Why Garage Floor Sealers Are Imperative in Winter
Winter is coming, and the sooner you prepare for it, the better. There are plenty of areas and surfaces to consider when preparing your home for winter, including your garage floors. Failing to winterize your garage floors can end up costing you even after the winter is over. Here’s why garage floor sealing is such an important task to prepare for winter weather.
The Benefits of Garage Floor Sealers in Winter
Mitigating Moisture Intrusion
The frequency and amount of snowfall varies from year to year and region to region, but it’s always best to assume that winter will bring plenty of snow. Even if your garage doors are tightly shut, moisture from snowfall will find its way onto your garage floors and inside them if they’re not properly sealed. One of the main advantages of sealing a garage floor is providing a secure barrier that keeps water from entering the concrete’s pores and cracks, causing further damage. So, even when snow inevitably gets tracked into your garage from boots, tires, shovels, etc., the melted moisture will not penetrate your well-sealed garage floor, evaporating instead.
Combating Low Temperatures
Snow isn’t the only winter weather phenomenon to watch out for. The drop in temperatures is also no friend of your garage floors. Cold temperatures cause concrete slabs to contract. If your floors aren’t flexible, this tightening can lead to fracturing, which makes it easier for moisture and debris to gain entry. Applying quality garage floor sealers helps protect your floors from major changes in temperature, adding flexibility and durability.
Save Your Floors from Salt
When the snow comes down, it’s common for homeowners and business owners to lay down rock salt, which essentially lowers the necessary temperature to melt ice via chemical processes. While rock salt is effective for clearing surfaces from ice, it can have negative effects on your garage floors. For one thing, salt that’s carried in by boots and tires can scratch your floors and leave unsightly white stains on the surface. Additionally, rock salt will carry some water with it, slowly melting onto your floors if not swiftly removed. Coating your floors with garage epoxy paint or comparable sealing options will protect your floors from this moisture intrusion and reduce salt staining while also making it easier to clean up any rock salt residue.
Increased Pressure
If there’s ever a time to fully utilize your garage, it’s during the winter. After all, no one enjoys brushing several inches of snow off their car in the morning or shivering as they enter. Of course, this increased garage usage translates to greater pressure on your floors. Concrete floors are designed to withstand plenty of weight, but several months of constant vehicle pressure can take its toll. Sealing your garage floors increases their strength, flexibility, and durability so they can take the pressure all winter and beyond.
When to Winterize Your Garage Floor
Winter may be months away, but it always comes on quick. If you want your garage floors to be well prepared for the season, now is the right time to think about winterizing them with sealing options such as epoxy floor paint, polyurea coatings, urethane cement coatings, etc. Whatever you decide, Anderson Painting is here to help.
For more about us and everything we do, call us today at (919) 610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
