Concrete Floors Benefits
For streets and highways, concrete is used because its strength is undeniable. Both inside your home or in the garage, there are several positive benefits of using concrete flooring. In colder climates, concrete spread over hot water pipes is a convenient way to get underfloor heating, which works well. Concrete floors are quick to look after. To clean away the dust and dirt, all it takes is a mop and spray.On concrete floors, dogs won't leave scratch marks like they would on wood. It won't dent a cast iron pan falling to the concrete floor, but a glass would definitely break into smithereens. And concrete's redeeming quality is its durability and low cost. But other issues occur unless the concrete is sealed.
Pouring concrete is a simple solution to selecting the best material for your flooring while a home is being constructed. Only make sure the floor is on the main level and not over a basement unless there has been extra structural engineering.
Price of Concrete Flooring Sealing
The cost of the concrete floor is substantially less than wood, marble or even carpeting if the floor is laid while the home is being constructed, and sealing the floor should be a part of its cost. Another expense that needs discussion when costs are measured is sealing the garage floor.
How to Seal Floor Concrete
Most definitely, the garage floor is raw concrete, meaning it's brittle and unsealed. A good sealant coating involves avoiding stains and unsightly markings, and there are many to choose from. Cost is a factor, but in order to be efficient, be mindful that the lower-priced sealants can need more frequent sealing.
Sealants Topical
Just as the word suggests, without penetrating the soil, a topical sealant lies on top of the concrete. Several kinds of topical sealants are available at rates that range from cheap to more costly.
Acrylic: This thin coating is simple to add and serves as a protectant for the concrete. It repels water and chloride, but has a slight effect on road salt and automotive fluids. Cleaning the floor as soon as a spill is found is the safest solution. Acrylic sealing does not require major hardware, and the floor can be walked or driven on within a day. Between 18 to 24 months, re-application can be done everywhere.
Floor Coatings: Epoxy, polyurethane and polyurea and polyaspartic coatings are more active in the application than plain acrylic and more costly. Of these floor coatings, epoxy is the most cost-effective and is thicker than acrylic, providing the floor with more protection. It is also more complicated to prepare for epoxy, requiring paint brushes, rollers and a fast hand for the assignment. Epoxies often last longer than acrylics and, as a redo is unnecessary for many years, should be counted into the higher cost.
Do-it-yourself epoxy kits, depending on the size of the task, are available for anywhere between $50 and $600. But before applying the sealant, they also require you to do the prep and repair work, adding to the cost.
Cheap isn't the greatest ever,
When the concrete floor sealer that will fit best on your surface has been decided, make a cost estimate. Factor in the sealant square footage you'll need, plus the materials and instruments that have to be added to that cost. In addition, it is important to consider time and labor, as well as how much you may need to repeat the assignment.