Regular cement is the material most commonly used for garage floors because of its overall reliability and cost-effectiveness. However, while concrete is typically very durable, it’s still subject to wear and tear over time. In addition, oil stains, cracks, blistering, and more can affect your garage flooring, leaving unsightly blemishes on the surface that reduce the aesthetic appeal of the entire structure.
Garage Floor Epoxy: Is It Worth the Investment?
Constant repairs of your concrete flooring can take a chunk out of your finances. Luckily, there’s an easier solution that more effectively preserves your garage floor’s durability and appearance: epoxy coatings.
An garage floor epoxy is several times more resistant to stains and damage than bare concrete while also giving the homeowner more decorative options to ensure the garage entirely fits their style.
Epoxy has become one of the most popular options for protecting vulnerable flooring anywhere in the home, but is applying a coat to your property worth the expense? Below is an in-depth look at garage floor epoxy, enabling you to make the most informed decision possible when deciding whether to use it for your home!
What Is an Garage Floor Epoxy Coating?
There are a few misconceptions about the nature of epoxy coating in the public eye, the most common being that it’s a special type of acrylic paint for floor surfaces. While some paints do use epoxy in their mixture to improve durability and longevity, their application and effectiveness aren’t nearly to the degree of a pure epoxy product.
Pure epoxy is a mixture of a base resin and several additives such as polyamine, which gives the finished coating added durability and wear resistance. The coating tends to come in two parts, and once both components are applied to your flooring, a chemical reaction binds them into a solid and long-lasting layer that protects your concrete floors.
Benefits of a Garage Floor Epoxy Coating
Applying an epoxy coating to your garage floor offers several notable benefits that justify its slightly elevated expense compared to concrete repairs. These advantages include:
- Enhanced Durability – The hardened polymers and resin present in the typical epoxy mix create a surface resistant to water and most sources of damage. Garage Floor Epoxy are strong enough to withstand most impacts, and the caustic chemicals can’t eat away at the hardened materials.
- Increased Property Values – Whenever a homeowner makes improvements to their property, it tends to increase the property’s worth on the housing market. Garage floor coating is no different since buyers are likely to appreciate flooring that they won’t need to spend money to fix regularly.
- Improved Visual Appeal – Homeowners have a wide range of colors, textures, and designs to choose from for the epoxy flooring during the application process. A layer of epoxy can fit the overall style of any garage and create a glossy finish that will impress any visitors to your home.
- Easier Clean Up – Most liquids and other staining substances can’t penetrate past a protective layer of epoxy. Instead, they’ll loosely rest on top of the coated floor and can be quickly cleaned up with just a mop and some water.
How to Apply Epoxy Flooring
Applying epoxy to your garage floor is a relatively simple process, but that in no way means that you should apply it yourself. Epoxy products are available at certain hobby stores, and many people will want to avoid the added expense of professional installation. However, while the application process is simple, mistakes are possible if you don’t have experience and the proper tools.
It’s generally recommended that an expert epoxy installer works on your floors to guarantee a quick and efficient application.
The Process
The process for applying epoxy to a garage floor will be the same for most epoxy companies, with some variance depending on the type of compound they use. Generally, you can break the process down into five steps:
- Prep the Surface: The first thing professional epoxy installers will do is sandblast and diamond grind the floor until it’s level. Then they will carefully inspect the floor, removing any debris they find along the way. Doing so prevents blemishes in the finished epoxy garage floor.
- Apply the Epoxy Primer: Next, they apply the epoxy primer, which acts as a foundation for the remaining epoxy layers.
- Layer Epoxy Paints or Chips: After priming the floor, it’s time to decorate it with epoxy paints or decorative flakes that give the finished product a more textured appearance. The homeowner has the most control during this step, with the coating team providing them with several options to choose from to ensure their renewed garage floor matches their tastes.
- Add Sealant: Finally, the application team adds the sealant, which binds the previous layers together and creates a durable finish.
- Let Cure: After applying everything, simply allow the epoxy flooring to cure for 24 to 36 hours. Once the time has passed, you’ll have no problems treading over your new glossy garage floor epoxy.
How Much Does Applying Epoxy Cost?
While we’ve outlined many of the significant benefits and detailed the ease of the installation process, there’s one thing that tends to hold people back from getting their epoxy flooring: the cost.
The ultimate cost for installing your epoxy is dependent on several factors: the size of the garage, the complexity of the final design, the effort needed to prepare your concrete floor for its first coat, the contractor you hire to do the job, etc.
Generally, homeowners will spend around $1,000 to $3,500 for their epoxy coating. It’s a rate that tends to scare many potential buyers off, but an epoxy garage floor is a sound investment because of the longevity of the final product. Thanks to epoxy’s inherent durability and resilience, the initial charge is likely the only money you’ll have to put into it for a long time.
Here at Renew Resurfacing, a refinishing company serving Omaha, NE, we strive to provide our customers with professional garage floor epoxy coatings that look great and protect your floors. So, if you’re looking to breathe new life into your garage, call us at (402) 521-5914 for your free consultation today!
