Garage flooring can be a lot more important than you may think. Beyond just unique style and color, alternative flooring options can also increase the resilience of your garage space. A high-quality tough floor can protect against chemical spills, abrasions, hot tire pickup, and more.
There are plenty of options to choose from, all with their own benefits. Let’s explore a few options for garage flooring so you can determine which best suits your needs.
With a high stain and abrasion resistance, high solid epoxy makes for a great garage flooring option. At a thickness of approximately 10 mils, this system is designed to withstand a lot of wear and tear. You can also easily include colors, hues, and flakes for an added flare to your garage space.
High-solid epoxy consists of one layer. A polyurethane top coat (or clear top coat) can be applied after the solid epoxy base is installed for added protection and shine. The polyurethane top coat also makes it possible to add more paint chips to your base coat. It can range from a modest sprinkling to full refusal. Full refusal is when you completely saturate the coating with paint chips until they no longer stick. With a multitude of color options to choose from, this gives the flooring a stylish, textured look.
A full refusal broadcast can also be a practical addition to your garage floor – especially if you work in that space frequently. This flooring add-on not only gives your space an interesting look but also provides even more durability. It can also form an anti-slip surface ideal for those who use their garage as a workspace.
Anyone searching for the most protective epoxy flooring option can look no further than the premium multi-coat epoxy system. This flooring will consist of a primer, solid epoxy base, color flakes if so desired, and one to two coats of polyurethane top coat. When it’s all said and done, the system will stack up to about 30 - 40 mils in thickness.
What separates a multi-coat epoxy system from the rest of the epoxy flooring options is the primer. The thin consistency of primer allows for it to absorb into the pores of a concrete slab much more efficiently. This will then make for a stronger bond between the base coat and the concrete.
Polyaspartic flooring is similar to epoxy flooring in many ways. It is also extremely durable and drop-resistant. Once applied it can cure in about one day’s time. Due to its fast cure rate, the chance of bubbles forming is lower. Just like epoxy, it has a high heat tolerance so there’s no need to worry about potential hot tire pickup.
One key difference between polyaspartic and epoxy flooring is flexibility. Polyaspartic is a lot more pliable than epoxy making it a good choice for areas that might need a higher impact resistance. It can also be applied in cold temperatures more easily than epoxy.
Vinyl flooring is a simple option for a low-traffic garage. Although it isn’t as resilient as epoxy or polyaspartic flooring, it is far more cost-efficient in the short term. Vinyl flooring could be the option for you if you’re looking for a no-fuss way to protect your garage from minor issues such as gasoline or clear fluid. You can even install it yourself. However, keep in mind that vinyl flooring isn’t as durable as the aforementioned garage flooring options. It may look nice, but it’s definitely not going to hold as well, especially in Colorado since we get an array of weather elements throughout the year.
Whatever your choice, we hope you find the solution that fits your direct needs!