Your garage needs to be able to withstand extensive use. As such, you need to ensure that the type of garage floor coating can hold up to the demands your garage makes of it. From exposure to the elements to impact from your cars to safety for your working out or crafting ventures, there are many things to consider when choosing the best type of garage floor coating for you.
Here, we’ve broken down 4 of the most common types of garage floor coatings and what you can expect from them. This will help you determine the best type of garage floor coating for your needs. We’ll go in order from the least durable option to the most durable option.
Least Durable: Garage Floor Paint
Garage floor paint is definitely the cheapest option when it comes to garage floor coatings – and it shows. You get what you pay for after all. You can find garage floor paints at your local hardware store.
Bear in mind that these take more work than more people expect. You’ll need proper PPE (personal protective equipment) to protect yourself from the fumes. You’ll need to ensure that the floor is clean and smooth and that there are no conditions that impact painting.
Garage floor paints start to peel within a few short months and need to be reapplied on a regular basis in order to keep your garage looking its best. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t paint any other floor in your home, so why would your garage floor be any different?
Is this the best type of garage floor coating? From the options we talk about in this article, it’s the worst.
Second Least Durable: DIY Epoxy Kits
These are a definite step up from garage floor paints because you’re working with actual epoxy here. Epoxy is an excellent material, as it is strong, beautiful, and durable. However, remember that these are DIY. As such, you really need to know what you’re doing in order to prevent expensive application issues.
Like garage floor paint, you’ll need PPE. You’ll also need to prep the floor not only by cleaning it, but also by acid-etching it. This is so that the epoxy will bind with your concrete. DIY epoxy kits are much more time-intensive and complicated process than people expect.
If you have experience in applying floor coatings, this will likely go pretty well for you. If you don’t, be careful to do your research. DIY epoxy kits will need to be reapplied every few years after they start showing wear and tear – a huge step-up from garage floor paint.
But when it comes to the best type of garage floor coating? You have better options available to you.
Second Best: Epoxy Floor Coatings
If you’re looking for the best type of garage floor coatings, more likely than not, you’ve come across many people singing the praises of epoxy floor coatings. They’re like DIY epoxy kits, but better, because they’re installed by experienced professionals. They also tend to be higher quality than the DIY kits you could get in a store.
Since these floor coatings are professionally installed, you can also have them customized according to your desires. Many people choose to have their epoxy floors look like marble or to have a glittery or metallic sheen to them.
However, epoxy tends to turn yellow with exposure to UV rays. It can be very slippery when wet unless you have a grit-additive mixed in, which isn’t great for your garage. It also has hot-tire pickup, which is when it sticks to your tires when it’s hot. These floor coatings last longer than anything you could DIY.
But are they the best type of garage floor coating? No, they’re not.
The Best Type Of Garage Floor Coating: Polyaspartic
Polyaspartic floor coatings are definitely the best type of garage floor coating. They have all the benefits of epoxy floor coatings, but without so many cons. They’re UV resistant, which means that they won’t turn yellow in the sun. They can cure within a day, so they don’t interrupt your life so much. They don’t have hot-tire pickup and tend to be safer to walk on.
Like epoxy coatings, polyaspartic coatings are very customizable. They’re also the longest-lasting type of floor coatings – they can last up to 30 years with proper care.
Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana is here to fulfill your garage floor coating needs. We offer many different floor coating services. Contact us today to obtain your free quote.
