How to Repair a Pitted or Spalled Garage Floor
Concrete garage floors can suffer from pitting and spalling caused by anything from improper installation to years of wear. In today’s post, Guardian Garage Floors shares a quick guide on how to restore a pitted and spalled concrete garage floor.
What Is Concrete Pitting And Spalling?
Pitting and spalling can both happen to bare concrete. Pitting is characterized by many small yet deep holes on the surface of the concrete. It’s typically caused by one or more factors, such as the use of an inadequate concrete mix, improper finishing or years of wear. It can cover large areas of a garage floor.
Spalling is characterized by a top layer that’s crumbling or separating into thin layers. Spalling occurs when moisture works its way into the concrete. After repeated moisture expansion and contraction due to freeze-thaw cycles, concrete will then crumble. Road salts may also contribute to spalling. Unlike pitting, spalling typically occurs in localized spots.
How To Repair A Pitted And Spalled Garage Floor
Fortunately, a pitted and spalled garage floor is repairable. Here’s a quick overview of the process.
Cleaning — The first step is to clean the garage floor. This means anything sticking to the surface — dirt, mold, road salt — will need to be scrubbed off. We recommend using a pressure washer and a commercially available concrete floor cleaning solution. The floor needs to dry completely and remain that way for at least 24 hours.
Preparation and application — Major blemishes and deep pits will need to be filled with crack sealer or caulking. Make sure to read the instructions to your refinishing solution before proceeding. Some manufacturers require a coat primer, while others require pre-soaking the floor with water. Make sure you have even coverage so it dries smoothly, and pay attention to curing times.
Finishing — Inspect the new surface and see if you need to apply a second coat. At this point, you can create a non-slip floor surface by gently pushing a broom across the surface to create thin, shallow grooves.
Polyaspartic Floor Coating
The above is an abbreviated overview of the restoration process, which can take about a week to finish. If you need a once-and-for-all solution to pitting and spalling, consider a polyaspartic coating. Unlike epoxy, polyaspartic floor coating resists yellowing and impact damage, and has a much longer lifespan than coated concrete.
Guardian Garage Floors NC is your leading provider of polyaspartic coating and other garage floor services. To learn more about our polyaspartic coating, give us a call at (984) 217-2842 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
