When it comes to achieving a good look in your garage, you would generally look for a long lasting, durable, concrete garage floor coating for this area of your home. If you speak to a high quality concrete supplier they can usually give you some hints and tips on what to look for in this area. There are many myths about this specific subject, we are going to address just five.
Myth number 1: Epoxy is the same as paint. Painting your garage floor will not give you the same results and an epoxy coating. While epoxy is similar in looks and application to paint, that is where the similarity ends. Epoxy coating is made from resins with special hardeners to achieve the long lasting durable finish on your floor. Paint, when dried, only leaves approximately a 1mm coating on your floor, which can crack and peel easily over time. Epoxy concrete garage floor coatings generally leave a 8mm to 12mm film per layer, so a double layer of Epoxy concrete garage floor coating could leave you with a 24mm layer, which would last a lot longer than paint. They bond to the concrete floor better and are also more stain, moisture, wear, UV, abrasion and chemical resistant.
Myth number 2: A DIY epoxy kit works just as well as a concrete garage floor coating applied by a high quality concrete supplier. This is not at all true. Professional coating suppliers provide a better quality product than what can be purchased off the shelf at your local hardware store. The surface would be prepared properly and finished properly. Experts in the field will provide the correct information, the right product for your needs and finish the job quickly and efficiently. There is a guarantee on work done by a high quality concrete supplier, while you have no recourse for a botched DIY job.
Myth number 3: A professional epoxy coating is very expensive. This is not necessarily the case. If you hire a professional high quality concrete supplier to do the job, who is professional and knows what he is doing, the job does not need to break the bank. The long term durability of the finish will also offset against the cost of redoing the floor in a few years.
Myth number 4: A sweep is enough cleaning before the coating is applied. For an epoxy to bond properly to a floor it needs to be prepared properly. The floor would be skimmed to get rid of any loose bits of cement and any other materials that could contaminate the floor. The surface is also left a little rough and porous to allow the epoxy to bond properly. Acid etching is not enough and the surface is usually prepared by shot blasting or diamond grinding.
Myth number 5: You have to redo the coating in two years. When a proper concrete garage floor coating is applied, the coating can last 10 years or more with perhaps a minor touch up or two required due to surface damage caused unintentionally by the owner. If the floor is kept clean and dry, it will also retain the shine for an extended period of time.
So there you have it! The usual myths of concrete floor coatings dispelled. If you use a professional company to do your coating, you are likely to enjoy a quality coated floor for a long time.