If you live on the mid-eastern coast of the U.S. and are looking for garage floor contractors “near me,” it’s likely you have some questions, ideas, and plans for fixing up one of the most crucial areas of your house. The garage plays an important role in most households, fulfilling the need for a utilitarian space for extra storage, additional freezers or refrigerators, water tanks, laundry machines, and other equipment, tools, a workbench, seasonal or outdoor gear…the list goes on. But perhaps the most obvious function of a garage is parking a car or motorcycle within it, even sometimes using the space to perform maintenance repairs on our transportation.
Needless to say, your garage floor can endure a lot of abuse. From oil stains and scratches to impact marks from dropping your heaviest wrench or hammer, when it comes to selecting the best flooring material for your garage, it is generally wise to select something durable, practical, easy to fix, and low maintenance. In this article, we will discuss the best materials for garage floors as well as ways to customize your garage floor for improved safety, endurance, or even aesthetics.
Of course, the answer to this question is largely subjective—however, the majority of American homeowners have a concrete base beneath their finished garage floors. Whether you choose to coat that concrete with another material is another matter entirely—and we’ve even written an article on the topic here!
However, it should be noted that while some homeowners are satisfied with a polished and sealed concrete flooring finish, others opt for additional layers like polyurea, epoxy, floor mats, or even special garage floor tiling. However, when it comes to ease of maintenance, cleaning, and repairs, nothing compares to a classic, polished concrete finish.
While it is perfectly acceptable to polish your concrete floor and buff in a deeply penetrating chemical sealer, some homeowners take the process a step further and add a coating of epoxy or polyurea over the top. This does, however, take extra time and cost extra money—but there are some perks that come with it too. We’ll talk about the best circumstances for each of these three types of concrete garage floor finishes so you can decide which one is right for your home!
Polyurea is somewhat similar to epoxy in that it is applied after a concrete surface has been polished and cleaned—but it typically has an elastomer additive that can lend a rubber-like quality to the finished surface. However, concrete flooring contractors can differentiate the outcome of how hard the floor is based on how they mix the components. Like epoxy, polyurea coatings add lifespan and durability to concrete floors and can contribute visual appeal as well; however, the primary difference is that while polyurea tends to last a little longer than epoxy, it costs significantly more to coat your concrete floors with polyurea rather than epoxy—by as much as $4 to $9 more!
While epoxy itself has been around since the 1930s, it’s recently come into the limelight in the form of viral videos on the internet, home improvement how-tos, and a boom of companies offering epoxy pouring services. Epoxy is typically more affordable than polyurea and adds another layer of toughness and durability to concrete floors. It is also a completely smooth, non-permeable surface, making it easier to clean and maintain and less likely to harbor allergens, dirt, and pathogens. Epoxy floor coatings are one of the most sanitary and hygienic coatings you can apply to a concrete surface—not to mention they are incredibly easy to clean, as they are water and spill-resistant.
Obviously, electing for polished concrete floors rather than adding another layer of polyurea or epoxy is going to be a little cheaper than the cost of installing a whole other layer of product—however, the best finished concrete floors are honed to a high degree of polish and thoroughly chemically sealed. Grinding your concrete garage floors down to a fine grit not only makes them smoother and easier on the eyes but can even make them stronger and more resistant to future damage as well. Plus, should your polished concrete floors ever crack or become damaged, the good news is, this generally is a relatively easy fix with a patch kit and a professional concrete contractor. This type of flooring is also dead simple to clean, and can even be visually altered by way of dyeing, acid- or water-based stains, etching, and more!
While some people like the aesthetic and softer touch of floor mats or garage floor tiles, these aren’t always the most practical solution. While they are generally easier to stand on for longer durations, they are typically harder to clean—and decidedly are not stain-resistant. Not only this, but these materials are pricy to install, and can be price-prohibitive to some homeowners.
For those who opt for another chemical or concrete layer over the top of their concrete, it must be said that, while this does require preparatory work and a waiting period for the chemicals to cure, both polyurea and epoxy are relatively affordable options that are highly chemically resistant and quite easy to clean. Not only this, but they can be beautiful additions to your space and a way to really customize your garage and transform it into a place where you actively want to pass the hours—not just walk through on your way to the outdoor trash can.
The cheapest route is to go with a simple concrete polish, sealant, and buffed-in finish—though this can always be changed in terms of color, geometric designs, artistic stains, and more.
Some people opt to leave their garage floors a simple grey polished concrete finish…and while there’s nothing wrong with this classic and low-maintenance approach, there are other alternatives to changing the vibe in your garage—from sparkling epoxy coatings to acid washes capable of disguising even the most stubborn motor oil stains. However you decide to finish your concrete floors, it’s generally a good idea to look for professional garage floor contractors “near me”—unless, of course, you are very confident with your ability to install a garage floor without hiccup…which can cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace.
If you’re looking for garage contractors “near me,” you can do no better than the professionals at The Concrete, Etc. Contact us today for a free quote and browse through our gallery of previous happy clients here!
