Concrete flooring with an epoxy coating is becoming a more common choice for homeowners looking for a cost-effective way to add decorative flooring to their interiors and even their garages. If you have epoxy floors in your home, caring for them is important to maintain their durability.
Epoxy flooring -- a primer
Epoxy flooring is an excellent option for your garage or any other industrial or work space. Epoxy floors resist stains, bead water and wipe clean like kitchen counters. Their low-maintenance nature makes them a wise choice as a flooring option in a high-traffic area. Stained concrete floors are a common choice for decorative interior floors because of the color options.
Epoxy floors are popular choices for garages because of their stain resisting qualities. They also offer a bit of rubberized texture to provide a bit of grip in areas that have a lot of snow and rain.
Outdoor epoxy flooring
While not entirely outdoors, your garage floors are still exposed to the elements. If your garage door doesn't offer enough of a seal where it meets the ground, water, snow, dirt and debris can find their way inside. Add that to the debris that is accumulating on your tires as you drive into your garage daily and you could quickly have a mess on your hands.
Indoor epoxy flooring
Choosing concrete floors with an epoxy coating is an affordable choice for your home, retail store, restaurant and office. It can be acid-stained, painted, overlaid -- there are hundreds of options if you'd like to have them in your home or business. Compared to other flooring options, installing decorative concrete floors can be cost-effective for your project. A simple concrete floor is comparable in price to carpet,
tile or linoleum and a more complex design will be more comparable to marble, granite or slate floors.
Cleaning and caring for your floors
Even though concrete and epoxy floors are fairly low-maintenance, they still need
some upkeep. Use these tips to keep your floors looking their best so they'll stand the test of time.
- For interior floors:
- Sweep the floors daily in high-traffic areas either using a dust mop or a soft bristle broom. In low-traffic areas, a sweep one a week should suffice. Move furniture and rugs to get grit and dust off your floor. Although they are durable, grit and particulates can scratch the coating on your floors.
- Mop the floors weekly using a non-acidic floor cleaner or a cleaner specifically made for epoxy floors. Kitchens and other areas might require more frequent mopping because of spills and traffic.
- When mopping, allow the cleanser to sit for a few minutes before wiping with clear water. Do not allow the cleaning solution to dry on the floor. Dry the floor with a dry mop or a large towel to prevent streaks and dust lines on the finish.
- For exterior floors:
- Follow the same steps as you would with interior floors when necessary.
- Clean up oil spills and minor drippings with a paper towel or soft cloth.
- You don't need to be as diligent with the floor in your garage as it will likely become dirtier than your interior floors, but the same care and cleaning is recommended, albeit less often.