Performance Car Reviews, News and Parts for the Car Enthusiast

It’s that time of the year again. The icicles start appearing on the overhangs, snow is all over the ground, and you just noticed that your garage floor has a crack going down the center that’s about the size of the San Andreas fault. Why does this always seem to happen in the winter, do you ask?

A Concrete Garage Floor Will Absorb Anything

Your concrete garage floor acts like a very, very slow sponge. Any liquid that comes in contact with it will be soaked up, albeit slowly. Those of us who have changed their own oil know this as the smallest bit of motor oil will create a tiny, but permanent stain. All concrete garage floors are the same, so you’re not alone here, either. Any garage flooring that has no cover will absorb water as well. Water doesn’t sound very threatening, I know, as it would be a clear stain, right? Unfortunately, when the temperature gets low enough, water does something that many other chemicals don’t do…

A Frigid Saboteur

In most parts of the world, it will get cold enough for water to freeze at some point in the year. Materials contract when they get cold, but water becomes solid. Although ice is no match for concrete when it comes to durability, tiny bits of solidified water added to your concrete will definitely create an unwanted solidity. As the concrete begins to contract, this solidity can become quite destructive.

Moisture Is Always Incredibly Tenacious

“But I keep my garage door closed!” you say. Well, that doesn’t always matter. Humidity in the air can still get to your garage floor, even if your garage has been kept closed up. No garage is waterproof, so any garage floor is susceptible to the effects of moisture, even those protected by doors and walls. Not only that, but moisture can also creep in to the concrete from the sides and underneath, though that depends largely on your area, just how much rain you’ve had, how long water sat against your garage, and how high your water table is.

A Garage Floor Covering Can Prevent This Problem!

Garage floor coverings, such as tiles, mats, and the like, definitely help protect your concrete, and can play a large part in the fight against cracks and lines. You can’t do much about any of the moisture that comes from the earth itself but, honestly, that’s normally a very small part of the equation. The majority of the moisture will be from the air itself. The only time ground moisture really comes into effect is when you’re considering an epoxy garage floor coating as they can easily be damaged by pretty much any moisture coming from underneath, even though it is the best solution against water from above. Using a garage floor covering instead can be helpful since they will be there to absorb any moisture that they don’t deflect.

Will A Garage Floor Covering Help If I’m Absolutely Positive That Moisture Wasn’t To Blame?

It definitely will, yes. Besides the obvious effects of the sun, which doesn’t account for much in a garage, the garage floor’s main warmth source will come from underneath. With a coating or covering, this warmth can be kept down in the concrete, and keeping the garage floor a bit warmer will mean less contracting, and generally less cracking.

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more garage flooring information.