Garage Floor Expoxy - What You Must Know

There's nothing like coming home from a hard day's work and pulling up to your home to find a neatly manicured lawn, sparkling windows, and freshly sweeped driveway. But, then you push the button on the garage door opener only to see the old, stained, cracked garage floor. Garages today are not just storage rooms anymore. While we still often park our automobiles or boats in them and store our lawn equipment in them, many of us use them for family events, playrooms for our children, or game rooms. No matter what you use your garage for, a coating of epoxy to seal and protect your garage floor is a good investment that is sure to leave you smiling when you pull up after work. Plus, it is easy to apply and can be done in just one weekend!

First, you'll need to prepare the surface of your garage floor. This sometimes can be the most time-consuming step. You'll need to fill any cracks or holes in your garage floor and make sure they dry completely. Also, if your floor already has an old coat of sealer on it or paint on it then that will determine how you will prepare the floor. Epoxy coating can go over old paint if it is still in good condition and not chipped or peeling. If there is already a sealer on the floor, then you'll need to strip that off so the epoxy coating will stick. After any necessary stripping is done, you will still need to do a deep cleaning of the floor surface to remove any grease or grime. Your local home improvement store should have a variety of

cleansers to use. Also, a many equipment rental stores rent machines to clean floors that will save you some time.

Choose your weekend wisely. Just like when painting other surfaces in your home the weather should be mild, not too hot or cold. Also, rain and too much moisture won't allow the coating to dry and cure properly. At this time, you also need to decide which type of epoxy coating you want to apply. Does your garage floor have blemishes you want to disguise? If so, you might want to choose an epoxy coating kit that has flakes to apply onto the coating to hide those. Do you want to add something to the coating to prevent falls on rainy days? Then, you'll want to purchase a product that will give the top coat anti-skid properties. Also, remember to allow yourself enough time to finish your project. Several coats will need to be applied, and you will have to allow for drying between those coats. In addition, you will need to wait about 3 days before pulling your automobile, boat, or lawnmower back into your garage.

Home improvement projects can be fun and rewarding! Adding to your home's value is just one of the benefits. Next time you push the garage door opener button and see your hard work, you will feel a sense of pride from your "do-it-yourself" project. You will find that applying a coat of epoxy to your garage floor is simple, and adds a finishing touch to your home!

David Wilson is the man behind Garage Floor Covering guide, a site devoted to helping you explore your garage floor covering options, including garage floor epoxy, garage floor mats, and more.