Showroom Shine
How to make your garage floor almost too pretty to park on

By Mike Berger

Perhaps the single most noticeable component in a dream garage is the floor. An oilstained, cracked surface will make any garage, no matter how well-equipped, an eyesore. But a beautiful, showroomlike floor can make an otherwise humdrum garage look like a million bucks.

When it comes to creating a dazzling garage floor, you have two main choices: professionally applied coatings and DIY kits. Here’s a look at the steps and costs involved in the various approaches available today.

Professional applications

Professionally applied coatings are durable, oil-resistant, long-lasting and easy to clean. In the past, the only way to achieve this quality was with a two-part 100 percent solid epoxy. Many contractors specialize in epoxy application — some large home centers such as Lowe’s and The Home Depot even offer this service.

Epoxies typically range from $2 to $4 a square foot and can do a very good job of covering and adhering to a concrete slab, provided that the contractor follows proper preparation protocol and the slab doesn’t suffer from hydrostatic water problems that might cause the epoxy to fail after it has cured (see “Testing for Moisture Problems,”). But unless nonskid compounds are added to the mix, epoxies can create a slippery surface, especially when the floor is wet.

A newer approach in professionally applied coatings that utilizes Polyaspartic Polyurea polyureas instead of epoxies solves common problems such as hot-tire pickup and pop-off. To ensure optimal performance from the Polyaspartic Polyurea coatings his company applies, Club member Joe Sheehan of Garage Floors 1 in Oakdale, Minnesota (which works in partnership with Slide-Lok Cabinets; see SOURCES ONLINE), has developed a preparation system in which he grinds the slab to remove surface impurities and achieve an 80-grit profile that provides an ideal bonding surface.