When a homeowner looks to make improvements to their home, garages are usually the last on the priority list. And this is primarily due to the fact that you store things in the garage that make it difficult to maintain a put together and clean look. You park your car and other modes of transportation in it, you probably store unused tools, paint, and old knickknacks. So it’s no wonder that garages are perceived as eye sores to the home and that this cannot be helped. However, what many homeowners do not realize is that improving the look and feel of your garage can significantly add to your home’s value. You can also repurpose your garage to be more than just a storage dump of your old things. Having proper flooring is the first step to improving the look of this section of your house and below are some great options to consider when you are looking to improve the appearance of your garage floors.
Concrete Floor Paint
Perhaps one of the most common quick fixes to dull and worn garage floors is to have it coated with special concrete paint. Concrete floor paint is essentially the same type of wall paint that you would use in your home, but is just a tougher version of it.
The reason this is a popular option for some homeowners on a budget is that it’s by far the leased expensive coating option on the market. Plus, you can probably afford to apply the painting job yourself. If you want to touch up any damaged areas in the future, then you can do so easily. Or, if you choose to recoat the floor, you can easily do so with an entirely different color. There are two popular types of floor paints for concrete: latex paint and oil-based paints.
Latext paints are easier to apply and clean up after but the finishing look is a bit flatter and less shiny than oil-based paints. Oil paints must be used with a primer and are usually more durable than latex paints. If you live in an area with extreme weather changes depending on the season, you may want to look into more durable coating options like the two below.
Epoxy Concrete Coatings
Epoxy concrete coatings are another popular option for garage floors, especially if you are looking for floors that will last for years to come. These coatings offer a nice glossy finish and are extremely durable to things like heat, stains and chemicals. An epoxy floor coating is typically a two part coating that is mixed together for optimal results rather than a single component like a concrete paint as discussed above.
These are more expensive than concrete paints but if you are looking for a long term investment, this may be the best option for you. You can customize the colors and in some cases add in decorative color flakes to add a more multi-dimensional feel to your floors. The only downside is the seemingly long curing times for epoxy floor paints. Because these coatings need to be applied in coats and each coat takes time to effectively dry, you are usually looking at a job that could span a few days up to a week for an entire garage floor layout. This can become a burden if you don’t have anywhere to store all of the items you typically use your garage to hold.
Polyaspartic Concrete Coatings
The final concrete coating option that has recently made its way into the industry’s mainstream coating offerings is a technology called polyaspartic coatings. This material is a hybrid that resembles polyurethane closely. Though this option is not as well-known as epoxy, there are quite a few reasons that make this a superior option to some:
- Durability: the end product with polyaspartic coatings is a hard and flexible finish that won’t chip, scratch or scuff. Epoxies are hard and durable but because of their rigid texture, is prone to scratching. Polyaspartic beats epoxy in this category.
- Drying Time: one layer of polyaspartic coatings can dry in an hour or less, whereas for epoxy you’d have to wait up to 16 hours for one layer to dry.
- Air Quality: polyaspartic is odorless, with close to no off-gassing which makes this the preferable option to epoxy. Epoxy can decrease the air quality so wearing protective breathing gear it very important during installation.
- UV Resistance: polyaspartic coatings will not fade over time even after extreme UV exposure, whereas epoxy may yellow after continued sunlight exposure.
While these are some of the most common options in the market for floor coatings there are many variables that go into choosing the right garage flooring for your home. Whether it’s budget, time, or long term value, it’s crucial to do your own due diligence before diving into this investment. But with the right knowledge and tools, you can choose an option for your garage that will be sure to improve its appearance and increase the value of your home over time.
