Concrete Garage Floor Repair: What To Do After
Many homeowners don’t know what concrete garage floor repair involves and what they should do after. If that resonates with you, stick around! This blog article discusses concrete garage floor repair and what professionals recommend you do afterward. This can include installing an epoxy coating, a full polyaspartic flooring system, or some other type of protective concrete sealant.
What Is Concrete Garage Floor Repair?
Concrete garage floor repair is when experts or homeowners fix surface imperfections, like cracks. Here are some other problems that might affect your concrete garage floor.
- Pitting – Pitting is when clusters of small holes appear on your concrete. Harsh climates, improper mixing, incorrect curing, and aging can all cause pitting.
- Spalling (flaking) – Spalling is when your concrete flakes and separates from the substrate (the layer below). This can occur when your concrete freezes and thaws rapidly or is exposed to fire.
Cracks
For cracks in your garage floor, experts recommend using an epoxy, polyurethane, or polyurea repair product that is sandable. These products cure and harden at a strength greater than concrete. They bond to the concrete stronger than hydraulic cement and prevent water intrusion in those areas. Even though they are more affordable and easy to use, experts suggest avoiding latex-based concrete crack fillers or self-leveling sealants. These products are not sandable, won’t allow epoxy adhesion, and can shrink over time. We also advise not to pour cement into the crack since it bonds poorly to cured concrete and will peel off the slab.
Pitting
For pitting, experts recommend using an epoxy or polymer-modified cement patching mix. Once you’ve prepared your concrete, which includes removing any loose pieces, you can pour and spread the mix into the holes. Once the mixture hardens, you can smooth or grind it down, leveling it with the rest of your garage floor.
Spalling
Spalling concrete can be repaired using the same methods as pitting. You’ll first need to remove all debris and loose material from the damaged area. Then you’ll need to use a concrete resurfacing mix or concrete patch compound that matches your existing garage floor.
What Comes After Concrete Garage Floor Repair?
Now that you’ve addressed any issues in your concrete, it’s time to consider adding a protective coating to your garage floor, such as an epoxy or polyaspartic system. These flooring solutions keep your concrete garage floor looking brand-new and protect your latest repairs.
Epoxy Coatings
Made from a synthetic polymer, epoxy coatings are a combination of different materials. Two-part epoxy coatings are typically made with a Part A resin and a Part B hardener. If needed, other additives like UV inhibitors, accelerators, or adhesion promoters can be added to the epoxy to increase abrasion resistance, speed up cure time, or increase/decrease viscosity (resistance to flow).
The next step involves adding different pigments, aggregates, flakes, or glitters to the epoxy to achieve your desired style. Experts can also add different types of aggregate sand blends into the epoxy as an optional topcoat to create a thicker, more durable, and non-slip surface.
Full Polyaspartic System
A polyaspartic system can be an optional topcoat added to an epoxy coating or a full system comprising multiple layers. Made from a hybrid material that resembles polyurethane, a polyaspartic coating penetrates concrete floors deeper than basic epoxy or polyurea.
Full polyaspartic systems are the most expensive floor option available, but they are also the most effective. These coatings are designed with a cure time that’s slow enough for easy application and fast enough to quickly allow floor traffic. For example, a concrete garage floor coated with a full polyaspartic system can be ready for foot traffic in two hours and vehicle traffic in 24 hours. An epoxy-coated floor needs 12 or more hours of cure time before foot traffic and 72 hours before vehicle traffic.
Should You DIY?
Most DIY coating kits sold online or at your local building supply store are temporary solutions. These coatings need to be reapplied almost every three years, turning your one-time purchase into a reoccurring project. When you hire a professional concrete garage floor coating company, you get precisely what you pay for. You won’t need to watch dozens of DIY videos or read extensive instruction manuals. A professionally installed concrete garage floor coating is stress-free and can last well beyond 25 years before it needs any touch-ups or reapplication.
Who Should You Call?
If you’ve repaired your concrete garage floor and want to ensure those repairs last, call Complete Concrete Coatings. We’ll choose a coating system that enhances the look of your garage and protects your concrete floor from further cracks, pits, or damage. We’ve been in this industry since 2005 and have successfully protected thousands of concrete surfaces, including decks, patios, and airplane hangars. Call us today and receive your free estimate.
Kevin Wood
Kevin Wood founded Complete Concrete Coatings in 2005 with the goal to create a company that offered the best deck and concrete coating service in the industry. Our elite combination of price, product, and service has allowed us to protect thousands of decks, garage floors, airplane hangers, and other concrete surfaces.
