If you own a house, upgrading or remodeling is important for your enjoyment of the home, as well as future resale of the property. One area of the home often neglected when it comes to home improvements is the garage floor. Now, worn, dirty and dull looking garage floors can be rejuvenated, creating the look of natural stone, with a decorative garage floor coating called GraniTex.
Granitex is a high performance concrete coating available in four premixed colors, allowing for attractive and unique finishes on your old garage floor. Formulated to commercial standards, Granitex coatings are superior in wear resistance, UV stability and chemical resistance, outperforming many other concrete paints or coatings. It provides a nonslip finish that resists damage from casual exposure to gas, oil and deicing salts, and is easy to maintain. Environmentally safe, application is a simple three-step process and can be easily accomplished by a home owner at a fraction of the cost, when installed by a contractor.
The first and most important step is surface preparation. Utilizing a biodegradable cleaning and etching agent supplied by the manufacturer, scrub the concrete with a stiff brush and then thoroughly flush the area twice with clean water. This removes dirt, stains and cleaning solution residues. It also opens and roughens the concrete’s surface, improving the adhesion of the GraniTex coating. Protect adjacent surfaces with plastic sheeting and painters tape before starting step two, application of the textured base or prime coat.
Thoroughly mix the textured base coat. A container will cover approximately 100 square feet. Use a standard roller tray and a nine inch base coat roller sleeve. Vertical surfaces and trim can be done with a standard 4-inch masonry brush. Lightly moisten the concrete, but do not allow water to puddle. The dampened substrate allows for a more uniform application and penetration of the coating. Wet the roller with base coat material and then thoroughly apply the material onto the concrete, working small 4 x 4 foot areas. Allow the base coat to dry 4-6 hours before applying the textured top coat, step three. Ensure that the treated surfaces remain dry from rain or sprinklers 24 hours after the process has started.
Mix the textured top coat. Using the special top coat roller and standard roller pan, apply the top coat in 4 x 4 foot sections with firm pressure for an even coat. Coverage is approximately 100 square feet. As the material dries, the stone like appearance becomes more pronounced. A second application of top coat, applied perpendicular to the first coat significantly enhances the stone effect. To enrich the surface coloration and improve clean-ability, a top coat protective sealer may be applied. Allow the surface to dry for 24 hours before opening to foot traffic and 5 days before car traffic.
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