Lifetime Epoxy Floors: No All Garage Floor Coatings are Created Equal

Author: Fahad Qayumi - Guest Expert Writer - Lifetime Epoxy Floors

If your garage floor coating has seen better days — if the sight of the cracks, stains, and damage on the garage surface has become unbearable — then it’s high time to improve your aged and used-up garage floor. Before you choose a new solution for your floor, keep in mind that not all garage floor coatings are created equal. You should check different factors to determine if a certain garage floor system will meet your needs and is the best choice for your garage.

What is polyurea floor coating? Polyurea flooring systems presents the most-advanced, fast-curing and fast-hardening system in concrete flooring technology. It can withstand more abuse and impact than any traditional epoxy coating, offers much better protection against harmful agents like oils, chemicals, and gas, and doesn’t stain, crack, or peel. If you decide to use polyurea floor coating, your floors will look gleaming and new for many years to come, if maintained properly. Below are some reasons why polyurea garage floor is a solid flooring solution for a garage.

1. It can withstand practically everything

These top-quality floors can withstand all kinds of harmful impacts, extreme pressure, and chemical attacks. Due to its strength and durability, they are often applied in commercial and industrial facilities that require heavy-duty floors. They are waterproof and UV-stable, containing no harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They can also withstand extremely high temperatures, making them resistant to hot tire lifting, patching, and peeling.

2. Polyurea coatings are strong and fast-curing

This kind of garage floor coating is fast-curing, taking only one to two hours to harden, and one day to be ready for use. This is an important advantage in comparison to classic epoxy coating systems, that take 3-5 days to harden completely. If you decide to hire a professional garage flooring contractor, you‘ll get a super strong and resistant garage floor that takes only one day to be installed.

3. They look great and are easily maintained

Polyurea floor coatings will create a tough, non-bubbling polymer with a crystal-clear finish. Due to its anti-wear and anti-skid attributes, it creates an outstanding protection barrier for your garage concrete floor, and its smooth surface enables thorough cleaning and easy maintenance. With no crack and crevices, there’s no place for insects to hide.

4. Polyurea makes your garage a safer place

Using this specific garage floor coating is a great way to add safety to your garage space. A non-slip surface combined with full paint chips can reduce the chance of an accident when the floors are wet. Heat resistance adds another layer of protection; since they can withstand very high temperatures, they can act as fire retardants. Also, unlike epoxy, it doesn't emit harmful VOCs; they are also antibacterial and nontoxic. The health and safety of your family is a top priority and quality polyurea garage floor coatings must be approved by authorized agencies, in keeping with their strict safety and sanitation regulations.

5. Polyurea flooring solutions come in many color options

Apart from being strong, durable, and resilient, your garage floor can be attractive as well. Dull gray concrete coatings are a thing of the last century! Nowadays, there are available multiple color, design and pattern options that will bring magic to any space, even to your garage. Customize your garage with more than one color or opt for decorative chip floor coating, and make your garage a genuine showpiece. Whichever option you choose, you’ll get a strong, impact resistant garage floor coating that will shine like new for many years to come.

Useful Tips Before any garage floor coating takes place, we recommend to take care of a few things:

1. Do the proper preparation of the surface
Before the flooring process takes place, you must treat the current condition of your garage surface. Take care of all the visible cracks, scratches, stains, and imperfections if you want your new garage floor coating to bond with the concrete surface. You should also check if there are any signs of moisture, as the presence of moisture will derail the flooring process. It’s also recommended to diamond grind the surface for better penetration of the solution and do some testing to see if the proper chemical reaction occurs.

2. Hire a professional contractor
If you are a DIY person and you exclusively rely on your own knowledge and skills, this time it might be smarter to consider consigning garage flooring to a professional flooring contractor. Since it’s extremely difficult and tricky to handle epoxy and polyurea materials, it’s better not to waste time and money on a badly-applied floor coating. The concrete preparation should be done thoroughly and professionally as well, in order not to miss some of a few important steps that deal with possible damages and humidity issues.

3. Don‘t let the primer be your only coat
The base coat acts as a primer, and it’s recommended not to remain the only layer. The primer will not be sufficient to protect your garage floor since it’s exposed to pressure and wear. Rather, you should apply the top coat with chips and quartz if you want to secure the anti-slip properties of the garage floor coating and it will give a sleek and elegant look to the overall appearance of your garage.

4. Calculate the cost of the entire installation process
To know the average price per square meter is not enough. The installation process also implies the cost of the preparation, materials, anti-slip chips, technique, and supervision of the flooring project. Examine all these factors and plan your budget on time! Keep in mind that polyurea floor coatings are not cheap, but also be aware that there are no cheap quality floors.

Can you use polyurea to seal your driveway?It seems like polyurea is a perfect garage floor coating, but is it adequate to use it on outdoor surfaces? If you wonder if polyurea can withstand the temperature oscillations and moisture caused by rain or snow in combination with car tires’ marks, peels, and scratches, we have good news for you. Yes, it can, and it’s highly recommended to seal your driveway with polyurea. Polyurea is resilient to many harmful outdoor impacts, and when installed properly, it looks amazing. If you had any doubts about applying polyurea to your outdoor surfaces, forget about them.

No sealer can beat the strength of polyurea exposed to outdoor conditions. Epoxy, classic paints, and cheap polyurethane won’t give long lasting and satisfying results. Sooner or later your driveway will become worn out and cracked, and you don’t want to waste time and money on driveway repair. Polyurea creates an impenetrable barrier that perfectly protects the concrete in all outdoor conditions as seasons change. Superior flexibility offers years and years of resilience without any damage.

For more specialty flooring solutions, click here!Since the garage is considered an extension of your living space, it must look nice and be functional for many years, and the benefits of a revitalized garage space are numerous. Forget about your old drab and crumbling concrete floor and breathe new life into your garage floor with polyurea solutions. The transformation of your garage comes from the floor up, so inject character and personality to your rock-solid and durable garage flooring. Enhance your comfort level and make the space functional and inviting with polyurea coating systems.
For more information, visit garagedesignsource.com.

Article Source: https://www.floortrendsmag.com/articles/103462-rethinking-your-garage-why-consider-polyurea-floor-coating

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