Dirt, leaks, stains, and debris on your garage floor cause it to deteriorate over an extended period of time.
These messes also contribute to a visually unappealing environment that can be less safe. Additionally, dirt, mud, and messy liquids can get tracked into your house.
That’s why garage floor maintenance is a task you should be doing a minimum of twice a year and ideally more than that (especially during the winter in areas with road salt).
You can also give your garage floor a cleaning on an as-needed basis, depending on how heavily your garage is used. Needless to say, garages being used as workshops should have their floors cleaned fairly regularly.
Garage floor maintenance tips to extend your floor’s life
These garage floor maintenance tips are primarily meant for floors with a polyaspartic coating, such as a Floortex™ floor coating.
Many of these tips can be applied to other types of garage floors as well. By performing regular garage floor maintenance, you’ll keep your floors clean and tidy, which will help extend their life.
Make garage floor maintenance easier by removing clutter
Before sweeping the garage out, clear as much clutter from your garage floor as possible. This will obviously make the garage floor maintenance work quite a bit easier. It allows you to give the floor a more thorough cleaning.
To avoid accumulating garage floor clutter altogether, you might consider a slatwall storage system or specialty storage racks.
Cover your electrical outlets and drywall
Because you’ll be using a hose during the garage floor maintenance work, it’s wise to protect your drywall and any lower electrical outlets with taped up plastic sheeting.
Cover any additional items staying in the garage that you’d rather not risk getting wet.
Clean up any leaks or spills
Before sweeping, attend to any leaks or spills on your garage floor. A Floortex™ coating is extremely resilient and less porous than a standard concrete garage floor, so it resists most chemicals found in households. That includes liquids leaking from vehicles like oil, gas, coolants, and other fluids.
Leaving hazardous liquids and spills on your polyaspartic garage floor for a prolonged period may cause staining and dull the floor’s shine, however. Leaks are also a safety hazard, so take care of them right away.
Standing liquids can be cleaned up by using sawdust, kitty litter, or a dedicated absorbent material product. Keep in mind that the item you’re using on the stain may need to sit for several hours.
To treat stains on a Floortex™ floor, we recommend using Scotts Outdoor Cleaner and a soft bristle brush if necessary. If you’re unsure about whether or not your Floortex™ coated floor can be treated with a different cleaner or degreaser you already own, consult a Garage Living professional first.
A Floortex™ floor coating is chemical and abrasion resistant and spills can be easily wiped up.
Sweep your garage floor
The next garage floor maintenance step is to sweep the floor with a good push broom. The smooth surface a Floortex™ floor coating provides makes this step even easier.
Open any garage windows and the main doors for this step. This will improve the garage’s airflow and aid in removing airborne dust and dirt particles.
If your garage floor is particularly dirty and the sweeping is kicking up an excessive amount of dust, use a dust mask. A shop vacuum can also be used for cleaning hard-to-access areas.
Garage floor maintenance removes road salt
For those living in colder climates where road salt is used, regular garage floor maintenance is even more important during the winter months.
Deicing salt used on roads that attaches itself to vehicles, in addition to salt used on driveways and walkways during the winter, can leave quite a mess on your garage floor.
Those white salt stains on your floor are caused by the melted snow containing the deicing salt recrystallizing, which is a process known as subflorescence.
Older concrete floors that lack a high-quality coating are especially vulnerable to further damage because the melted snow seeps into the floor’s pores and the deicer refreezes when temperatures drop. This process, known as spalling, commonly causes concrete to crack.
Dried salt deposits on your floor are unsightly and messy. They also have an abrasive nature that can dull the lustre on your garage floor if ignored.
That’s why you should be regularly sweeping your polyaspartic-coated garage floor during the winter to get rid of as much salt as possible. Once the weather warms up, you can perform more detailed garage floor maintenance using a hose.
Wash your garage floor
With as much loose dust and floor debris as possible now removed from the garage, you’re ready for the final cleaning step.
Scotts Outdoor Cleaner is also ideal for this garage floor maintenance step. It’s a gentle, environmentally-friendly cleanser that’s biodegradable and phosphate-free, so it won’t harm plants or grass when rinsed away. Follow these steps:
- mix the cleaner with water in a bucket according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- apply the mixed solution to the garage floor and use Garage Living’s 30″ double blade foam squeegee or a broom to ensure the entire floor is covered
- let the solution set for a few minutes
- rinse your garage floor with a hose
- use a squeegee to remove all excess water
Treat your Floortex™ garage floor right
Floortex™ polyaspartic floor coatings have many advantages over epoxy floor coatings. Here are just a few benefits:
- the coating adds a textured surface for better traction and makes dirt and dust less visible
- Floortex™ can be applied any time of the year
- polyaspartic floor coatings can be applied in less time
- Floortex™ provides better surface protection than epoxy coatings
Even with all of these great benefits, occasional garage floor maintenance is still required with a higher-quality coating. Doing so ensures you’ll get the maximum amount of life out of your garage floor and preserve its professional look.
Experience the difference a Floortex™ floor coating makes
For those intrigued by what Floortex™ offers, be rest assured that a high-quality floor coating can make a big difference when it comes to ease of garage floor maintenance.
A polyaspartic garage floor coating also provides a more modern, finished look in comparison to concrete.
You can choose from a large selection of Floortex™ colors to achieve the garage floor look that appeals most to your décor preferences.
Get started on your garage floor transformation by scheduling your free design consultation today.
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