It would be a tedious task for anyone to maintain a garage floor in its best condition all the time. Most of the time we disregard it until it becomes coated with oil, other car dirt and debris, grease from bikes or even the grass and leaves that the winds blow in.

With your garage floor you have a wide range of choices for maintaining it.  Here are some valuable tips for protecting your garage floor:

The simplest way would be to paint it with an epoxy floor paint, which is durable and water resistant, and does not need to be reapplied very often. To paint it would really take some effort but it is a good way to make the floor last for a long time as long as you have also after coated the epoxy with a good sealant to aid in the prevention of moisture and other debris getting between the coating and the floor itself.

Some garage floor options are more costly than others. While some ways of protecting your garage floor might give you a hard time with the application or installation, the best decision is to research all your options, whether it be rubber mats, concrete staining, epoxy paint, tile, stamping, or anything else to decorate it, and determine what is not only going to be most cost effective, but also what you will be able to do yourself versus having to hire a contractor to do the job because it’s too challenging or you simply don’t have the tools or equipment to get the job done right.

The garage usually starts out nice and neat, but over time it becomes more of a storage unit.  And after months or years of parking your car in it there are usually unwanted oil and other fluids staining the areas on the floor under the engines of your cars.  It may usually just be bare concrete, but it still needs to be maintained and protected. So, here are some steps to help you in effectively protecting your garage floor.

The first thing you need to do is to clean the floor well. This can most easily be done by first sweeping out the loose dust, leaves, and any other debris, then remove all boxes or other junk that may have accumulated.  Once the entire garage is empty, then power wash the floor using some kind of cleaner.  If you don’t have a power washer you can always rent one, or you can simply use your garden hose with a pressure tip.  You need to sweep and wash the floor thoroughly. If you see some engine oil and car dirt, then you need to apply some heavy duty cleaner or degreaser in order to get it as clean as possible. Once the floor is clean, then you can let it air dry or use a blower to dry it faster.

Once you’ve chosen the method you’re going to use to protect your garage floor, which is often paint or stain, you simply apply it according to directions, then apply a sealer to the floor for added protection.

A simple overview, these are valuable tips and advice for your floor can add value to your home as well as providing you with a nicer place to park your car or tinker on the weekends.

The easiest to clean and apply is the epoxy floor paint. This particular paint is mostly used in large industrial warehouses. When several coats are applied it gives the flooring a nice shiny look. Epoxy floor paint is odorless, oil resistant, water resistant and extremely durable. One let down for this type of paint is it is slippery when wet, which may not be ideal in car shops or other places where water may be spilled.

You can purchase epoxy coating with anti-skid properties. This is known as rough coat epoxy concrete floor paint. The rough coat paint is water based and very thin. Because it is so thin it can not protect against cracks in the flooring. However this paint is economical friendly and very simple to apply which makes it ideal for residential flooring.

If you are reapplying or applying epoxy floor coatings for the first time, it is very simple. Below are a few instructions and tips on getting your floor coating just right.

Make sure the floor is clean, don’t forget to dust out the corners.

Etch the floor – Mix solvent in a watering can and follow directions from the manufacturer. Always wear protective gear when mixing and using chemicals.

Begin mixing epoxy paint. Pour the hardener into the paint, it usually takes about 3 minutes of stirring to get the paint mix properly.

Start painting. The solution must be used within 2 hours of mixing. Remember to make sure the area is well ventilated.

Distribute color flakes evenly before applying the top coat. Apply as if you are laying grass seed, let the chips sift through your fingers until all flooring has even amounts. Allow to dry for 12-24 hours

Mix top coat and hardener for 3 minutes. Apply the same as the other coats were painted on. The top coat will look milky until it is dried. Allow 72 hours dry time before parking a car.

If you dislike the dirty look of your concrete basement floor, think about applying epoxy flooring to give it a shiny, clean, and brighter look while adding value to your home.

What exactly is epoxy flooring and how do you select the right one for your floor? For example, take a dealerships showroom and garage, their floors are clean, and shiny with a high luster. Their garage area looks great even though cars are fixed there, and driven over the concrete repeatedly. That is the beauty behind epoxy flooring. Epoxy floor coating is a resin and a hardener, when mixed together, the bonding results in a thermosetting reaction. The result is a sealant that is tough, strengthens concrete, cleans easily, resists chemical absorption, and provides a show room look to your concrete floor.

The application of epoxy floor paint to a basement floor, is not difficult to do with the proper tools. The items needed prior to getting started are: Protective clothing, rubber gloves, mask, goggles, paint pan, roller, paint brushes, masking tape, mixing sticks, gallon bucket, 5 gallon bucket, and thinner. Once all the listed supplies are in order, the measurements of the concrete flooring that is to be epoxied with epoxy floor paint is needed. In general, one gallon will only cover an area that is 24×24.

The next step involves prepping for the epoxy flooring.  This is done simply by washing it with plain dish soap and water, and allowing it to dry completely. Also pay attention to any stains that are on the floor from oil and paint, remove these stains from the concrete using thinner. After removing the stains, rinse thoroughly with water, and allow to dry.

In this next step, protective clothing, gloves, mask, and goggles are needed, as an application of muriatic acid and water are going to be applied to the concrete floor. The formula to follow is, one cup of muriatic acid to one gallon of water. Mix the two ingredients in a bucket and pour some of mixture onto the concrete floor. Take a broom that has stiff bristles, and brush it over the entire floor. Follow up with another plain cold water rinse.

Next, if the epoxy flooring is a one step epoxy like epoxy floor paint, skip this step. If it is the two step epoxy paint and hardener, they will need to be mixed together into a five gallon bucket for five minutes. Allow this mixture to sit for an additional 30 minutes before applying.

Using the masking tape, tape off the edges of the wall along the floor to prevent epoxy from getting onto the walls. Using a flat narrow paint brush, paint along the edges of the walls, and any other small areas that are unreachable with a roller. Next, pour some of the paint into the roller pan, roll the paint roller into the paint to coat the roller, and start to roll the epoxy paint onto the floor starting at the far edge of the room, working your way outwards. Allow the paint to dry completely for at least 24 hours before walking on the floor.