Tips for garage maintenance extend the lifespan of your concrete garage floor. Read on to learn more about this interesting topic from the experts at Southeast Floor Maintenance.
How Often Is Maintenance Necessary?
That depends on whether or not you coated the floor. An epoxy coating reduces the need for maintenance as it makes the concrete impermeable. However, if you have a simpler sealant in place, here are some tips on how to keep it in good shape.
We advise completing the following garage maintenance every six months.
Clean Away any Spills or Water
You should clean up any spills as quickly as possible. Doing so prevents oil stains and other hard-to-remove marks. During cleanup, use sawdust or cat litter to soak up any liquid other than water. Leave these in place for a few hours to absorb the moisture.
Simply mop up any water.
Sweep
Regardless of whether you use sawdust, the next tip for garage maintenance is to sweep the floor well. Use a large broom to speed up the process and clear away any dust or dirt.
Deep Cleanse the Floor
Now it’s time to scrub the floor clean. You’ll need a:
- Garden hose
- Deck brush
- Bucket
- Commercial or homemade degreaser
One of the top tips for garage maintenance is to divide the floor into rough sections to tackle one at a time. Doing so allows you to break the task up into manageable amounts:
- Apply the cleaning solution to the floor in the first area.
- Let it sit for about ten minutes
- Apply a little more of the mixture, this time scrubbing away ingrained dirt and grime
- Rinse the site using the garden hose
- Repeat with the other sections
Clean Oil Stains and Grease
If there are still grease or oil stains, now is the time to spot-clean them. Your first step is to drench the area surrounding the mark with water to prevent the mark from spreading during cleaning.
Apply your degreaser and work it into the surface. Leave it for about ten minutes before applying more of the solution and scrubbing the stain. It should lift fairly easily and wash away when you use the hose.
Remove Rust
Very few people know the following tips for garage maintenance. White vinegar and lemon juice are two acidic compounds that can lift rust stains. Apply it directly over the mark and let it settle for five minutes. Using your brush, test if it raises the dirt, and reapply the vinegar or lemon juice as necessary.
Rinse well with the garden hose.
You can also use the following commercial products to lift rust:
- Specialist rust stain removers
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP)
- Oxalic acid
Simply follow the instructions on the pack to proceed.
Fix Minor Cracks, Chips, and Spalling
In some cases, the process is simple enough that you do not need expert help. Chisel away any loose debris inside the crack and vacuum it out. Next, apply the epoxy paste using a putty knife and fill the crack.
Scrape the surface to smooth it over and allow it to dry. Finally, sand the area so it is completely level with the rest of the floor.
Larger cracks in your garage could signify a bigger issue. If the damage spreads, extends over a large part of the surface or keeps recurring, your floor might need resurfacing. Call the team at Southeast Floor Maintenance for professional advice. We will send out one of our inspectors to see if it’s time to replace or recoat the flooring.
Apply the Concrete Sealer
The sealers help reduce the permeability of the concrete. While these are less effective than epoxy concrete coatings, they improve the floor’s resistance to staining and protect it.
Apply them according to the manufacturer’s instructions and allow them to dry properly before entering the garage again.
Standard Proactive Maintenance
The final of the top tips for garage maintenance is that you need to keep your garage as clean as possible. Clear away spills as soon as they happen and sweep the floors regularly. Where possible, fix cracks when they start and apply a small amount of sealant over the area.
Should you find that the above-mentioned tips for garage floor maintenance and garage floor cleaning are no longer practical or effective, it’s time to consider professional intervention.
Contact Southeast Floor Maintenance at (704) 932 1122 for your free quote on revitalizing the surface or reducing your maintenance workload. Our one-day process makes it simple to restore your garage floor to its pristine condition.
