If one wants to be sure that their garage floor will be able to resist everything from grease to battery acid, they will need to use a finishing compound of some sort. This is yet another name for garage floor finishes, which will maintain a concrete garage floor, sometimes for decades. The point of those compounds is protecting the floor from all liquids that it will come in contact with as time goes by. If not for a finish of some sort applied fairly early in the life of the concrete, it will end up stained and very unattractive.

Epoxy Garage Floor Paint: The Most Popular Finish

Epoxy garage floor paint is probably the most used compound for these purposes. Your garage flooring will look great for a long time with an epoxy garage floor coating. Although there are other garage floor finishes on the market, you will probably want to go with one of the epoxy garage floor coatings if you’re wanting the best protection.

Not All Garage Floor Finishes Are Easy To Install

Unfortunately, these particular garage floor finishes can be a bit difficult to apply. Mixing alone can be a big job, and brushing it evenly across entire garage floors can be quite tiring. There are lots of tips and tricks that the professionals know that will help the operation go smoothly, and keep problems from cropping up in the future. At times, it simply makes more sense to have a professional apply your finish, especially if it’s an epoxy coating.

Recent Garage Floor Finishes Install Easier Than Previous Ones

It has become much simpler for the average homeowner to to apply garage floor finishes to their own garage in more recent years. Applications of these compounds have become easier and simpler due to the newer compounds which were created specifically for homeowners to install with no help. Although technological advancement certainly has played a part, increased competition from garage floor coverings like tiles and mats, which are simpler to apply, have also spurred innovation.

No Matter What, It’s Still A Lot Of Work

All of that being considered, it’s still not the easiest job to do. There are still time constraints, and the floor must be very clean before you even start. Etching is always a good idea before applying any concrete coating, so be sure to investigate that option as well. Some epoxy garage floor paint kits even come with etching fluid, as well as instructions on how to use it. Some of these etching fluids even clean the concrete at the same time.

Check out my site, Sweet Garage Flooring, for more information on garage floor finishes of all kinds, including paints, stains, and sealers.

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Not every epoxy garage floor coating is the same and with garage flooring, like many other things in life, you don’t always get what you think. When learning about something new, such as garage floors, it’s not hard to skip some features which may be important to you, especially if you didn’t even know they existed. For example, let’s examine a lesser known epoxy garage floor paint specification. Let’s take a look at the idea of an epoxy garage floor coating’s percentage of solids.

Percentage Of Solids? What Does That Mean?

Obviously every epoxy garage floor coating starts out in a less than solid form. Otherwise it would be impossible to apply to your concrete garage floor. The percentage of solids indicates just how much of that chemical mixture will end up as a solid material. To get a good grasp of this, consider epoxy adhesives. If you glob a bit of epoxy adhesive on to something, the entire amount dries as solid. With an epoxy garage floor coating, however, this may not necessarily be the case.

But Where Is The Percentage Of Solids Listed?

Like most companies, the manufacturers of epoxy garage floor coatings tend to leave out any specifications that their product does not excel in. This makes it harder for the consumer to know if he is getting the appropriate product. In general, those epoxy garage floor coatings that are not 100% solid won’t tell you in so many words. Instead, they will be referred to as water, or acrylic based. Of course, any epoxy garage floor paint that is 100% solids will generally advertise it quite proudly.

Does Everyone Actually Need 100% Solids Garage Floor Coatings?

You really, most likely, do not. Most people use some sort of garage floor covering on their paint to keep it nice looking, so they’ll never even notice that they’re using one of the many garage floor finishes that are water based. However, there’s just not that much of a difference in price between 100% solid, and the watered down epoxies. Some water or acrylic based paints even cost more than epoxy garage floor coatings that are 100% solid. This is one of those industry secrets that probably wouldn’t be considered socially acceptable if the general public even knew.

Why Every Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Is Not 100% Solid

I’m assuming that the main reason has to do with their profit margins. Most successful companies get there by maintaining a good reputation while making a product that costs as little as possible, and selling it for far more than it took to make it. So, in this case, they water the product down just enough to save money, but not enough to sacrifice their reputation. Should we all boycott acrylic and water based paints? You have to make a personal choice on this one. Do you buy based off of reputation, or the promise of a better product? I guess you just have to, when shopping for epoxy garage floor coatings, decide which type of consumer you’d rather be.

Check out Sweet Garage Flooring for more information to help you choose your garage floor.

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Every major brand of garage floor tile is one of two types: interlocking, or peel and stick (self adhesive). This confuses some people since resellers and manufacturers of garage floor tiles aren’t always clear on the differences. We’ll take a quick look at the peel and stick type tile for garage floors, so that you can decide if it will be right for you.

Is Installing Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile Difficult?

Although they are simple to install, peel and stick garage floor tiles are not necessarily easy to apply. All you have to do, though, is peel the backings off of them, and stick them on to the concrete garage floor. However, before you even begin, you’ll want to clean your floor. The adhesive on the tiles will stick to any dirt or dust, making them not nearly as effective. With the exception of epoxy garage floor coating, none of the other flooring solutions require the floor to be as clean. Although the install can be time consuming, you can always stop and start again later, just so long as you re-clean any concrete before you get back to it. Always, when it comes to both installing and cleaning, be sure you read any instructions that came with your particular tiles.

Buying Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile

There are quite a few places where you can find this particular garage floor covering, but peel and stick tiles can sometimes be a rarity at hardware stores and the like. They’re out there, but sometimes they’re difficult to find, and even if you do, selection is often quite limited. Probably because of this, prices are spastic, and there doesn’t seem to be a set garage size that is deemed “normal”. You can easily find sets that cover 40 square feet of garage all the way up to 66 square feet, and prices are anywhere from just over $100 to well over $300. The most important thing, of course, is to make sure that the kit you purchase will have at least enough garage floor tile for covering your garage.

Is Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile As Durable As Other Coverings?

Tile is probably the strongest of garage floor coverings. As they actually adhere to concrete, peel and stick tiles are even more rigid than many other coverings. Unlike some other options, they can’t move, so they’re not as susceptible to damage by rubbing against the concrete, like garage floor mats. When shopping, though, remember that a lot of the strength of garage floor tiles depend on their makeup, so be sure to think about what you’re planning to do with your garage when choosing.

Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile Is Not For Everyone

Peel and stick tiles are immobile. I only bring this up because snap together tiles, as well as a garage floor mat, can be moved around when needed. Because of this, if you are only intending on covering a portion of your floor, I would definitely suggest going the route of something that you can move. The final price will likely be less, and you may as well get all of the features that you can. Also, when you’re ready to cover your entire garage floor, you’ll already have a mat to protect your nice new garage flooring!

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for even more great garage floor information.

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Isn’t a garage floor stain a bad thing, you ask? Doesn’t that mean that someone needs to start cleaning? Usually, yes, that’s true, but staining garage flooring is not always a bad thing. Many people understand the concept of staining wood, so just apply that same idea to garage floors. Yes, it’s true, you can add a colored stain to pretty much any masonry, concrete garage floor included. Wondering why anyone would want to? Then keep reading.

Is It Possible For Garage Floor Stain To Protect Concrete?

It’s very simple: garage floor stain does not protect your concrete. Now, that being said, there are some products that label themselves as stain that say they include some sort of protection. For the most part, those products are a combination of two chemicals in one package: garage floor stain, and some sort of sealant. This is a very good thing for the buyer because even after you have applied stain to your flooring, you will definitely want to use a sealant, so buying it in one package with directions to match just makes sense. However, keep in mind, you don’t have to stain your concrete to get the sealant. Clear garage floor sealing products are also available separately.

Epoxy Is Hard To Apply…Is Garage Floor Stain?

It’s not hard at all. Actually, aside from using a garage floor mat, staining has got to be the easiest of any of the garage floor finishes to use. As with every garage floor coating, the concrete will need to be spotless before starting to have everything come out correctly. Besides that, applying stain really is a lot more like normal painting than, well, garage floor paint! The main step is just applying with a paint roller, after which you wait for it to dry.

Is It Expensive To Use Garage Floor Stain?

No, stain is by far the cheapest of the garage floor coatings, until you factor in the cost of the sealant. Even then, it will usually compare to epoxy garage floor paint if you install it yourself, and will be considerably cheaper if you compare the two products being installed by a third party. This is due to the fact that, besides cleaning, applying a garage floor stain is a one coat job, as opposed to the multiple coats and mixing involved in an epoxy garage floor coating.

Why Should I Even Consider Garage Floor Stain?

Whether we’re talking about your garage or the floor of your home, there’s only one good reason to stain concrete: the looks. There are a lot of people out there that really don’t need protection for their concrete, not including the elements, but everyone likes something different, which defines garage floor stain. Just make absolutely sure, though, before you buy and apply, that stain will do what you need in your garage floor coating.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

So, you have decided on your garage floor covering. Now it’s time to decide what pattern you need to use, as if choosing the garage flooring wasn’t difficult enough. Bet you wouldn’t have ever thought this could be so complicated. We’ll focus on mainly garage floor mats since, with garage floor tiles, most of the options have more to do with their installation and what they’re made of. Let us first take a look at ribbed garage floor covering. This info will be fairly generic, for the most part, although I’m sure some odd manufacturers exist that do their own thing.

The Advantages Of Every Garage Floor Covering

Before we get to the particulars about the ribbed flavors, though, let’s examine those advantages that you can get from just about all garage floor protectors. They’ll keep stains off a concrete garage floor, for one. They’ll also prevent cracking by helping retain heat. For those that have damaged garage floors already, they’ll help hide stains and cracks. And, to the majority of folks, a covering of any kind, be it garage floor tile or just a mat, looks nicer than plain concrete.

How To Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings Handle Spilled Chemicals?

Since garage floor coverings with the ribbed pattern have ridges that only go one way, spills always follow that path. Because of this, the ribbed design works particularly well when working on your vehicle. The mat can be laid either horizontally, to contain the spill, or vertically, to direct the spill in a particular direction. Be wary of directing dangerous chemicals like oil or coolant into the ground. Not only is this very illegal, but it’s also high irresponsible.

Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings And Cleaning

As pretty much any garage floor mat resists liquids and staining, cleaning is generally a breeze. All you have to do is spray the garage floor covering with your water hose. Always be mindful of contaminating the ground, though. Check the local laws, as well as regulations in regards to this, and consider nearby lakes or rivers, and even groundwater. Pouring anti-freeze into soil that’s only nine feet above well water is not a good idea.

The General Cost Of The Ribbed Pattern And Garage Floor Coverings

When it comes to price, this design is generally quite reasonable. Lots of companies that manufacture garage floor coverings set the prices of their ribbed design at only slightly higher than the cheapest option. Because of this, you could consider ribbed mats a great value. They will do everything one might desire or need from their garage floor protector while being quite inexpensive. The only real reason to pay more would be for looks. I bet that any car guy would feel that ribbed garage floor coverings are just fine.

Check out Sweet Garage Flooring for more information to help you choose or yourgarage floor coverings.

You wanted to be sure your concrete garage floor would have protection, so you put down epoxy garage floor paint. It’s looking great, and just looking at it makes you happy. You never thought garage flooring would make such a difference. Then, something horrible happens (queue the horror movie shrieking). Your epoxy garage floor coating takes a hit! Luckily for you, it’s not all that hard to fix a crack or chip when it comes to epoxy garage floors.

Preparing An Epoxy Garage Floor Coating To Be Repaired

The first thing you need to do is clean the area that needs to be prepared. You’ll want to get rid of dirt, but there will also likely be some sort of grease or oil, even if you don’t work on your car in your garage. Cars are funny like that, even brand new ones. If nothing else, tires track some pretty nasty stuff on to your garage floor coating. Luckily, since epoxy paint is designed to resist damage from chemicals, it’s also pretty good at taking a thorough cleaning. Although there are cleaners that are specifically designed for epoxy, dish soap works just as well, and is much easier on your hands. Don’t just clean the damage, either. Be sure to clean a wide area around the damaged spot as well.

Removing The Offending Section

If you were to simply fill in the scar, scratch, crack, or whatever it is we’re repairing, it would be fairly obvious. Epoxy, like all paints, sort of change color over time, even if it’s not readily apparent, and simply “touching it up” would leave you with discoloration. With cars, you can fix this by using a scratch remover or clay bar and mixing the new paint with the old. However, epoxy paint’s resistance to damage sort of works against you in this case as it will also resist repairing scratches in this way. To address this, you’ll want to cut a square around the affected area, so that the area with the new paint is large enough that it won’t be so obvious. You can do this using a box cutter or a hobby knife of some sort. Go for about two inches around the scar, but bigger if you’re repairing an extremely obvious area, like the center of your garage floor. Once you’ve made the cut, use a blow dryer to heat the area so until the epoxy softens, then scrape it away with a paint scraper.

Oxygen Is Important

Okay, now that there is a bare area, you can start to repair your epoxy garage floor coating. Make sure to use any directions that came with the epoxy kit, but use common sense as well, acknowledging that you are working on a much smaller area than what those directions were written for. Feather the edges of the old and new paint so that the colors blend at least a little bit. Make sure, too, that you have good ventilation in your garage whenever you are working with epoxy garage floor coating. Epoxy fumes are not good for human lungs.

Keeping It From Happening Again

Stuff happens, but it’s not nearly as annoying if it happens to a garage floor mat. You can bet that if it happened once, it’s going to happen again. Every garage floor covering will protect your paint, and a small mat to place where you work is not terribly expensive. Next time a tool decides to bail, you will be really glad to see it bounce instead of crash. Epoxy garage floor coatings are very nice to look at, and can take a lot, but like car paint, sometimes they need a little extra protection.

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for even more great garage floor information.

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If you’re searching for that certain look, you’ll probably want to go with epoxy garage floor paint, or maybe garage floor tile, but if you’re just wanting a way to do what you need to do without leaving stains on your concrete, you’ll want to look at garage floor mats. Consider, however, that this might not be the best option in the long run. Here’s some information on why someone might decide on garage floor mats instead of tiles, or even paint, for you to use to be sure that you are buying the correct garage flooring for your needs.

Your Lowest Cost Option Could Be Garage Floor Mats

Depending on how you go about it, a garage floor mat could be your cheapest option. Of course, in this case, we would be talking about a compartment mat. The purpose of a compartment mat is to protect a small area of your concrete garage floor from damage. There are also parking mats, and whole garage mats, neither of which can be considered cheap. Even compartment mats can get pricey if you look for a lot of features, such as tall edges or the ability to absorb liquids. However, when you get down to it, there is no other way to protect garage floors for less than $60, with the possible exception of an epoxy garage floor coating.

Installation Is As Easy As It Gets

You would think this would be readily apparent, but then lots of people don’t think the time it takes, or how hard it can be to apply something like an epoxy garage floor coating. Many of them end up paying a contractor for installation, which totally destroys the cheap price of that epoxy kit. Picking up a cheap garage floor mat is quite simple. In fact, you just might spend as much, if not more time choosing which mat to buy than installing it.

Garage Floor Mats Cover Even The Most Damaged Floors

If your concrete garage floor is in really bad shape, you might not even be able to use peel and stick garage floor tiles or epoxy. When you’re in this position, you’ve really only got two options: a garage floor mat, or snap together tiles. Interlocking tiles are in no way cheap. Smaller sets, which really only compare to compartment mats without the raised edges, can cost over $300. If you’re not going for a specific look, I can’t see how that’s worth the cost.

Garage Floor Mats Are Very Easy To Clean

Some mats will actually absorb any liquid, either oils or thinner stuff, like water, which is great since you can just take it and wring it out later. It’s an especially green solution as well since you can basically pick up your spilled chemicals and deposit them in a safe place. Even if it doesn’t absorb liquids, if it has raised edges, you can still do this to some degree. Being able to literally relocate your mess is great. Will that actually matter in your case? Well, how often do you make messes?

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more information to help you choose yourgarage floor mat.

What is your garage used for, and what do you plan to do with it in the future? Is it just there for parking things in, or have you plans to actually work in your garage? Regardless, an epoxy garage floor coating or covering of some sort is essential but, if you intend to work in it, then you will want to be more specific. Garage flooring is, after all, an investment, and you might as well invest in the right thing!

Ability To Deflect Chemicals

If you are working in your garage, you will spill chemicals; that’s just the way it is. Motor oil, of course, is the first thing to come to mind, but it’s not alone. The manufacturers of most garage floor coatings and coverings seem to have thought of this, though, since pretty much all garage floors out there will deflect almost every type of chemical. However, if you would also like to manage the spilled chemicals, most garage floor mats and tiles actually channel the liquids, generally out of the garage. This is great because it makes a standard water hose into an awesome cleaning tool. Be careful that you don’t pollute the ground, though, as the chemicals flow out of the garage. Contrary to popular belief, diluting dangerous chemicals does not make them any safer to the Earth.

Resisting Damage From Automobiles

Epoxy garage floor paint has always caught flak in this area. Cars, especially in the summer, can have very hot tires by the time they are parked, and epoxy paint has long had a reputation of peeling when it comes in contact with hot car tires. In fact, there’s a term for the effect; it’s called “hot tire pickup.” Most companies who make epoxy paint say that, with their newer, more modern blends, this issue has been addressed. Practical experience, though, sometimes tells us otherwise, but keep in mind that what others say may also be the result of a botched install. Regardless, neither garage floor coverings or garage floor tiles exhibit these issues, though a mat will sometimes gather under car tires, especially when steering. That, too, is supposedly a thing of the past, though.

Deflecting Less Predictable Damage

Epoxy paint is extremely susceptible to becoming chipped or dented. Tools are hard, and when they are inevitably dropped, they’ll just bounce if they hit a garage floor mat. If they hit a hard surface, something has to give, and it will probably be the floor. Granted, concrete with a coat of epoxy is much stronger than a concrete garage floor on its own, but they’re both solid. Garage floor tile can do the same thing, if the tiles are made of something hard, but unlike paint, all you have to do is swap the tiles that are damaged.

Surviving The Elements

Of course, the elements have a lot to do with exactly what the flooring will have to survive. As long as moisture doesn’t get it first, epoxy will definitely do the best job protecting concrete. With that in mind, be sure to test your floor for moisture before you even order or buy your epoxy. Tiles do not do a lot to protect against the elements, except cause some heat retention, which is still a good thing in the winter months as that’s when concrete often splits and cracks. Even less effective, but still better than nothing, would be a garage floor covering, such as a mat.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

There’s no question that Quikrete is the most popular brand among garage floor coatings. This may be due to their good reputation, or the catchy name, but I don’t think anyone even comes close. If you consider this, then it makes a lot of sense for Quikrete Concrete Stain to be seen by many as the best possible garage floor stain available.

There Are Two Different Quikrete Concrete Stains, And Neither Use That Name

There’s not a particular product that is named “Quikrete Concrete Stain”. This can be kind of confusing since, if you do a search on Quikrete Concrete Stain, you’ll probably get one of these entries: Quikrete Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain, or Quikrete Etching Stain. Be careful which you pick, because these two products will result in different looks. For the time being, we’ll concentrate on the Quikrete Etching Stain. I’ll most likely talk about their Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain later on. Hey, stop whining, I’ll get around to it. And eat those peas, too.

According To Quikrete, Etching Stain Is The Best Solution For Your Garage

Actually, to be more exact, Quikrete doesn’t recommend you use anything other than etching stain in your garage, and for good reason. Etching involves nothing short of melting the top layer of your concrete garage floor with acid so that you can scrape texture into it while, in this case, adding the stain as well. The result is garage flooring with improved grip for both car tires and human shoes or feet, as well as an old world, classic stone look.

Etching Is Not As Complicated As It Sounds

As far as home improvement projects go, concrete etching is easy. In fact, Quikrete etching stain is actually a one-coat job. However, you do still have to apply a sealant, so you can forget about it being a truly one coat job. Even though, the application on the whole is a lot simpler than any epoxy garage floor paint, and you will have some protection after the sealant is on there, which is something that you can’t claim with stain alone. Don’t forget you also need to clean your garage floors, especially if you have any grease or oil stains, and you may want to use some sort of stain remover. Not really one coat, is it?

Is Staining Cheaper Than Epoxy Garage Floor Coating?

Well, usually, but not in this particular case. Quikrete Etching Stain can run over $300, even before sealant and cleaner, probably due to the acids that are used during the etching. That’s not cheap for concrete stain, which usually is less expensive than most garage floor tiles. However, garage floor tile will not result in a marble look. Worth the additional money? Well, that totally depends on your perspective. If the main purpose is to protect your concrete, then probably not, even though the seal in the end will give a bit of protection. If the point of all this is to give your garage an interesting look from other, more common garage floor finishes, then you may have found your coating.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

If you’re looking for information about garage floors, you probably already know that adding a finish of any kind will help protect your concrete garage floor from stains of just about any kind, including motor oils and other chemicals. But did you know that there are also other benefits to having a garage floor finish, as opposed to leaving your concrete bare? If you’re not sure if it’s worth it, read on.

Almost All Garage Floor Finishes Can Prevent Damage To Your Concrete

Besides just motor oil, there are other things that are damaging to garage flooring. Concrete that is left completely untreated, for instance, will usually crack. Most people do not know that any concrete’s durability relies heavily on a seal of some sort. Although an epoxy garage floor coating will certainly provide this seal, a garage floor covering of any type, even a rubber mat, will protect your concrete more than nothing at all.

Many Garage Floor Finishes Increase Your Comfort Level

When shopping for garage floor coverings, you’ll often see such selling points as soft step, or anti-fatigue. These features do not pertain to your concrete, but rather to you, the human. Our bodies were never intended to walk on hard, inflexible concrete. Humans evolved walking on grass and soil, surfaces that absorb some of the shock of our weight when we walk, unlike your concrete garage floor. Garage floor mats, most tiles, and some epoxy coatings will add softness to your floor, which will eliminate much of the jolting that your back, knees, and other shock absorbing body parts have to take. However, if you purchase any of the many garage floor coatings with the intention of softening your step, make sure to check that this is one of its features. As far as your body is concerned, a rubber garage floor mat is probably best, especially if you’ll be spending a lot of time on your back, tooling at the underneath of a car.

Some Garage Floor Finishes Can Also Improve Your Garage’s Lighting

No, we’re not talking about a glowing floor, though that would certainly be interesting. Regular old gray concrete is not at all good at reflecting light, and that’s a very good thing. Can you imagine the difficulty driving in the daytime on a road that reflected the light at you? However, in a garage, light being reflected instead of absorbed is a very good thing since it will brighten the entire room, making it easier to see things. If the plan is to work in your garage often, especially at night, make sure that your garage floor finish is designed to reflect and not absorb light. Black garage floor paint will obviously not help reflect light as well as silver garage floor tiles, for example.

A Garage Floor Finish Might Even Improve Your Mood… No, Really

No, we’re not talking about happy face tiling or anything, I promise. It’s not all that hard to believe, if you think about it. Consider buying a nice, new car, and then parking it on boring old concrete as opposed to a nice, shiny garage flooring. I’m no psychologist, but I bet that on a list of the most depressing colors, gray is pretty high up. Also, consider the plethora of studies out there talking about how color affects our moods. Patterns can have a more complex effect. A car racing fan would probably love nothing more than to work on his car on a checkerboard garage floor tile. Working on a car can get pretty frustrating. You may as well let your garage floor help if it can.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

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