The garage frequently gets taken for granted as just a simple area to park and store things. Despite this, a garage floor is still an important part of any household and requires good durable flooring, perhaps way more than any other room in the house. Epoxy garage flooring is a popular choice as it is very strong and durable, with high resistance to heat, chemicals, abrasion and impact damage. This article will be going through the various benefits of having an epoxy garage floor to help you understand why choosing it for your garage floor is the best choice.
In addition to being a place where you store your car, it is also frequently used as a workshop or storage area. This versatile area has to handle a lot and should be treated accordingly. Any garage floor covering will often be exposed to more abuse than any other room in the house, so it is important that you have good quality flooring that will be able to easily endure it without showing signs of wear.
What Is Garage Floor Epoxy?
A garage floor epoxy is a great sturdy covering for the floor of your garage. They can be easily applied on concrete and come in two parts; one-part being colored or clear epoxide resin and the other part being a polyamine hardener. The two are mixed together in order to activate a chemical reaction that results in a hard, durable finish.
What are the benefits of an epoxy garage floor?
There are many benefits to having an epoxy garage floor. Below we’ll detail 11 of the biggest to help you make an informed decision.
1. Durability & Resistance
As mentioned briefly above, epoxy is a very tough and resilient covering. Its high resistance to damage from chemicals, abrasion and impact damage means it is ideal for garage flooring.
Shock
As your garage is most likely to be used as a workshop too, it will be exposed to plenty of heavy tools and equipment. Epoxy has high resistance to shock meaning that impact, even these heavy objects, won’t leave a mark.
Heat
A garage floor will see plenty of high temperatures when in use, which can cause most surfaces to become weak and brittle. Epoxy is resistant to high temperatures meaning it will stand up well to repeated heat exposure. The typical heat limit of epoxy is 200 degrees Fahrenheit, although higher-grade epoxy can endure considerably higher temperatures.
Water
Epoxy is highly resistant to water. A garage will often be exposed to water either because of the natural environment or during washing down of the area. Though epoxy is not considered completely 100% waterproof, it is tremendously resistant to damage from moisture, meaning it won’t peel or pit even when exposed to moisture for quite long periods of time.
Also read: Garage Floor Tiles vs Epoxy
2. Nice Appearance
Epoxy flooring in garages is a great way to ensure that your garage stays looking professional and well maintained. Garage floors are exposed to everything from dirt, heat and oil stains that can cause the appearance of your floor to wear away over time. Not only is epoxy resistant to scratches, its glossy finish complements any ornamental lighting you may have in position. Mica or quartz chips may be used to give the epoxy mixture a speckled appearance for enhanced traction. Metallic epoxy coatings are also a great option to increase the appearance of your floor and give it a fascinating sheen.
3. Easy To Clean
As garage floor epoxy is so tough and glossy, it makes your hard work in keeping the garage floor clean and shiny considerably easier. Due to its great water and scratch resistance, it stays nice and smooth. To clean it you may simply wash the floor down with a wet mop or pressure washer.
4. Slip-Resistant
Epoxy has low slip resistance. However, there is a solution to that. The primary function of the broadcast flake in epoxy flooring installations is to boost the slip resistance of the epoxy floor coating. The flake is usually made up of polyurethane, rubber or acrylic.
Mixing these flakes with the epoxy creates a slip-resistant surface. The higher the percentage in which these flakes are used in relation to the amount of epoxy in the mixture, the greater the slip resistance. The size of flake you choose will also have a big influence on the slip resistance. If you want a floor that has exceptional slip resistance, go for medium sized flakes.
5. Gloss Or Satin Finishes Are Available
Epoxy floor coatings come in both glossy and satin finishes, however it’s worth noting that the final appearance of the surface will be determined by your choice of substrate. For example, if you’re applying epoxy to a concrete floor with a matte finish, you’ll achieve a satin look. Conversely, if the substrate is highly polished and shiny, your new epoxy flooring will have that gloss finish.
Though there are also several topcoats available for better control on the end result and be able to achieve different looks using polyurethane or polyaspartic topcoats with different sheen options.
6. Fast Install Time
Epoxy floor coatings can typically be installed in 2 days, although there are some that can be installed in only one day; beware though, these fast curing types aren’t as durable so your floor won’t last that long, at least not in top-notch quality.
7. Cost Effective
One great benefit to installing an epoxy garage floor coating is the affordability factor it has over other types of flooring. It does not require the removal of your existing flooring, saving you time and money. There are also inexpensive repair options if any problems arise. You’ll surely get a sleek, attractive look without having to spend much.
Epoxy is a simple and inexpensive way to give your concrete floor the appearance and advantages you desire, if it isn’t exactly providing you with what you want. Just don’t try to save money by doing it yourself. Experts will be able to guarantee that the flooring is installed in the most effective and safe manner possible. So the price difference between doing it on your own and hiring someone to do it for you will be well worth the investment.
8. Easy maintenance
Epoxy floor coatings are very easy to maintain. It’s resistance to staining, moisture and chemicals makes it easy to keep looking the same. You can simply mop or pressure wash your floor with almost any cleaning solution you prefer, the choice is fully yours. With minimal effort and worries on your part, your garage floor can stay looking great for years to come.
9. Safety and Visibility
In garages and rooms, especially big ones, epoxy floor coating truly enhances visibility. This is one of the safety features offered by epoxy because it makes the surface well-lit and bright. Its shiny glossy surface increases the amount of light in a space due to its reflective qualities. Helping one see more clear in an otherwise dimly lit area.
Epoxy safety is also dependent on several other factors. Traction and anti-slip additives are two examples of such characteristics. Additives may help your epoxy flooring to be more stable, resulting in fewer falls. While for various different gripping effects, polymer grit, mortar, aluminum oxide, gravel or sand can be added to the epoxy’s typically slippery surface.
10. Vehicle compatibility
Epoxy coatings are considered to be vehicle compatible, which means that this flooring may easily support cars and heavy equipment. For garage flooring this is a highly important factor.
Epoxy’s smooth surface treats the vehicle’s tires well. While other flooring options with alot of friction may cause tires to be worn down too much over a short amount of time. This smooth flooring option will protect their life by providing them with a durable surface without extra abrasion damaging them.
Furthermore, epoxy flooring doesn’t even get affected by oil, heat or any other chemicals it may have to encounter because of any vehicles in the garage.
11. Eco-Friendly
Low quality materials that need to be constantly replaced harm the environment. This is often the case with other flooring options.
Epoxy garage floor coatings however will not go through this problem as they are highly long lasting. There will be no need to tear the floor up and replace it anytime soon. So, it is one of the most eco-friendly ways to go about getting a new floor.
Conclusion
There are so many wonderful reasons to install an epoxy garage floor in your home. Ranging from its affordability, fast installation time, ease of maintenance and durability, it’s a flooring option you should definitely consider. There aren’t many negative aspects about epoxy garage floor coatings/covering, so you can truly expect it to be a worthwhile investment.
Hopefully you found this article helpful. Please feel free to leave a response and let us know your opinion about this topic, or if you have any further questions.
Thank you for reading!
