How to Know if Your Garage Floor Covering Needs to Be Updated
The concrete floor in your garage can only withstand so much wear and tear before requiring major repairs. Sealing these floors with quality coatings can help reduce the negative effects that pressure, temperature changes, impact, moisture, and spills have on your floors. That said, floor coatings don’t last forever, either. Over time, you’ll need to update your garage floor coverings to keep your floors secure and beautiful. The question, of course, is: when should you remove the old coatings and install new ones?
Here’s how to know if it’s time to replace your garage floor coverings.
When Should I Replace My Garage Floor Coatings?
You See Cracks on the Surface
When installed properly, a garage floor coating will flexibly expand and contract with changes in temperature. This flexibility only goes so far, however, and these coverings will lose their elasticity over time. Small cracks on the surface aren’t cause for major concern, but they are harbingers of worse problems to come. Dirt, debris, and moisture will eventually find their way into even the slightest of fractures and cause further damage. Before long, it might be best to start fresh with new floor coatings.
You’re Not on Even Footing
Your garage floor should be smooth and level – the coatings you install should help you achieve these goals, too. But if said coatings aren’t properly installed, you may encounter bumps and divots as you examine your flooring. Likewise, the natural movement of the earth beneath your garage floor can contribute to an uneven surface. If the problem is severe, you may need to have your entire floor replaced and levelled. In most cases, however, re-coating your garage floors will provide them with a newly level surface.
Moisture Is Making Itself Comfortable
You can expect your floors to get damp every now and then – it’s when your floors become consistently wet that you have a problem. Moisture intrusion can cause bubbling, peeling, and discoloration (which we’ll discuss next). Faulty water retention can occur if vapor is coming up beneath your floor or if your coatings have lost their seal. Either way, fresh garage floor coverings are in order. You may also need to have a new vapor barrier installed underneath your sub-floor if the problem is caused by an underground vapor drive.
Your Floor Is Losing Its Color and Shine
Though the main reason to install garage floor coverings is to increase the durability of your flooring, these coatings also offer aesthetic advantages. With so many colors and textures to consider, you want your coatings to retain their appearance for as long as possible. The forces of nature (especially moisture intrusion) will gradually cause your coatings to lose their initial color and finish. If you find yourself wondering, “how can I make my garage floor look better?” you might simply need to clean them more often – if frequent maintenance isn’t doing the trick, however, it’s probably time for an update.
How Long Should a Concrete Garage Floor Last?
Another way to check if your garage floor coatings require replacement is to know how long they last on average. It’s worth noting that the longevity of floor coatings can differ significantly from one product to the next. Standard epoxy coatings may last anywhere from 3-5 years with proper maintenance, whereas Penntek polyurea garage floor coatings can endure for over 15 years. Though this latter option is more expensive than typical epoxy coatings, the initial garage floor coating cost is more than offset when you consider the long-term advantages – less maintenance and fewer repairs result in major cost savings over the years.
Anderson Painting relies on Penntek polyurea coatings because of their superior strength, durability, flexibility, customizability, and installation process. If your Raleigh, NC, home could use fresh garage floor coatings, we’re here to help. To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
