It’s not always obvious to a homeowner when it’s time to replace the garage floor instead of just fixing it.
There are a lot of moving parts, and the specifics will differ from garage to garage. The garage floor may need to be replaced rather than repaired due to a number of factors; let’s look at some of the most common causes of floor damage.
In a garage, the floor takes a lot of abuse. They take a beating from the weight of vehicles driving over them, as well as temperature swings, oil leaks, and whatever else your tyres may have tracked in. Because of this, they could break apart, crumble, move, or even collapse. If you notice any problems with your garage floor, it’s best to get a professional opinion on whether you need to replace it or fix it.
Whether it’s to park your car, keep your tools neat and tidy, or work on one of your many weekend projects, your garage is an indispensable feature of your home. Garage floors are subject to heavy foot traffic and can quickly get worn and damaged. Keep reading to learn the signs that it’s time to replace your garage floor.
How do you determine when it’s time to replace the garage floor and how much money you should set aside? Here are five indications that it’s time to replace your garage floor.
You See Some Serious Cracking
In addition to being unsightly, cracks in your garage floor can actually be harmful to your tyres and the undercarriage of your car. In the event of extensive damage, such as cracking and buckling, it may be time to replace the garage floor.
The freeze-thaw cycle is the primary cause of floor cracking. Just to sum things up, the garage floor “freezes” in the winter and “thaws” in the summer.
The garage floor may swell and shrink with the seasons. Over time, this process can develop cracks and buckles in the concrete.
Because of its porous nature, concrete readily absorbs moisture from high humidity and wet weather. Soaking up snowfall water in the winter is no problem at all.
Excess water absorbed by the flooring and then frozen when temperatures fall might cause significant expansion of the concrete. This can put a lot of strain on the floors, to the point where they break or buckle.
Crumbling, peeling and flaking, or pitting are all signs of floor degradation that necessitate prompt replacement. The freeze-thaw cycle can also cause shifting, which, if left unchecked, can lead to foundation deterioration.
Apply a concrete sealer as protection when you redo the flooring in your garage. By doing so, you can lessen the likelihood that water and moisture will penetrate the surface and cause cracking to reoccur.
The Floor Just Isn’t Holding Up
The original garage floor may have been improperly built if you’ve noticed issues like unevenness, continuous chipping, or other damage. Normal wear and tear should be expected, but you should take action if the problem persists or worsens.
To what extent, then, might this explain the fragile appearance of your garage floor? This widespread issue arises for a variety of reasons.
First, a poor foundation includes having nothing but soil beneath the concrete. For the best results, a gravel subfloor should be laid before installing a garage floor.
Speak with a specialist who can examine the ground beneath your house. As a strong foundation for concrete slabs, compacted gravel is a viable solution.
Your garage floor’s apparent wear and tear may also be due to thin concrete. The thickness of your garage floor should be at least four inches and preferably five or six.
In order to ensure the durability of the slab, it is best to use a substantial amount of concrete. The garage floor can be extended by an extra inch or two if you want to save money.
If your garage floor seems shaky, poor reinforcing could be to blame. To prevent the concrete from breaking and to keep the mixture together, rebar or wire mesh can be added to the mix.
If you’re laying a new floor, rebar is your best bet. It’s not much more expensive than mesh, but it will protect your floor for many more years.
The Floor Seems to Be Sinking
The garage floor could look uneven or even like it’s sinking. If there is poor drainage near the garage, you are not totally wrong.
There is a risk that water from below the garage floor will seep into the earth and cause the structure to subside. Poor drainage that should be moving water away from your house and garage is generally to blame.
Crumbling, chipped, or cracked floors are also indicators of poor drainage. Poor drainage can cause costly structural damage to a building over time, which can spread to other parts of the house.
Eliminate any puddles of water that may have formed on the garage floor. As well as being a major threat to public safety, this is an alarming sign.
When it rains, take a close look to see if you can pinpoint the source of the drainage issues. In the long run, this will aid in water diversion.
Remove any obstructions from your gutters and downspouts to ensure water can properly flow away from your house. Water may pool and flow back into your garage if the floor is not sloped properly.
It’s best to consult an expert before attempting to replace the flooring. You can get advice on how to re-grade the land and what kind of drainage will be required from them.
A system of exterior French drains can assist channel water away from the garage. It is recommended to put a sump pump in the garage if you live in an area that frequently experiences flooding.
The Floors are Old and Worn
The garage floor, like any other part of your home, will eventually need to be replaced. Getting an older garage floor looking like new again usually requires replacement.
Over time, excessive weight can cause the floor to buckle and crack. When you factor in the cumulative weight of multiple cars, people, years of foot traffic, storage cabinets, toolboxes, and heavy landscape tools like lawnmowers, wear and tear is inevitable.
In the long run, concrete that has been subjected to chemicals and liquids will deteriorate. Damage to a garage floor is almost inevitable when environmental factors like temperature and humidity swings collide.
The old look of your garage floors may also be the result of poor installation if you weren’t present during the initial installation. It’s possible that the floor’s sub-base was laid too shallow.
Ten or fifteen years ago, the wrong cement mixture may have been utilised. It’s possible that the inappropriate compacting ratio was used, leading to improper soil settlement.
It’s also possible that the floor was graded improperly or that the expansion joints were installed in the wrong places. In order to meet deadlines, some builders resort to shortcuts. Then it’s possible that your garage floor is wearing out sooner than you’d want.
If your garage floor was improperly installed, unfortunately, your only option is to replace it. Look at the damage closely and evaluate if it’s still worth fixing.
Your garage floor should endure between 20 and 25 years on average. More than that, and it needs to be updated.
Your Garage Floor is Just Plain Ugly
It’s likely that you won’t spend much time in your garage if you have an unappealing floor. Inevitably, garage floors will show signs of wear and tear over time, including scuffs, scratches, and stains.
Rubber tyre tracks are an aesthetic problem that can occur on any floor. The concrete can lose its colour if paint, lawn chemicals, or other substances are poured on it.
Inadvertently cracking or chipping a tool or other heavy object can happen if you drop it on the concrete floor of your garage. The constant foot traffic in this area will eventually wear down your floors.
In the garage, dust and dirt can accumulate, leading to the formation of spider webs and the creation of gloomy, unwelcoming nooks. Maintain a clean and orderly garage by sweeping the floors on a regular basis.
Damage from tyres and spills are only two of the many reasons to obtain a new garage floor. Whether or not you need to replace the flooring entirely depends on the extent of the damage.
An epoxy garage floor treatment kit can be used to refinish the floors in some circumstances. This is a simple choice that requires little effort to implement and may be finished in as little as two days.
If you are on a tight budget, you can protect the concrete subfloor by installing rubber floor tiles. Use a solution designed to remove tyre and chemical spill stains to scrub the floor thoroughly.
If you’d like, you can always just instal a new floor. Find new equipment that will make your garage look fresh and current. Stamped or coloured concrete is a terrific option for giving the garage some more flair.
When Should I Repair My Garage Flooring?
Your garage floor may only need to be repaired if the damage is localised to high-traffic areas. Wear might manifest as scuffs, tiny cracks, stains, and scratches on your garage floor coating. The citizens of Pennsylvania, for example, are subject to seasonal weather changes that might have an impact on local infrastructure. An isolated region could be harmed by rock salt that was not adequately kept throughout the winter or by high flooding in the spring. The repair is frequently perfect in such circumstances.
Inadequate or sloppy installation of the flooring, or the use of a lower-quality material, may also necessitate some fixes. In a similar vein, if your flooring was installed within the past few years, it may only require a modest repair. Talk to an expert if you aren’t sure if the damage to your garage floor is minor or extensive.
When Should I Replace My Garage Flooring?
If the damage to your garage floor is mild to serious, you should probably think about getting a new one. If the damage is contained to a small area, a patch may be all that’s needed, but replacing the entire floor will be the most cost-effective solution. The garage floor should be replaced if it has deep cracks, noticeable stains, wide scratches, or has settled significantly.
If you’re bored with the look of your garage’s current flooring and want to give it a facelift, consider replacing it. To boost kerb appeal or conform to an overall design scheme, many homeowners choose to have their garage floors made to seem like expensive stones like granite. Epoxy-style garage floor coatings are easier to maintain than standard concrete, and some homeowners would want an upgrade to make their garages look more like the rest of their homes.
The days of having only concrete in your garage as flooring are over. When it comes time to replace the flooring in your garage, you now have many options to consider. Those who care only about visual appeal will be similarly impressed by the wide variety of colours, patterns, textures, and designs offered by these floor coatings. Tiles, epoxy concrete flooring, and ornamental garage flooring are some of the most common options for garage flooring. They are all weatherproof, durable, and stain-proof, and they may provide your garage a variety of various atmospheres. These floors can survive regular use if they are properly built.
There are some smaller questions that must be addressed before you may respond to the main query.
How old is the concrete you have now?
Contrary to other surfaces, concrete is relatively durable, yet it does eventually deteriorate. If concrete has been in use for 20 to 25 years or longer, it needs to be replaced. When determining the age of exterior concrete, it’s crucial to take into account the increased exposure to the elements.
How much does the crack impede?
Usually, repairing a little fissure in the surface is sufficient. If the crack is extensive and extends to the subgrade, replacement should be taken into consideration. The repeated freezing and thawing cycles can further erode the base of your concrete by allowing water to leak in through the crack. If the crack in your driveway is less than.25 inches wide, liquid crack filler should work.
Is your concrete the base for another type of flooring?
Concrete must have a level surface if you plan to lay hardwood or tile over it. Although there are products that can level floors up to 1.5″, they won’t necessarily fix more structural problems.
Your slab of concrete may be sinking.
Paving walks and driveways frequently involves the use of large slabs. If you notice that one of your buildings’ foundations is sinking, it was probably because the subgrade was improperly laid. Even though you won’t need to replace all of the concrete, the slab must be replaced.
Before a floor needs to be replaced, it can be patched up for a while, but continuing repairs will wind up costing more in the long run. With your new flooring, a brand-new, high-quality seal will stop these problems from recurring and preserve your concrete in good condition, making it safer to walk on.
Additional factors that can necessitate a garage floor replacement or repair
Over time, a garage floor will show general signs of wear from tyres and foot traffic. Floors can also be harmed over time by exposure to things like leaky vehicle fluids and other household pollutants.
Floors may also develop pitting (in which tiny holes appear) and show signs of other surface flaws. The abrasive properties of dried salt deposits and fine dirt and sand grains that aren’t swept away frequently enough are likely to blame. If your garage floor surface has never had a sealer applied, all of the aforementioned issues will arise more quicker.
Should you go with a garage floor replacement or garage floor repair?
With this knowledge in hand, would you rather replace your garage floor or have it repaired? The second option may be less complicated, but it probably won’t solve the problem permanently if it’s a particularly serious one.
Do you care if your garage floor looks nice or not? Repairing your garage floor with ugly materials that don’t blend in with the existing flooring may not be to your liking.
The cost to have a garage floor replaced is dependent on a number of variables. To replace it, you may expect to pay between $6 and $15 per square foot. Calling around to other contractors in your region might help you get a better idea of what the going charge is.
Keep in mind that the cost of the floor usually includes the labour of dismantling and removing the old cement floor, preparing the ground underneath it, installing rebar or other reinforcing elements, and pouring the floor. Concrete can be sealed or coated with epoxy to protect it against chemicals, grime, and other impurities that could reduce its lifespan.
In conclusion, garage floors endure constant wear and tear from foot traffic, environmental factors, and poor drainage, all of which can lead to cracking, shifting, and deterioration. The freeze-thaw cycle is a primary cause of damage, especially when it leads to cracks or buckling. In such cases, replacing the floor may be necessary. Protecting the new flooring with a concrete sealer is essential to extend its lifespan, and addressing drainage issues is crucial to prevent future damage. Consulting with a professional before making any decisions can help avoid costly repairs down the line.
Furthermore, regular maintenance, such as cleaning and patching localized damage, can keep your garage floor in good condition. For those on a budget, rubber floor tiles can serve as a protective layer over the concrete. If the damage is widespread or severe, replacing the entire floor may be the most cost-effective solution. It’s important to ensure a level surface for any future flooring installation, and using a high-quality sealer will enhance safety and durability. Ultimately, the cost of replacing the floor will depend on various factors, so it’s wise to evaluate all options before proceeding.
