Garage Floor Epoxy
You have finally built your perfect garage. The attic, walls and door are insulated; you have all the tools necessary to work on your favorite automotive projects. Maybe you went with a decorative theme; walls covered in street signs and an old hub cap converted into a clock. Amidst your dream setup is an old, stained concrete floor, replete with oil stains and drips from your various cars and automotive projects throughout the years.
What is the best solution? The easiest route is a simple, low cost mat, which acts like an area rug that sits just underneath where your car sits. The mat does provide protection for the concrete, but depending on the material, is not the easiest surface to clean. Although it will hide stains, it only hides them under the area where that mat lays; it can also trap water underneath and may have to be rolled up for the floor to fully dry. Another option that requires slightly more installation effort but provides coverage for the entire floor are interlocking tiles. They are a rubber style material that are laid individually and by hand; edges and obstacles may require cutting. Tiles provide a grippy, cleanable surface that raises the height of the floor slightly and has a gymnasium style look. They can also be costly depending on the square footage you will need to cover.
The ultimate surface in terms of appearance, quality and clean-ability is garage floor epoxy. The application of epoxy is probably the most involved of all your options; it requires several steps, each generally having a waiting period in between to allow the chemicals to dry. Your floor needs to be prepped in order for the epoxy to stick and so the finished product will appear more even. Cracks and chips will need to be filled with a cement patching paste. Then, the surface needs to be scuffed with an etching solution that strips oils, dirt and roughens the texture of the floor so the base coat can stick to the concrete more tenaciously. A base coat, much like a paint primer, is first applied to provide tack to the surface and cover any discolorations.
Depending on what epoxy you choose, you will have to toss chips the color of your choice onto the surface before you apply top coat; these chips will give a multidimensional granite look to the floor that adds sophistication that other garage floor coverings can’t match. Once the topcoat has been applied and allowed sufficient drying time, your garage floor is ready for use. The epoxy coating is smooth, resists water, oil and other automotive fluids; if a texture is applied, it also provides grip when the surface is wet. Use your garage without worry; it will stand up to a great deal of abuse, owing to the rock hard nature of epoxy. Best of all, it looks gorgeous. The new epoxy surface covers the entire floor, all stains and imperfections locked away securely beneath. The application of epoxy is en effort that you can take pride in.
Your garage will have a classy, finished look that is a perfect complement to the effort you have put in to the rest of your garage. The cost of epoxy for an average garage is icing on the cake; of the three options listed here, epoxy is generally the most reasonably priced. Applied correctly, you will enjoy many years with your newly epoxy garage floor.
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