What Are The Different Types Of Garage Floor Paint?

August 24th, 2010

As far as garage floor paint is concerned, you have many options – latex, epoxy, and polyurethane. These paints can be directly applied over concrete. As far as these paints are concerned, epoxy is the most popularly used for garages. This is because it can bond well to the surface and produce a solid, durable surface that can resist stains and oils. The only downside with this type of paint is that you would have to devote a lot of time in preparing the floor prior to the actual paint application.


First off, you have to make sure that the floor of your garage is free from all types of dust and dirt that could settle into the paint as it dries. Epoxy is not advisable for use on garages that are exposed to too much light from the sun because it turns yellow over time. It also loses its gloss after being exposed to harsh sunlight. When applying epoxy paint on the surface, do so during the summer or the hotter weathers. When it is cold outside, the paint would take a longer time to dry. On the average, you have to wait for 48 hours before you set foot on the garage or use it to park your vehicle in.


Polyurethane is another good choice for garage floor paint. This paint is more resistant to spills than epoxy. It won’t fade or turn to yellow as easily either. Polyurethane is very durable and glossy. However, you have to do an extra step before you can apply polyurethane onto your surface. You have to apply some primer first so that the polyurethane paint would bond properly to concrete.


Latex garage floor paint is another great alternative. It is cheap and that is one of the reasons why a lot of people are using it. However, this paint requires longer drying time. You need to seal the door of your garage for a full 72 hours to let the paint stick permanently to the concrete. Latex can resemble the look of stonework, antique, or even leather. The only downside of this type of paint is the fact that you have to put a protective cover over it to protect its finish. You would also need to put grooves onto the paint as it could get a little too slippery. It can also be damaged by the sun so it is not a good option for garage that doesn’t have roof covering.

Sal provides information about the garage floor paint through his website on choosing the best garage floor paint.

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Why Garage Floor Sealers Are Important To Avoid Putting In New Concrete

August 21st, 2010

Homeowners with garages should make sure that this particular part of their house is well maintained. Many people ignore their garage but keep on improving and renovating other areas of their properties. This is actually bad practice. The garage is an official part your home. If you don’t maintain it, you’ll realize too late that your garage can actually pull down the market value of your house. The bottom line, make sure that you keep your garage as appealing as the rest of your house. At least use garage floor sealers to provide some level of protection to the floor.


Garage floor sealers are functional enough if you’re not planning to use other types of floor covering for your garage. While it is possible to use floor tiles and mats on your garage applying the sealer, you won’t be able to use latex or epoxy paint to it any longer. Garage floor sealers keep moisture and liquids from penetrating into the floor. As such, paints won’t be able to stick to it at all. Even if you try, the paint would simply just peel off in a matter of days.


Garage floor sealers are used for bare concrete garage floors. Get the one that is especially created for horizontal surfaces. Sealers can be used on walls too. The ones created for floors are stronger as they can withstand traffic, weight, and impact better.


If you go to a hardware shop and buy garage floor sealer, you will find out that there are a lot of choices before you. There are some advertised to be fast-drying. Some are priced ridiculously while others are dirt cheap. There are also special floor sealers for special types of floors. If you are at a loss as to which sealer to get, check out the label of the product. Scan through its features and salient points. If you recognize a trustworthy brand, you can purchase that one.


Else, focus on the product’s components or contents list. The best performance garage floor sealers are the ones made from synthetic epoxy resins. This substance can keep water and moisture away from the surface of the floor. Sealers out of epoxy resin can last for years. And that would give you peace of mind really – because you don’t have to worry about leakage or spills for a long time.


Keep your garage looking new and in the best shape at all times. Use garage floor sealers to preserve its appeal. While it may not add anything to the attractiveness of the garage, it can add the necessary resilience to it for sure.

If you want to learn more about garage floor sealers, garage floor protectors, finishes and epoxy paints, then be sure to check out garage floor paint basics for more detailed information.

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What are the Benefits of Garage Flooring?

August 18th, 2010

As people upgrade their homes or complete home projects, they are always looking for something else to improve. The latest trend is to spruce up their garage. The garage is slowly becoming more than just a place to store boxes and tools, or toss your recycling until your next trip to the recycling center. It is becoming a central place for activities. I think some of this has to do with the fact that a lot of new homes look roomy from the outside, but are not. They have small rooms, little storage and restrictive floor space. Enough for basic living, but not room for extra activities. People are looking for space for do-it-yourself projects, wood working, play space for the kids, a work out area or just some space for a bit of piece and quiet. So you don’t want it to just look like a garage with a concrete floor that has been framed in. Many people, and often new homes built today, do take the first step of putting up dry wall. This makes a big difference in the look of the garage, but the concrete floor still gives it a cold feeling. But you don’t have to settle for a cold concrete floor, there are other options in the form of easy-to-install garage flooring.

Garage flooring serves a couple of purposes. Not only do they make your garage look better by covering up old and cracked floors, but they also protect concrete floors from corrosive materials such as antifreeze, oil and salt. So even if you are just using your garage to store your car, dry wall and garage flooring can increase the value of your home for resale.

Some options to improve your garage floor is to paint or seal it with an epoxy coating. But these are fairly labor intensive, require prep of the floor as well as proper application – primarily for an epoxy coating. But one of the great thing about garage flooring is the ease in which it can be installed. Most garage flooring comes as interlocking or as peel and stick tiles. They can often be laid in just one or two days, and require a minimum of tools. Normally you just need a measuring tape, a utility knife to cut down any tiles that overlap and a pair of kneepads for comfort. And, you can lay them at any time of the year, you are not controlled by temperature like when you paint or epoxy.

Most tiles are either made of rubber or vinyl, both are durable and work well. The are resistant to cracking, chipping and pealing and are easy to maintain. You can sweep, vacuum or hose them down. The are also immune to the adverse affects of grease, oil, battery acid and other chemicals that can damage a concrete floor. They are designed to withstand the weight of even the heaviest vehicles, and securely stay in place.

Many come in a variety of textures and designs, including ribbed, diamond, levant and coin patterns. Or for a high end, professional look, you can use checkered tile flooring such as seen in some show rooms and high end mechanics. This gives you a real custom look, you can checker yellow and black, blue and white, red and gray etc. What if you have a drain in your garage floor that you need to which you need to maintain access? This is also not a problem. Drain tiles are available that have open grates to allow access to floor drains while maintaining a uniform surface height across the floor.

Garage flooring is a great way to spruce up your garage, increase your home value, and create a more comfortable living space that can be used for a variety of purpose. For a reasonable price, and a quick weekend project, you can accomplish much with by laying garage flooring.

MJ writes for ClickShops Inc., which offers a great selection of garage flooring at www.thegaragedealer.com.

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