Garage Floor Damage

When working on vehicles, you're going to spill chemicals, and probably lots of them; that's just how it goes. Not just motor oil, either. It seems that those who make garage floor coatings, as well as coverings, have got this part down pat as most every option can protect against anything chemical. If you're also looking direct the spilled liquids, you should look at garage floor mats or tiles since they can channel those liquids. All you have to do is spray them down with a water hose. However, be very careful not to send all those chemicals straight to the soil. Regardless of what some people say and believe, diluting these chemicals won't save the groundwater from contamination.

Anyone who has done much home improvement has probably heard of what traditionally happens when hot tires hit epoxy garage floor paint. Automobiles, even in the winter, have hot tires when they've been driven for a while and, when driven on garage floors treated with epoxy, that paint is known to stick to those tires. This is referred to as "hot tire pickup". Luckily, modern epoxy paints are not supposed to be susceptible to this issue. Many people, though, will tell you otherwise, but always remember that paint that was not installed correctly can also cause this issue. You could also avoid even the possibility by using garage floor coverings, or maybe garage floor tiles, as they don't do this, although some mats will bunch and gather underneath a car's tires when steering. Most mats advertise that this, too, is now a non-issue.

Epoxy paint does not fare well here, either, due to chipping. When a dropped tool hits a garage floor mat, the result is usually a bouncing tool. However, if it hits paint, there will be a chip, and likely much cursing. Of course, an floor with epoxy paint is a lot stronger than a non-protected concrete garage floor, but anything solid is still going to be prone to this type of damage. Garage floor tile sometimes has the same problem, depending on the tiles' consistency, but unlike epoxy, you can merely exchange the affected tiles for new if needed.

This one is kind of tricky, because it depends a bit on your area. Epoxy paint will protect your concrete better than any of the other solutions, this is true, but it will not help at all if there is too much moisture. Be sure to test for moisture before you even consider epoxy. Tiles don't really do a lot for protecting the floor from the elements, but they will help it retain heat in the winter, which is when concrete likes to crack and split. A garage floor covering, such as a rubber mat, is even less effective, but still better than nothing at all.