The vast majority of homes have plain concrete garage floors. This makes a certain amount of sense for the construction developers who build whole neighborhoods at a time because it is inexpensive, uniform, and utilitarian. The concrete in your garage is the same concrete they poured for your driveway, it’s safe for cars, and few people put a lot of thought into their garage floors. But now that you are the homeowner, you have the freedom to improve many things about the home that started out standard but could be better for you. Just like you might replace old light fixtures or remodel the kitchen for comfort and convenience, coating your garage floor is one of those simple home improvement projects that once done, makes your home unique and much more inviting than when it was first designed and built.
Whether you’re currently frustrated with the cracks and troubles that come with a raw concrete garage floor or are currently debating which floor coating is best, consider these six benefits of choosing a thick rubbery polyurea coating that seals and flexes with your concrete floor instead of enamel or paint that will eventually crack and chip.
1) A Smooth Indoor/Outdoor Shop Environment
The first thing you will notice about a polyurea coated garage floor is how smooth it is. Unlike trying to paint raw concrete or build a tile floor over the uneven surface, polyurea bonds with the top of your concrete, sealing it and creating a surface that is clean and safe for both family indoor activities and rougher outdoor activities. The best garage shops are effective for both indoor and outdoor projects, vacillating between little repair jobs and big construction or vehicle projects. Polyurea can handle both with no scuffs, scratches, chips, or chemical soak.
2) Safe for Kids, Pets, and Cars
Raw concrete garage floors are not safe for children. Consider the thought of letting your toddler wander barefoot into a normal garage. The dust bunnies of indeterminate origin, random collection of dropped nails and metal shavings, and the possibility of chemical-soaked concrete makes this thought a nightmare. But polyurea coating is smooth and easy to keep clean as if it were an indoor floor making it safe for your children and pets. It is also incredibly durable and won’t take any damage at all from regularly driving your car into the garage, moving large shop equipment, or even dragging planks of wood across the ground.
3) You Can Finally Insulate the Garage
Because polyurea coating quickly transforms a porous and cracked garage floor into a smooth sealed surface, you can finally stop losing heat through that concrete floor in the cold Minnesota winters. While you may have had a little space heater in your shop before, it is now practical to put a little time and effort insulating the garage walls into a truly indoor/outdoor space that can be air-conditioned, cooled, and remain surprisingly comfortable in both weather extremes when the garage door is closed. Just remember to weatherstrip the door.
4) No Cracks for Things to Live In or Grow Out Of
One of the biggest problems with a concrete floor in your garage, especially in a place with extreme weather like Minnesota, is the cracks. These can lead to your foundation or directly into the ground. Dirt can gather in the cracks, bugs can live in them and flow out on occasion, and little seeds that blow in will take root and begin cracking it further as they try to spread from the cracks in your garage floor. With polyurea coating, you never have to worry about cracks again. The coating even flexes with the natural swell and contraction of the concrete underneath.
5) The Weather is Never a Problem
Because polyurea both seals and flexes with your concrete, you can also stop worrying everytime the weather changes as to what that might do to your concrete garage floor. If you’ve been noticing bigger and bigger cracks every summer or winter, this is the result of drastically changing temperature and humidity. But polyurea solves this problem by first sealing the existing cracks and then remaining flexible enough to prevent any new cracks from forming both in its own perfect surface and your concrete underneath.
6) Maintenance is a Mop
Finally, maintaining your garage floor can range from difficult to impossible. Even if you try to keep it swept and mopped, the rough surface, cracks, and the fact that it absorbs any liquid (dangerous or safe) makes a concrete garage floor a deteriorating experience. But polyurea acts like an indoor floor. From wall to wall, all you need is a vacuum and a mop to keep it clean, child-safe, and beautifully shining. You can even neglect it for years and still be able to mop it clean in a matter of minutes.
If you’ve been having concrete garage floor woes, Polytek Surface Coatings is here to help. For more information about how polyurea coating can improve your garage floor or how to enjoy your garage more after installation, contact us today!