Choosing the flooring material for your garage is a significant decision. When most homeowners think of concrete floors, the first thing that comes to their minds is the “coldness” or “industrial character.” The truth is that concrete can endure vehicle use and exposure to unforgiving weather, especially if you live in a region that experiences cold winters. The outcome and durability of the construction depend on whether or not you choose the right concrete paving contractor.
Concrete garage paving provides a practical and cost-efficient paving material. If your primary focus is aesthetics, you’ll be surprised at how beautiful, warm, and elegant concrete flooring can be.
Apart from its function as a parking space for your car, the garage can be used for other rigorous projects, such as woodwork, a hobby area, or a gym. All these activities require flooring material that can handle significant loads and constant beat. Let’s explore the top eight benefits of using concrete floor paving in your garage.
Benefits of Concrete Garage Flooring
The many advantages of concrete as a decorative flooring material come as a surprise to many homeowners who believe that concrete is only for utilitarian paving structures. Your garage flooring doesn’t have to be stylish or colorful, it needs to serve a function. Here are the advantages of using concrete for the garage floor:
1. Durability
Despite the heavy use of concrete garage paving, a concrete overlay can last for decades without showing any signs of deterioration. When you apply proper coating on it, concrete floors in the garage can withstand heavy car traffic, freezing weather, and moisture. The secret is to adhere to proper seal-coating practices because any mistake when applying the sealant makes the material susceptible to environmental elements, leading to damages that require concrete repairs.
Many garage flooring options are available in consumer markets, but none stands up to destructive forces like concrete. The few that can handle heavy use are pretty expensive. Therefore, choosing concrete means you have an affordable material with extended longevity.
2. Sustainability
Concrete can be a highly sustainable flooring option if you have an existing slab or brick paver garage floor. Besides, you need not relegate it to other rooms in the bedroom, hallway, or kitchen; you can opt to use it in the garage alone. Once the overlay concrete is sanded down, polished, and seal-coating is applied, concrete can achieve a refined look even after replacing or filling cracks on the concrete floor. Suppose your garage doubles up as your garage; you can find eye-catching foam or rubber mats to protect the floor against abrasion and scratches due to the weights that rest on the floor.
3. Low Maintenance
It’s astonishingly easy to care for concrete garage floors, primarily because the space remains closed for the better part of the day, limiting exposure to dirt and dust. All you need is a weekly regimen of thorough sweeping. The biggest enemy of concrete is moisture, and it would be best only to mop it with soapy water occasionally, preferably once every three weeks or once per month.
While you might not need baseboards in the garage, installing them is still recommended. Just imagine the amount of dirt that’ll be lodged in the crevice where the floor meets the wall when there are no baseboards. Besides, choosing a contrasting color for the baseboards creates a sublime blend of color that looks finished and calculated.
4. Enhanced Aesthetics
Concrete materials are no longer plain with bland ho-hum characters. Modern finishing techniques have elevated brick-paved garage floors to luxurious status. Today, your flooring professional can add a dye color of your preference while mixing concrete to give your garage an attractive, colorful finish. You can also find surface treatments, such as concrete stains, acid stains, and concrete paint, transforming ordinary concrete into beautiful, stand-alone finishes.
Additionally, you can stamp your concrete overlay with rubber stencils to add texture and patterns to the surface. Combined with carefully selected dyes and coloring agents, you can design concrete to mimic natural stone, ceramic tiles, and even dirt. It only depends on your taste and preference.
5. Concrete is Economical
The concrete industry in the US is growing, thanks to the increased demand for the flooring material sparked by the high affordability. You can expect to spend about $2 to $6 to polish a square foot of plain gray slab into a lustrous sheen. Even if you opt for a more elaborate and attractive finish, it’ll cost you between $5 and $8 per square foot. As aforementioned, staining concrete floors has become popular. The flooring outcome is determined by the homeowner’s preference – different techniques combined with colors to create unique finishes that match the home’s overall theme.
In general, you can get a highly lustrous finish with a marble effect on your concrete garage floor paving in the range of $7 to $15.
6. Versatility
Concrete is highly versatile. We’ve already discussed that you can achieve a glossy, smooth finish on concrete. On the other hand, homeowners who prefer a matte effect on their concrete pavers for the garage floor can apply silicone-based sealers that penetrate the surface, alleviating the shiny, wet look. That technique also works perfectly in transitional areas in your home where the interior space meets the outdoors. Thanks to the material’s versatility, there are limitless ways you can utilize concrete flooring.
7. Speed of Construction
Another advantage of using concrete flooring in your garage is that constructing the paving structure takes a relatively shorter time. Being a precast flooring system, you not only have a shorter construction timeline (about 1-3 days), but you also enjoy the opportunity of cost-saving opportunities on labor as the project requires only a few people.
8. Weatherproof and Fire-Resistant
Concrete has high resilience against environmental elements, such as dirt, rain, and sun. Not only can you use it as an overlay for your garage floor overlay, but you can also construct a concrete paving structure outdoors. When compared to asphalt, concrete is non-combustible, providing a fire-resistance flooring material ideal for constructing garage flooring in fire-prone buildings.
Partner with a Flooring Pro for Quality Concrete Garage Flooring
Concrete is an excellent flooring option for the garage. Still, to enjoy the benefits of the flooring material, it would be best to hire an expert flooring company to undertake the construction. Richfield Concrete provides quality and client-focused concrete paving solutions with outcomes that meet property owners’ imagination. Contact us today and let us fulfill your concrete paving needs.