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The best painters in the greater Richmond area
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Commercial and ResidentialGarage Floor Painting |
Renew the Garage Floor
Is the garage floor covered in paint, oil stains, and other messes that are hard to get up? Painting or sealing, with a sturdy clear coat above, might be the answer. The garage floor can be any color desired, though some colors will help hide future stains as well. Talk to a professional painter about garage floor painting to learn what options are available. Then, consider the color carefully. It’s important for the homeowner to pick a color they’re going to love to see every time they come home. Garage floors are particularly hard to keep clean due to the abuse they take from spilled and dripped fluids, tire tracks, and a general lack of concern. Plus most garage floors received only a minimum of sealant when they were first completed. Since concrete is so porous, it tends to soak in all the stuff that sits on it, making it nearly impossible to keep clean. Hosing off an improperly sealed concrete floor can actually do more harm than good because the water tends to soak in even deeper, taking the impurities with it. Properly painting or sealing a garage floor involves a number of steps. If the concrete is new, it must be acid washed first. This can be dangerous and should only be done by a professional. Then an adherent should be put down to assist the paint in sticking to the concrete. Finally several coats of concrete paint or sealant should be rolled on and left to dry. Other options Other options for the garage floor are rigid plastic snap-together tiles, big polypropylene interlocking tiles, and also roll out rubber floor mats. All of these choices can be used alone or in conjunction with a newly painted garage floor. Plastic Tiles The snapping plastic tiles are rigid and can withstand all kinds of abuse. Because they are plastic, they do not tend to have expansion and contraction problems. There are even versions that have small perforations in them to allow for drainage which also makes them a bit less slippery. They are also less prone to absorbing oil and other chemical spills on them, making them relatively easy to keep clean. And lastly, they are easy to install since each piece fits into the next one. Simply lay them down and snap them together. These come in a large variety of colors. Interlocking Tiles Another type of tile that is very popular is an interlocking tile that comes in larger squares (24 x 24 or 18 x 18) and attaches by interlocking edges that are below the top surface. They are attached together by stepping on them or using a mallet. These can be made of a number of materials, like PVC, polypropylene, graphite, or tough alloys. These are usually softer and easier to walk on than the plastic variety and are not prone to cracks. They come in a huge variety of colors and designs. They are slip resistant and extremely durable, though they are subject to stains. They can, however, be easily replaced. Roll Out Mats Roll out mats are another popular option, largely due to their ease of installation. You simply roll them open. They come in a variety of sizes, with the two most popular being the size that sits under each car only and the one that covers the entire garage floor. If you are doing the whole floor, you will purchase several large ones and will probably need to cut one so it butts seamlessly against the next. These mats are subject to shrinking and swelling based on temperature changes so you need to allow for that on each side. They are also prone to gouges or tears by gravel, kickstands, hot spilled fluids, dropped tools, or other types of abuse common in a garage. They do come in a variety of colors and textures to accommodate different tastes. Door Mats If you decide to paint/seal the floor and simply want an inexpensive way to protect the paint from hot tires sitting on it, another option is simply to purchase 4 plain door mats (usually about 2' x 3') and place one under where each tire would be. These have a rubber bottom and either rubber or durable tight-weaved fabric on top. This will protect the floor and costs very little. These are just a few ideas. A garage floor done properly is both beautiful and practical. Contact Chesterfield Painters for ideas and options. Home |
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