DoItYourSelf.Com Asks: Winter Damage to My Garage Floor, Now What?
If winter weather, salts and other chemicals are eating away at your garage floor, I can assure you that you are not alone. Harsh winter environments wreak havoc on concrete floors leaving homeowners with what can become and expensive project!
Of course, winter is not the only thing that can damage a garage floor. Floors can be damaged by automotive vehicles and other chemicals that are frequently found in the garage.
Preventing Garage Floor Damage
There are a lot of products on the market that can help prevent this type of damage to your floor. From an inexpensive acrylic sealer to a garage floor epoxy system. For those looking for a lot less work. Roll out garage floor mats are a great way to protect your garage floor or even cover existing damage to the concrete and help stop it from getting worse. There are options to cover the entire garage or containment products that keep everything that falls off your car, off the garage floor.
What if the damage is already done?
First of all, I can tell you that you are not alone. The first step is deciding if you want to repair the damage and prevent it from occurring in the future OR if you would prefer a cosmetic solution that is easy to install directly over the damaged concrete.
If you want to do a full repair, there are several options. Perhaps the most popular option for our customers is to use an epoxy based crack repair product. Unlike cement, it can be installed relatively thin without concern about cracking. After the repairs are done, careful consideration should be given to how you want to protect the floor from future damage. Often consumers will prep the floor with an acid wash or grinder and then cover it with a high quality 100% epoxy.
That is a lot of work. Often a professional is needed to get lasting results. There are other options. As discussed earlier garage floor mats and garage floor tiles provide an excellent option for protecting the floor and covering the damage that is already done. In most cases they can be installed with little or no floor prep and the garage can be used immediately.
Garage flooring products are not a substitute for repairing damage that is structural and should not be done to hide damage from prospective buyers. In most cases we find that we are talking about minor damage that with a small investment and a little elbow grease can be easily repaired.
