A concrete garage floor is designed to be durable. We use them to store our cars, our lawnmowers and snowblowers, our outdoor tools, and more. As such, any garage floor needs to be strong enough to stand the test of time and keep your belongings safe, and that means enduring decades of environmental hazards and general wear-and-tear.
A reliable garage floor contractor can seal your concrete to ensure you have a floor that’s built to last. Seasonal changes, heavy equipment, the buildup of dirt and grime, and invasion by wildlife all pose certain risks, which makes quality of construction that much more important.
Weather Damage Is Cumulative
While a well-built concrete garage floor should stay in good shape for a long time, nothing lasts forever. Ice and humidity both have their own effects on concrete in the long term, because the common denominator between the two is moisture. When water seeps into a concrete surface through small pores or preexisting cracks, particularly in winter, the infiltration slowly causes structural damage that compounds over time.
Even manmade tools to combat these natural elements can do damage. One of the most common hazards is rock salt used to melt ice. Rock salt accelerates the process and has the potential to cause cracking and chipping, which is both an eyesore and a collector of dirt, grime, and more. Other harsh chemicals commonly stored in garages, especially acidic compounds, can cause damage resulting from spills.
Heavy Equipment and Tool Accidents Will Do Some Damage
There will be no shortage of wear-and-tear in any garage floor’s future, but this is especially true if you’re storing your vehicle in the garage or working regularly with heavy equipment. Snowblowers will be dragged around during the winter and cause scraping and chipping if maneuvered roughly, and the same goes for metal shelves. Dropped hand tools like hammers and ice picks can cause similar damage, and power tools will wreak even more havoc in an accident.
A concrete garage floor coating can offer a great deal of protection from hard impacts. If you do a lot of manual labor in your garage, or even if you simply store your heavier tools there, you can’t go wrong with this preventative measure.
Never Underestimate Invasive Wildlife
Quality concrete is more than a match for pests. Some of the worst invaders you might find in your garage are mice and rats, and though they can chew through a lot, their teeth are no match for solid concrete. Strength is the key here, however. Concrete surfaces with preexisting structural damage will leave entry points for all manner of pests, including rodents and harmful insects that will infiltrate through the cracks. Once they’ve gotten into your garage and settled in, there’s no end to the damage they can cause and the messes they will leave behind. Fortunately, a knowledgeable technician can address cracks and other problem areas with timely concrete repairs.
A trusted garage floor contractor will ensure your concrete floor is strong enough to withstand every threat it faces, both natural and manmade. Contact Templin Concrete Construction at 612-388-1945 to schedule an estimate for repairs or a new installation.