If you’re thinking about adding epoxy to your garage floor, you might have some questions. How do you clean epoxy floors? How long do they last? Are they easy to maintain?
Not only will an epoxy floor jazz up the appearance of your garage, but it can also offer plenty of other benefits. If maintained well, a professionally-installed epoxy coating can last over 20 years.
Adding an Epoxy Floor: The Pros and Cons
Like anything, epoxy coatings have positives and negatives.
The Pros
- Customizable
- Protective
- Durable
- Longevity
- Lustrous appearance
The Cons
- An involved installation process that is best done by professionals
- Difficult to remove and start over
Taking Good Care of Your Epoxy Garage Floor: Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Epoxy flooring is easy to maintain. With a few simple methods, you’ll be able to keep your floor looking brand new.
A Smooth Surface
One of the most important factors in caring for epoxy is keeping the surface clear of dirt, gravel, and other gritty substances. A garage floor will get dirty faster than the interior part of a home, particularly if you’re using the space as a shop or work area.
Despite the durability of cured epoxy, it can still endure damage. If these gritty substances remain on the floor, they will begin to embed in the surface over time. You don’t have to panic over every speck of dirt, but cleaning on a regular basis will help the surface maintain its luster.
A dust mop does a good job of sweeping epoxy flooring, especially in garages or other large spaces. You can also use a shop vacuum to make sure you get everything.
A Thorough Wash
Washing an epoxy garage floor is easy. One of the epoxy’s best qualities is that it doesn’t require the use of a special soap or cleaning solution. All you’ll need is some dawn dish soap, a scrubbing brush, warm water, and a little elbow grease to do a basic cleaning job.
A Messy Situation
Epoxy garage floors end up with more spills and messes than interior epoxy floors. When it comes to chemical substances like motor oil, do your best to make immediate cleanup a priority. The damage won’t be instantaneous, but if allowed to sit for days or weeks on end, some chemicals can eat away at the epoxy.
Chemicals you should try to remove immediately include:
- Gasoline
- Cleaners
- Antifreeze
- Paint
For stains, you can use a scrubbing sponge from the kitchen. If water alone doesn’t do the trick, mix up to 3 ounces of ammonia with a gallon of hot water. That should remove stubborn stains.
Epoxy’s Enemies: What to Avoid
Natural household products are popular these days. This has led to an increase in citrus and vinegar-based cleaning products. These products work well on some surfaces, but you’ll want to steer clear of using them to clean epoxy floors. They could fade the epoxy’s colors over time
Lastly, don’t use steel wool on your epoxy. Using it to quickly scrub out a stain might be tempting, but the abrasive power can damage the integrity of the floor.
Contact Epoxy Floors by Welch, LLC to Install a Hassle-Free Floor Coating
Now that you know a little about epoxy and how easy it is to maintain, you might be ready to have your new floor coating installed. At Epoxy Floors by Welch, LLC, we’re proud to help clients in and around Johnson County, KS by installing high-quality epoxy and metallic floors. Contact us using our online form, and we’ll respond within 48 hours to discuss your project.