Epoxy Floors

One of my favorite upgrades for a house is an epoxy garage floor. In Cloud Hidden, we used a coating similar to epoxy and were thrilled at how easy it was to keep the floor clean. In our current house, we were scheduling the installation of the epoxy with the contractor even as we were driving across country to relocate. Every time I sweep or hose the garage I’m amazed at how the oil and fluid drips wash away rather than stain the concrete.

The benefits extend beyond cleanliness. A properly installed decorative epoxy floor will turn a garage floor from an embarrassment of stains into a showcase. If you intend to sell the house, there’s nothing like taking buyers through the garage and having them stop and marvel at how classy it looks. That can be the difference between them placing an offer on your house versus the neighbor’s house with the sad-looking plain concrete floor.

Your best bet is to have the floor installed before driving on the concrete or loading it up with boxes and junk. This makes installation easier and improves the quality of the job. There is a choice of decorative finishes, ranging from a plain color to a three-dimensional look with colored flakes. There are also do-it-yourself kits that are easy enough to use if you’re handy. These are easier to apply on brand new floors, so that you don’t have to mess with the acids and chemicals needed to strip and clean older, oilier floors. When I had a flake epoxy floor installed a year and a half ago, the cost was less than $2/sf, and the work spread over two days, though it had to cure for a week before we could drive on it. Costs vary, so ask around.

This video from the Concrete Network shows several of the places you might use an epoxy floor.

Jim Kaslik is the principal designer of Cloud Hidden Designs, LLC, an exclusive designer of residential domes since 1997.