The First Step In Any Garage Makeover

Ok, we need to talk about your garage.

It’s bad, right? Messy. Dirty. Scary even. Dehumidifier no longer working? Chuck it in the garage! Half-empty paint cans? Put them in the garage! The bikes the kids long outgrew? Where else… they’re in the garage! If you’re like many people, your garage has become the junk drawer of your house.

You know you want to tackle it. You know how great it’ll look — and how great you’ll feel — when it’s done. But, like the proverbial journey of a thousand miles, taking that first step can be daunting.

But it doesn’t have to be; you just need to start with a clean slate. And that slate is your floor.

Get Floored

Giving your garage a beautiful, durable new floor coating will be just the thing kick your garage reclamation project into high gear. There are a couple of reasons for this:

• Before you coat, you have to clean. That’s right, and not just clean… really clean. Like take-everything-out-of-the-garage clean. That’s because, regardless of the method you choose, you’ll be renewing your garage floor from wall to wall. This will force you to dispose of things you no longer need and organize the things you do. You could even clear out the attic too and have a good old-fashioned garage sale!
• A clean floor inspires a clean space. Once you’ve cleared out your garage and renewed its floor, you’re not simply going to throw everything back in there the way it was. No, you’re going to take advantage of that blank slate. You’ll organize your tools. You’ll hang up those bikes. Maybe you’ll even add new cabinets and a workbench. Think of what you’ll accomplish with this new space!

Sounds simple. Can you do it yourself?

Well, yes, you could coat your garage floor using materials available at your local big-box DIY store. But as with a lot of things, just because you can… doesn’t mean you should.

The major reason for having your garage floor professionally coated is, experts agree that about 80 percent of a successful floor coating is down to surface preparation. That’s because poor surface preparation can lead to eventual delamination, which will look worse than it does right now. Beyond the preparation, there’s a lot of skill required in the installation itself. Unevenly distributed chips can make the finished floor look odd. Too thin a clear coat, and it won’t last. Too thick, and it won’t have the necessary texture to prevent slipping. That’s why, though you could do it yourself, it’s best to leave it to experienced professionals.

Plus, this is a serious project we’re talking about, right? You’ll be parking heavy vehicles on this floor for the next decade or more — that’s a lot of abuse, day in and day out — and you’ll want it to look as good in ten years as it does the day it’s coated. But if you want that kind of durability, not to mention beauty, you need to have it done professionally. And, you’re going to want to avoid epoxy or polyurethane coatings, which have a serious chance of future delamination and can give off toxic vapors, and go for the high-tech floor-coating technology the professionals use: a polyaspartic polyurea coating system.

You’re going to love the results

Just picture the finished project: Once an unsightly “junk drawer,” your renewed garage is now clean, spacious and organized, with every tool in its rightful place. Heck, your garage might even become an extra room in your home. Open it up on summer evenings, break out a few folding chairs (and cold libations) and invite your neighbors in for an impromptu block party! Set up a woodworking bench and build that set of teak lawn furniture you always wanted! The only limit to your new garage space is your own imagination.

So, get ready to finally make that journey from cluttered to clean. You already know how to take the first step.