Ideas for Updating Your Garage Floor
by Zap Garage Doors|15 July, 2020
You’ve got a great looking garage door that’s secure and adds kerb appeal, but what’s the inside of your garage like – is the floor fit for its purpose? This month, Zap Garage Doors are here to inspire and help you update your garage floor to ensure that it is both flawless inside and out. Find out more about garage floor tiles, epoxy coatings and concrete garage floor paint below.
Types of garage flooring
- Snap-together tiles
- Rollout floor mats
- Epoxy coatings
- Concrete
- Carpeted
Garage Floor Interlocking floor tiles (snap-together tiles)
Made from Virgin PVC, rubber or wood, these tough interlocking garage floor tiles are perfect for busy garages that see regular DIY or feel the frequent pressure of heavy gym weights. This type of garage flooring has a standard size of 500mm x 500mm but no one garage floor must look the same thanks to its wide variety of colours and patterns.
These tiles have a number of benefits, including:
- Easy to install – even over existing flooring
- Absorbs impact – protects the floor underneath, preventing expensive repair costs
- Simple to clean – with a brush or a mop
- Stylish – can really improve the overall look of your garage’s interior
Garage Floor Epoxy Coating
When an epoxy resin and a polyamine hardener are mixed together, a chemical reaction takes place and forms an epoxy coating. Renowned for its exceptional durability, chemical and impact-resistance, an epoxy coated floor is an ideal way to update and upgrade your garage flooring.
- Epoxy coating boasts a number of benefits including:
- Protects painted flooring – stopping it from lifting and peeling
- Repairs minor damages to concrete flooring – filling in cracks and repairs
- Easy to clean – either sweep or spray down with a hose
- Resistant to heavy impact – is well-protected from dropped tools and surface damages
How to apply an epoxy coat:
- Spray the garage floor down with a hose and check the surfaces’ porosity, as you may need to fill gaps before applying an epoxy coat.
- Using biodegradable degreaser, scrub the concrete garage floor. Rinse with a hose after.
- * Wearing chemical-resistant rubber boots, gloves and eye goggles, use a watering can to apply acid (floor etcher) to the damp floor. This step helps to lift and remove contaminants before applying a thick coat of epoxy.
*(Be extremely careful, read the label on the floor etcher before use. If you do not feel comfortable, always seek help from a professional) - Using a scrub brush, scour the acid into the floor, being extra careful not to get it in the air or onto yourself.
- Using the hose, rinse again.
- Using a wet/dry vacuum, remove any grit from the garage floor and allow it to dry.
- Mix together two-part epoxy and leave for half an hour.
- Using a 3-inch paintbrush, dip gently into the now-set epoxy and work around the trim of the garage’s flooring.
- Applying epoxy to your paint tray, dip in the roller and roll over draining tray to remove excess, and paint your floor from one side to the other (be sure to finish at the end by the door). Once complete, leave to dry overnight.
- Apply your second epoxy coat. For the added wow-factor, sprinkle flecks of colour onto the wet coat as you go.
Garage Concrete Floor Paint
Tougher than your average wall paint, concrete floor paint is a simple roll-on and can be retouched should any areas become damaged. It’s worthy of note that it’s much easier to apply latex floor paint opposed to oil-based paint, but if it’s high-shine you’re after and a longer-lasting finish, it’s better to go for the slightly harder to apply oil-based paint. Oil-based paint will require a primer coat first but probably worth it in the long run.
Garage concrete floor paint offers a number of benefits, including:
- Simple to apply – little downtime whilst you upgrade your garage
- Low-cost – affordable alternative that’ll protect your floor and change it visually
- Instant visual change – a lick of paint can quickly enhance your overall look
Zap Garage Doors is Yorkshire’s premier garage door supplier, providing free site surveys and no obligation quotations, so for more information about our roller doors, up & over doors or other, contact our friendly team today. We have hundreds of doors for you to choose from and can provide maintenance and repairs because we understand the importance of a comprehensive service.