Most people aren’t aware that garage floor coatings are cost-effective solutions for flooring. But a high-quality garage floor coating in Birmingham can last decades with little to no maintenance. These polyaspartic coatings are 100% aliphatic, creating a waterproof membrane that adverse weather events, hot tire pickup, and forklifts won’t damage.

However, each concrete coating option offers different benefits. Below, our trained technicians outline a few choices you may want to consider for your garage in Alabama.

What is a Floor Coating?

Floor coatings commonly feature in commercial and, residential properties in loading bays, drive-thru areas, and parking garages. These robust layers protect the concrete substrates beneath them, providing a barrier against the onslaught of trucks, SUVs, foot traffic, and spills.

According to the New York Times, SUV purchases have grown to nearly half of American vehicle sales. So, garages, parking lots, and commercial work areas will face even heavier vehicles in the coming years. Can your floor coating handle the load?

Why Install Garage Floor Coatings?

Portland cement becomes naturally porous after curing, forming tiny holes that admit moisture, mold spores, and chemicals. With absorption, it also starts to flake, spall, and crack under the weight of vehicles and equipment. If those vehicles are towing campers or speedboats, that’s thousands of pounds testing the limits of your concrete.

With concrete floor coatings, any home garage or commercial structure with a parking space has extra protection. Neglecting to install garage floor coatings will mean frequent repair, renovation, or refinishing expenses. That’s why engineers and interior designers alike agree that coatings are worth installing.

Do you plan to sell your Alabama property? A concrete coating could eliminate cracks and dents across your property’s flooring. It might even help you attract higher bids from more committed buyers.

Three Types of Concrete Coatings

Resinous Epoxy Coatings

Epoxy coatings are a cost-efficient protectant from manufacturers like Catalog, Copps, and Ellsworth. This material combines a monomeric resin with plasticizers, hardeners, and a chemical catalyst to create a hard-wearing surface. 

If you have low-traffic areas, like long-term storage facilities and residential kitchens, where forklifts, work tools, and machinery are absent, epoxy could be an option. However, an epoxy garage floor coating offers inferior protection compared to polyurea-based products. That’s why many flooring experts deploy epoxy only as a base coat. 

These self-priming products adhere well to a concrete substrate but only survive with a polyurea or polyaspartic topcoat long-term. So, it is cheap to produce and install and has some resistance to abrasion, but it is not nearly as weatherproof as modern coatings. Epoxy is also not UV-stable, so the surfaces near windows and doors will turn yellow after some exposure to direct sunlight.

Polyurea Floor Coatings

If you want the strength of epoxy with far better durability, consider polyurea coatings. Polyurea uses a polyamine and isocyanate molecule, which manufacturers sometimes combine with a polyol molecule to create polyurethane, another popular protectant. 

Polyurea creates a waterproof and weather-resistant polymerized surface for industrial flooring, truck beds, and tank linings. You’ll see it on the floors of cruise ships and factories for abrasion and chemical resistance. Concrete Coatings also offers it as a base coat for garages in Birmingham.

Our polyurea products are branded and certified as UV-stable for at least ten years, repelling brake fluid, oil, and other vehicle maintenance fluids with ease. We can also install vinyl chips and metallic paint for aesthetic effects and unique designs.

Polyaspartic Coatings

Another excellent option is a polyaspartic coating, an aliphatic sub-type of polyurea coating patented by Bayer Material Science. The department originally wanted to improve its urea-based product line but discovered that polyaspartic and polyurea make a winning combination. A polyurea base coat will lose its UV stability after a decade or two, but a polyaspartic coating on top will shield it from yellowing for up to 30 years.

Polyaspartic coatings will never sustain scratches from all-terrain tires or work boots. They also prevent floors from chipping under falling tools, which makes them a staple in residential garages, repair bays, and farms in Alabama.

Why Choose Licensed Experts like Concrete Coatings?

Concrete Coatings is a leading independent company providing high-quality, long-lasting garage floor coatings for homes and businesses in Birmingham, AL, and the surrounding areas. Our floor experts have decades of combined experience in concrete floor solutions for commercial and residential settings. 

Our coatings protect your floors from the following:

• Scratches
• Dents
• Depressions caused by heavy foot and vehicle traffic and more

Garages handle a heavy load each day, and they do it so much better with a floor coating to keep their concrete substrate in great condition year-round.

The Benefits of A Garage Floor Coating in Birmingham

Lower Maintenance

Waterproof floor coatings significantly reduce maintenance requirements. A mop, soap, and water will keep it clean and prevent stains that would have been permanent on bare concrete.

Better Curb Appeal

Floor coatings keep your garage presentable, no matter what you throw at it.

Safer Living Spaces

High-quality floor coatings prevent mold colonies, mildew, and algae from taking hold. When combined with regular cleaning, these coatings make your property a safer place for children, pets, and visitors with allergies.

Expert Services and Workmanship

A team like Concrete Coatings has ample experience in installing robust and beautiful coatings in garages and many other surfaces. And the workmanship speaks for itself.

Why not call Concrete Coatings at (205) 973-6197 to learn more about which garage floor coatings could serve your home or business best?

It’s almost inevitable: Whenever you open your garage on a rainy or snowy day, water may find its way inside. Similarly, using your garage as a workshop or parking raises the chances that you’ll have to deal with the occasional oil spill, grease, or other chemicals.   

So, how do you protect your concrete garage floor from moisture and chemicals? The answer: garage coatings. At Concrete Coatings, we have plenty of experience with concrete coatings.   

Keep reading to learn how coating your garage floor helps protect your concrete floors from moisture, chemicals, and other substances.  

Benefits of Garage Coatings  

Coating your garage floor offers several benefits, including the following: 

Protection from Moisture Damage  

When choosing garage floor coating options, many people opt for cement or concrete. Unfortunately, excess moisture can easily damage even the most well-installed cement floor.  

Installing a garage coating on your floor adds an impervious barrier on top of the bare concrete. This seal prevents water and moisture from seeping through the concrete surface, so you won’t have to worry about moisture or other liquids damaging your floor.  

Chemical Resistance  

Many garages require chemical-resistant flooring. An unprotected floor allows chemicals and acids to break down the concrete and weaken the floor’s surface. In time, the concrete may develop cracks and pits or even fall apart.  

Well-installed epoxy floor coatings will offer the protection your garage needs to withstand corrosive elements, from oil and paint to grease and brake fluid. Polyaspartic coatings take protection to the next level by offering enhanced durability, UV stability, and better color retention.  

Improved Aesthetics  

Traditional garages have a reputation for being the ugliest part of the house. Most people park their cars or store unwanted items in their garages. Coating your garage floor can elevate your space and make it more visually appealing.  

A high-quality floor coating boosts your property’s curb appeal by giving you a nice, smooth garage floor. Chips and peels will no longer rob your floor of its beauty and shine. Garage coatings also come in wide-ranging colors and styles to suit varying tastes and preferences.  

We can customize your garage flooring, from classic designs to a sleek and luxurious finish. Trust us to bring our vision to reality. 

Stain Resistance  

Container spills and leaky cars can leave various stains on your garage floor. With a floor coating, you don’t have to stress about unsightly stains that may prove stubborn to remove.   

Our floor coating systems boast superior stain resistance. They prevent oil, liquids, dirt, and grime from penetrating the floor, making stain removal and overall cleaning a breeze.  

Long Life 

Coating your garage floor extends its useful life. Resistance to stains, shock, chemicals, and other substances means your coating will last longer than other flooring materials, such as wooden, tile, or carpet flooring.  

Because of its durability, expect your floor to maintain its beautiful appearance for several years. So, if you want to avoid the hassle of replacing or changing your floor every couple of years, consider investing in polyaspartic floor coatings.  

Easy Cleaning and Maintenance  

Garage floor epoxy coatings make cleaning and maintenance a hassle-free process. During Birmingham winters, you likely bring snow, road salt, and dirt into your garage floor. With a high-quality coating, mopping the floor or hosing it off should restore it to pristine condition.  

In fair weather conditions, simply sweep the floor with a soft broom or vacuum to keep it looking as good as new. Regular cleaning removes dirt, debris, and any other residue that may collect oil and dirt. Proper maintenance also removes any particles that may damage the floor.  

Slip Resistance  

A safe environment protects you and the people with access to the area. Slips, trips, and falls can occur in any setting, even your garage.   

With garage coatings, adding slip-resistant additives lowers the risk of accidents and provides a safer walking area for others while providing good looks, practicality, and durability. The seamless nature of a floor coating also minimizes the risk of accidents in your garage.   

We have different levels of slip-resistant coating options and additives suitable for internal and external use. Reach out for help in determining what will work best for your garage.  

Cost-effectiveness 

Coating your floor may cost less per square foot compared to installing brand-new flooring. Because you can install a floor coating on top of your existing floor, such as concrete, you don’t have to spend extra for floor removal. In most cases, a few quick repairs create the ideal surface to install a coating.  

Bottom Line 

For garage floor coating, we recommend you consider how much you plan to invest in floor protection and how you use your garage. Overall, spare time and resources to clean your garage floor and fix minor damages to prevent them from getting bigger.   

You also want to minimize spillage and abrasion to improve the life of your garage floor coating.  

Garage Floor Coating in Birmingham  

Durable garage coatings could last for decades if properly installed. Look no further than our Concrete Coatings team for the best garage floor coating in Birmingham, AL. 

We use the latest flooring technology, and our propriety-engineered flooring systems have passed independent lab testing and extensive field testing to confirm their durability. Our thorough preparation and professional installation guarantee the best results.   

Call us at (205) 973-6197 to get a free quote for high-quality garage coatings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.  

Now more than ever, people are looking at their utilitarian spaces with a critical eye. Many want to make their garage into a fun place to hang out, or just want their storage spaces to be more aesthetically pleasing. Either way, you decide to go, quality concrete coatings can vastly improve your flooring. 

While any garage floor coating would be a major improvement over standard concrete for your space, not all coating options are the same. Any coating will likely improve the look and reliability of your garage flooring, but some can be a better fit for your needs.

As our name implies, we at Concrete Coatings know nearly everything there is to know about the concrete coating. That’s why we’re here to help you decide which garage coating solution would be best for your concrete surfaces. 

If you want to improve your flooring, concrete coatings are always an excellent option. Here are some of the best residential coating options available to you.

The Benefits of a Floor Coating

Floor coatings are one of the best ways to improve the form and function of nearly any flooring. A quality coating installed by a professional team can transform a space in a variety of ways.

Here are some of the benefits a garage floor coating can bring:

Improved Visual Appeal

While concrete is an affordable and reasonably durable flooring material, it’s not the most attractive. A quality concrete coating can turn a concrete floor into a beautiful and diverse canvas.

With so many available options, there’s nearly no end to the visual variety of concrete coatings. Apart from the material, you have control over many factors, including:

• What the colors of the inset vinyl flakes are– or no flakes at all
• What texture the coating has
• The stain color for the finish

Increased Durability

Concrete floors are durable and strong on the whole, but they are also highly prone to cracking and chipping away as time goes on. A concrete coating will vastly improve the durability and longevity of your garage floor.

Concrete garage floors take a lot of abuse, so adding an extra layer of protection against spills, cracks, and stains with a concrete coating is a surefire way to protect your investment.

Some of the ways a concrete coating makes your garage floor more durable and long-lasting include:

• Better heat resistance
• Improved sealing and waterproofing
• Better cut and impact resistance
• Improved resistance to fading or discoloration

Low Maintenance

Plain concrete floors are difficult to keep clean. These floors tend to hold onto a lot of dirt and dust. They also don’t resist moisture quite as effectively as one would want. 

With a quality coating, a concrete floor will be much more level and, therefore, easier to clean. Unlike uncoated concrete, polyaspartic floors are non-porous, meaning they don’t hold onto moisture or dust, or other particulates nearly as much. 

With little more than the occasional mopping and sweeping, you can keep your coated floors looking beautiful for years to come. 

Slip-Resistance

One of the downsides of plain concrete is how easy it is to slip on–especially when it’s wet. When you add a concrete coating to your flooring, you make your garage floor much safer for yourself and your family.

The Different Forms of Floor Coating

Now that you know how a floor coating can improve your garage, you’ll need to determine what kind of floor coating best suits your needs. There are a variety of coating options available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

But what are the most important factors to consider before deciding which floor coating is best for your garage?

Figure Out Your Priorities

Before you commit to the exact coated floors that you want, it’s important to determine what your goals are for your garage. Are you making it into a hangout space? How important are slip and chemical resistance to you? These are all important questions to consider.

If aesthetics are your goal, a polyaspartic floor may be the right choice for you due to its brighter shine. If you are primarily interested in improving your floor’s functionality, you may opt for an epoxy coating instead.

When Can You Apply the Coating?

Something worth considering is whether or not you can get a certain coat depending on your climate. You cannot apply some coatings if the weather is too cold.

You can install urethane coatings in temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Epoxy, on the other hand, may not seal properly if you install it at a temperature below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sunlight Exposure?

No coating is exactly the same as another, and they all have specific quirks associated with them. For example, some coatings handle sunlight and UV exposure much better than others do.

While a basement isn’t known to see much direct sunlight, even a little could bleach parts of your floor. If this is a concern, you may want to use a more resistant coating.

Work with the Best Team for Your Concrete Garage Coating

A durable garage floor coating could last for years or even decades if installed properly. For the best garage floor coating in Birmingham, AL, look no further than our team at Concrete Coatings. With the tools and experience for the job, we’ll prep and install your new garage floor coating quickly and accurately. Give us a call at (205) 973-6197 for a free quote today.