Home and Garden | Sealing Garage Floor - Flooring

Most garage floors are concrete and, although concrete is a strong substance, it is porous and will absorb moisture and stains. If the garage is unheated, the repeated thawing and freezing of the moisture could cause cracks in the concrete. To help preserve a concrete garage floor and keep it looking cleaner, apply a clear concrete sealer. Besides improving the appearance of the floor a sealer will also help it to shed water and other liquids. Concrete sealers are available in many proprietary formulations and are easy to apply. Read and follow package directions for specific information on application, cleanup, and disposal and whether or not the surface has to be pretreated with anything else.

Applying a concrete sealer is easy to do and does not require any special skills or equipment (see below). Use a paintbrush to apply the sealer around the edges of the room and for the rest of the floor, use either a paint roller and pan or a hand-held sprayer. To protect the walls from the spray, first cover them with drop cloths or sheets of plastic. For your own protection, make sure the area is ventilated and wear safety goggles and a dust mask or respirator.

PROJECT BASICS

Project: Easy
Estimated Project Time: Varies with size of floor and drying time of products used
Start Tips: Clear out the garage to give yourself room and store everything in a safe place until the floor is dry
Safety Tips: Work in a well-ventilated area
Recommendation: Do-it-Yourself

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Clear concrete sealer	Safety goggles
Scrub brush	Broom
Bucket	Vacuum
Concrete cleaner, trisodium phosphate (TSP), or a phosphate-free cleaner	Drop cloths or plastic sheets
Stain remover, as needed	Paintbrus
Pitching chisel or steel-edged scraper	Paint roller and pan
Trowel	Hand held sprayer
Respirator or dust mask

Fig. 1

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Clean the floor
Clean away stains and soiled areas using a stiff scrub brush and a concrete cleaner, a solution of trisodium phosphate, or a phosphate-free cleaner. (Fig. 1) If there are tough stains, such as oil, try using a stain-specific, commercial product developed specifically for removing them. Refer to the package labels for additional instructions.

Fig. 2

2) Prepare the surface
Scrape away rough and uneven spots in the concrete floor using a pitching chisel or other steel-edged scraping tool. (Fig. 2) Sweep up and vacuum away concrete dust and other debris in cracks and control joints that could reduce adhesion. Wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling cement dust. If there are any cracks, trowel patching cement into the crack, smooth it out, and let it dry and cure.

Coat the floor with Clear Concrete Sealer.

Fig. 3

3) Apply the sealer
Using a paintbrush, coat the perimeter of the floor with a clear concrete sealer. (Fig. 3) Read the label instructions for more specific information. It may also recommend additional procedures such as neutralizing the alkali in the concrete before sealing it.

For fast, thorough, and even coverage for the rest of the room apply the sealer using a paint roller and pan or a hand-held sprayer. To protect the walls from the spray cover them with drop cloths or sheets of plastic. Wear safety goggles and a dust mask or respirator to protect yourself.

Sealing a Garage Floor