly garage floor stains.
Polyurea floor coating, on the other hand, is not porous. The oil cannot penetrate the clear coating. It instead sits on the surface of the coating and waits to get cleaned up.
What Are Other Polyurea Floor Benefits?
There are many reasons why hundreds of Americans choose to coat their garage floors with polyurea floor coatings every day. The floor coating betters garage floors in many different ways.
Beautifies Garage Floors
Many people feel satisfied with plain, gray concrete garage floors. But there are plenty of other people who want a little something more. Polyurea floor coatings can provide garage floors with a bit more pizzazz.
These floor coatings don’t just come in a clear color. As you can see from our options, they come in a variety of colors. We also offer solid and metallic varieties.
In addition, many of our floor coating options contain aggregates like quartz. These create beautiful, complex patterns that delight the eyes. They can also make floors less slippery.
Resistant to Water
The non-porous nature of the polyurea floor coating also makes it resistant to water. This is great for concrete as water can also compromise its structure.
Water can penetrate concrete in the warmer months. During the colder months, water will freeze and expand. This expansion can force sections of concrete apart.
Eventually, cracks will start to appear in the concrete. This will make the concrete look unattractive and make it a tripping hazard.
Resistant to Scratches
Concrete garage floors can quickly build up hundreds of scratches over time. This can cause the surface of the garage floors to look ugly.
This won’t be an issue with polyurea floor coatings. The durability of polyurea floor coatings makes them less vulnerable to scratches than concrete.
Even if you do manage to scratch the polyurea floor coatings, it won’t be an issue. Many of the complex designs available for these coatings can hide these scratches and make them less visible.
Resistant to UV Rays
The UV radiation that the sun emits can cause the colors of items to fade or change over time. Floor coatings like epoxy tend to turn yellow after significant exposure to sunshine.
This isn’t an issue with polyurea floor coatings. They are resistant to UV rays. So your new beautiful polyurea floor coating shouldn’t turn yellow over time.
Quick to Install
It also won’t take that long for our garage floor experts to install a polyurea garage floor coating on your floor. After we go through the installation steps, we will leave the polyurea floor coating to harden.
The floor coating should be ready to step on within the day. By comparison, an epoxy floor coating can take several days to completely cure.
How to Clean Oil Off a Polyurea Floor
You can’t just use anything to clean an oil spill off your polyurea garage floor. Certain cleaning materials can cause damage to your floor coating. Try using the following tips to keep your floor coating clean and safe:
Don’t Use Vinegar or Citrus Cleaners
Vinegar and citrus cleaners are highly acidic. While polyurea floor cleaners have some chemical resistance, they’re not completely invulnerable. These acids can degloss the finish of coatings over time.
Be Careful With Soap Cleaners
You can use soap, but you need to give your floors a very strong rinse afterward. If you don’t, soap will leave streak marks and a hazy film. Soap can also make the surface of your polyurea floor coating very slippery.
Don’t Use Soy Based Cleaners
Soy-based cleaners might sound like a great, environmentally friendly way to clean your beautiful polyurea garage floor, but these cleaners are actually the last option you should consider. The organic compounds in these cleaners can begin to react with your coating and break it down over time.
Use Ammonia
Diluted ammonia is a good cleaning solution you can use for polyurea floor coatings. As it isn’t too strong, it shouldn’t cause the coating to break down.
Use Windex
A window cleaning solution like Windex can also work well when you’re cleaning your polyurea floor coating. These chemicals will not leave a residue after you’re done.
Still, you should mix a solution that’s one part Windex to three parts water. This solution should be strong enough for your cleaning needs.
Use a Mop and/or a Scrub Pad
Microfiber mops and scrub pads are the best cleaning tools for your polyurea floor coatings. The former works well with all spills. The latter works best for tougher issues.
Just make sure you don’t scrub too hard with these cleaning tools. This can wear down the coating over time. Light to medium strength pressure should be enough.
Also, make sure that you’re frequently rinsing the mop and/or scrub pads. This will get rid of any of the debris that the cleaning tools pick up.
Garage Force Will Install Your Coatings
As you can see, oil stains don’t have to be an unbeatable enemy. The right polyurea garage floor coatings can keep your garage floors free of any big black stains. You’re sure to enjoy a clean garage floor for a long time.
If you’re looking for someone to install your polyurea floor coating, why not try us? We’re a national franchise that offers top-quality concrete coating options. Find your nearest location on this page.
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