If you want to change the look of your garage by installing a floor coating, chances are you have some questions about how these coatings work before you move forward. Here are some of the questions you need to ask.

Is a Lot of Prep Work Necessary? 

There are a few things that have to be done before you can install a garage floor coating. You will have to start by grinding the surface down to get rid of unevenness. Many garage floor coatings also go up the side of the wall where the concrete extends, which means those parts must be sanded down as well. 

You'll also have to repair any damage that you have in your concrete floor, which even includes those small hairlike cracks along the surface. Thankfully, these cracks are easy to repair if you know how to do it. It will involve opening up the crack slightly so that it can be filled with a specially joint filler material. 

Finally, you'll need to remove any debris and dust on the floor before you are able to apply a coating on top of it. This should be the last step once all prep work is finished. 

What Causes the Patterns and Textures in the Flooring?

A popular look for garage floor coating is to have the floor covered with tiny specs. These specs are actually vinyl flakes. They are applied by throwing an excessive amount of vinyl flakes over the floor once the first layer is applied. The extra flakes that don't stick to your garage floor are sucked up with vacuum, and then another layer of the coating material is applied. You then throw more vinyl flakes over the surface again and vacuum up those that don't stick. You end up with a top layer that looks quite cool compared to using a solid layer of floor coating material.

The trick to making a smooth surface with these vinyl flakes is to cover them in the end with a top coat. It is applied with a squeegee and essentially locks all those vinyl flakes into the floor.

How Long Will It Be Until You Can Park in Your Garage? 

You'll be able to walk across your floor coating after about 24 hours. However, it can take multiple days for the coating to be dry enough for you to park a car on top of it. Make sure the directions are followed for the specific floor coating you use to ensure that you wait enough time.

If you have more questions about garage floor coating, talk with a flooring company that uses it.