Your concrete garage floors, if left untreated, can get pretty dirty and dull over time. But just because they can look dull doesn’t mean they have to. With a high-quality floor coating, your garage floors will not only look better but also be more durable and reliable for you and your family. 

While the many benefits of having a garage floor coating installed in your home might sound appealing, picking the perfect garage floor color is much more difficult than you may realize. If you are ready to install a floor coating in your home but you aren’t sure what your perfect garage floor color might be, our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana has a few tips that make picking much easier. 

1. Consider The Lighting In Your Garage

When you’re in a showroom or looking at flooring swatches under fluorescent lights, this lighting may have a substantial effect on the way they look. If you think you’ve found the perfect garage floor color, take a look at the swatch in several different lighting before you finalize anything. In addition to looking at your perfect garage floor color under different lighting, you should also consider the current lighting situation in your garage. 

If you often think that your garage is dark or has very few windows, you might not want to install a darker flooring color. If your garage is really bright, a too-light floor coating might seem blinding. Think about the way this lighting will impact the appearance of your floor coating before making a decision. 

2. Look At The Colors In Your Garage

Before you pick your perfect garage floor color, take a look at the colors that are already present in the space. Whether you are looking at the paint color on the wall or wood tones and trim colors, these are a good indication of what colors might look best in this space.

When you decide on a color for your floors, you want it to be a color that complements the preexisting colors. If the colors clash, you will likely spend more money and time trying to spruce up this space. Take some time to compare your favorite garage floor color swatches to these existing colors. It may offer some clarity and make deciding on a color much easier. 

3. Think About Your Lifestyle

You might not even think about your lifestyle when picking between colors for your garage floor. But your lifestyle plays a very substantial role in what color is the best fit for your home. When choosing your perfect garage floor color, consider the hobbies you do in your garage or the regular activity this room sees.

If you park your car in your garage, the floors are likely covered in grease and grime very regularly. With this, a light floor color would require a great deal of maintenance to look its best, whereas a darker color might hide this between cleanings. A dark color is sleek and modern, but probably won’t hide dust from carpentry or stored boxes well. Keep your weekend hobbies and day to day life in mind before settling on your perfect garage floor color. 

4. Look At The Colors Around Your Home

As we mentioned above, it is important to look at the existing colors in your garage before selecting your garage floor color. However, some garages are simply gray and white, and don’t offer much inspiration when selecting a color. If your garage is lacking in the color department, you might want to take a step back and look elsewhere. 

Consider the exterior of your home, paint swatches in common spaces, and floor coverings throughout your space when choosing a color. Picking a garage floor color that meshes well with the rest of your home makes the space feel much more cohesive and thought out. While this might not matter to you now, it will definitely be appealing to potential homebuyers if you ever decide to sell.

5. Consider The Size Of The Garage

Before you pick your perfect garage floor color, think about the size of your garage. Whether you realize it or not, the color of your floors can have a major impact on how large your room appears. If you want your garage to appear larger, picking a dark floor color may have the opposite effect. 

However, a lighter floor color can open up a room and make it appear much larger. Many homeowners would prefer a larger-looking room, so a lighter floor color may be a better choice for this room. Even if you might not want originally consider a lighter floor color, it is definitely something you should think about if you want your garage to appear larger than it is.

6. Take Your Time Deciding

When you are ready to install a garage floor coating in your home, you might feel like you need to work as quickly as possible to finish the project and protect your floors. However, a few extra weeks of untreated concrete won’t impact the quality of your concrete floors, and you should take your time picking the perfect garage floor coating. 

With a lifespan of up to 30 years, you don’t want to look back on your epoxy or Polyaspartic floor coating and feel like you rushed to pick one. Take your time considering whether this is a color you’ll like years from now. Is it a color you’d normally pick, or are you trying to branch out? When you reflect on this years from now, you’ll be grateful for the extra week that you allowed yourself to pick your perfect garage floor color. 

Choosing Your Perfect Garage Floor Color With Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana

Choosing your perfect garage floor color may be more difficult than you initially assumed. However, when you work with a team of experienced floor coating professionals, the decision can become much easier. Our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana has years of experience installing floor coatings for homes and businesses across the Missoula, Montana area, and we’re confident that we can find the perfect color for you as well. 

In addition to our garage floor coating services, we provide homeowners with floor coatings for their basements, porches, patios, and more. If you are interested in installing a garage floor coating in your home, or you would like to speak to a member of our team about the other services we provide, contact us today. 

The concrete floors in your home often go overlooked until they are in need of repair. Untreated concrete is susceptible to various forms of damage, including chipping, crumbling, and cracking. If you are tired of the constant repairs to these floors, you should consider getting a floor coating.

But it is important to know what kind of floor coating is best. There are many popular options, including Polyurea and Polyaspartic floor coatings, but it is hard to decide which is a better fit for your home. If you are interested in getting a floor coating you should understand the benefits of each of these options before investing. 

Our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana has taken a look at each so you can make the most informed decision for your home. 

Polyurea Floor Coatings

Polyurea floor coatings were initially developed for steel to act as a water-resistant coating. It was created to use in place of the more moisture-sensitive polyurethane. When it was first introduced to the market, polyurea floor coatings were used for truck bed linings, pipe coatings, and tank linings. This durable material is now used as a coating and sealing product for concrete. It is used to protect concrete against staining, grease, and grime. 

Benefits Of Polyurea

There are many reasons why polyurea floor coatings became popular among homeowners, including the following:

• Flexible Floor Coating: Concrete floors in your home, including your garage and basement floors, are susceptible to movement as the weight and temperature around them fluctuate. While other, more rigid flooring options might not be suitable for these moving floors, polyurea is an excellent option because it moves with the floors. 
• Inexpensive Option: Because of its lower manufacturing cost than other comparable floor coating options, Polyurea floor coatings are an affordable option for homeowners. If you are hoping to renovate a space on a budget, Polyurea may be a better option.
• More Durable: Many homeowners consider getting a concrete coating if their floors are prone to damage. If you want to prevent damage, Polyurea floor coatings are a more durable option, protecting the floors from excessive damage. 

Drawbacks Of Polyurea

While this floor coating option has become popular among homeowners, it is not without its faults, including the following:

• It Cures Too Quickly: While we are sure you would like to get back to regular use of his garage as quickly as possible, polyurea floor coatings cure incredibly quickly. While this quick cure time sounds excellent, it may begin to cure before the entire room has been covered. This uneven curing may lead to improper adhesion to the concrete. 
• Blistering Coating: When mixing Polyurea floor coatings too quickly, it is not uncommon for bubbles to form. As the coatings are applied, the bubbles may cure into it. Over time, the bubbles may pop and lead to cracking and chipping in the coating.  
• Susceptible To UV Degradation: Unfortunately, Polyurea floor coatings are not as resistant to UV rays as other options. Because of this, your polyurea flooring may begin to yellow after prolonged exposure to sunlight. 

Polyaspartic Floor Coatings

Polyaspartic floor coatings, also referred to as Polyaspartic Aliphatic Polyurea, were introduced in the early 1990s as a more advanced version of polyurea. When it was introduced, Polyaspartic floor coatings were used for ships, rail cars, bridges, and piers. Now, however, they are a popular option for concrete floor coatings among home and business owners. 

Benefits Of Polyaspartic

Polyaspartic floor coatings gained popularity for many reasons, including the following:

• UV Resistance: Unlike its polyurea counterpart, Polyaspartic floor coatings are UV resistant, meaning they will not yellow or tarnish because of sun exposure. This UV resistance means your floors will look nicer for much longer.
• Improved Curing: As mentioned before, a common problem with polyurea floor coatings is uneven curing and adhesion. Polyaspartic floor coatings cure slightly slower than Polyurea, allowing experienced professionals to install it through an entire room before it begins to cure. 
• Scratch And Stain Resistance: Whether you’re getting a floor coating in your garage, basement, patio, or porch, these areas in your home come in contact with a lot of grime and experience a lot of foot traffic. When choosing a floor coating for your home, you should consider one that isn’t susceptible to damage, including scratching and staining. Polyaspartic floor coatings are durable and don’t damage easily when exposed to everyday traffic and grime. 

Which Is Best For You?

While there are benefits to both Polyurea and Polyaspartic floor coatings, we recommend getting a Polyaspartic coating in your home. Because it is much more resistant to damage, it is more reliable than other floor coating options. Polyaspartic floor coatings may be more expensive upfront, but they are well worth the investment, as you won’t have to worry about making unnecessary repairs. They are also fully customizable, making them a great fit for every room and every home style.

Getting Polyaspartic Floor Coatings With Solid Garage Floor Coatings Of Montana

If you are hoping to get Polyaspartic floor coatings installed in your home, you should work with a team of professionals you can trust. Our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Montana has years of experience and happy customers that make us confident we can create a Polyaspartic floor coating that matches your home perfectly. If you are interested in getting a Polyaspartic floor coating in your home or would like to get a free quote, reach out to our team today.

Even if it isn’t intentional, your garage is a busy place. Roughly 55% of homeowners state that they use their garage as the entrance to their home. To protect against this heavy foot traffic, many homeowners decide to install garage floor coatings.

But once you’ve installed your garage floor coating, it is your responsibility to keep it clean. While cleaning and maintaining your garage floor coating isn’t a difficult task, it is important that you know how to properly care for it to prevent degradation of the coating. 

If you want to protect your garage floor coating, continue reading to learn more about what you should do to keep them looking like new. 

1. Sweep Your Floors Regularly

Regular sweeping is one of the easiest ways to maintain your new garage floor coating. While dirt and debris do not stick to the ground easily, there is a chance that, over time, it will begin to stick to your garage floor coating. There is also a chance that, during the winter months, deicer can build up on your floors. 

To prevent this, you should consider sweeping the floor in your garage at least once a week. This is especially important if your garage has a lot of foot traffic. Dirt may get kicked around and walked on, causing damage to your garage floor coating if you leave it unaddressed. 

2. Use A pH-Neutral Floor Cleaner

If you notice a build-up on your garage floor, you may decide to mop and clean the floors. If you choose to mop your garage floors, you need to use a pH-neutral floor cleaner. These neutral cleaners will help you avoid developing a film over the top of your garage floor coating. This film would allow dirt and debris to easily stick to your floors.

You should also avoid citrus-based floor cleaners and chemical degreasers. If these cleaners sit on your floor coating, they can begin to degrade it. If you are trying to maintain your garage floor and don’t want to ruin your coating, use only a pH-neutral cleaner according to the package instructions. 

3. Spot Treat Stains

No matter how much you try to maintain your garage floor coating, there is always going to be something that drips on the floor. Whether it’s leaking oil from your car or melting snow and deicer from outside, these small spots should be easy to clean up as you go.

If you notice small dirty spots on your garage floor, you should spot treat these as they appear. Just use the same cleaner that you would use to mop the entire floor. Spot-treating your floors can prevent needing a larger, complete room cleaning. 

4. Double Clean If You Need To

Have you just moved into a house with a garage floor coating? They may seem intimidating if you have never worked with garage floor coatings. But they are a lot easier to clean than it might seem.

That being said, if you have mopped your garage floors and they still appear dirty or dingy, it is okay to double-clean them. Giving them a second clean will remove any tough, stuck-on dirt or debris that the first clean could not pull up. Giving them a second clean also removes anything that may have been on your garage floor coating that was not visible to the naked eye. 

5. Be Mindful If You Pressure Wash

When you think of cleaning your concrete floors, you might immediately think of pressure washing. You might even have pressure washed the concrete on your driveways or pathways leading up to your home. While this is fine for your unsealed concrete, you do have to be a little more careful when pressure washing your garage floor coating.

If you attempt pressure washing on your own to maintain your garage floors, you will need to ensure that the pressure from the washer remains under 1,000 psi. If the pressure is any higher than this, it can begin to damage your garage floor coating. If you are unsure how to reach this lower pressure or are concerned about potentially damaging your garage floors, contact a professional cleaning company. 

6. Avoid Abrasion If Possible

Your garage floor coating is built to be incredibly resilient because there is a lot that your garage floors are put through. They see abrasive chemicals and car tires. If they aren’t resilient, you would have to reapply a floor coating regularly to maintain concrete protection. While these floors are incredibly resilient, they certainly are not invincible.

To properly protect your garage floor coating, avoid excessive abrasion to the surface. Avoiding abrasion means that you should avoid dragging things repeatedly across the surface. Repeated dragging across the floor coating can wear it down. If you want to prevent this kind of damage, you should pick up things as you move them around your garage. 

Maintaining Your Garage Floor Coating With Solid Garage Floors of Montana

If you are interested in getting a professional garage floor coating installed in your home, you should work with a team of detail-oriented professionals you can trust. Our team at Solid Garage Floors of Montana is confident that, with years of experience and happy customers, we can create the perfect garage floor coating for your home.

In addition to garage floor coatings, we provide basement, driveway, and pool deck coatings. If you are interested in installing a garage floor coating or would like to receive a quote for your home, reach out to our team today.