How to give your garage a fancy-floor facelift

Buyers love storage. When they walk through a property, they’re always checking the cupboard spaces in the kitchen and bathrooms, and the bedroom closets.

“Stowing stuff” is a consistent theme with today’s buyers.

Sellers who fail to realize this often pay a penalty of failing to secure offers for their property. 

One great way to ease buyer concerns is to declutter the home so your storage areas are either unused or only half-full. This leaves an impression of sufficiency.

An opened cupboard that spills its content is a red flag for many folks, 

One of the most under-rated but influential storage areas is the garage. 

It’s not just a place to put your car. An organized garage can add thousands of dollars to the value of your property. 

Some sellers go the extra mile ahead of their sales campaign and give it a facelift. 

One popular strategy is to apply epoxy to the garage floor to give it the look of polished concrete.

And being incredibly durable, epoxy floors resistant oil stains and are easy to clean.

Giving your garage floor an epoxy finish is within the capabilities of most DIYers. Here’s how you do it:

  • The Right Tools: You’ll need a good broom, bucket, paint roller to apply the epoxy and a good-quality squeegee, plus a measuring cup. 
  • Key materials: Epoxy solution that should be a water-based kit, an anti-slip additive and a degreaser.
  • Always Be Safe: You’re dealing with a serious chemical compound so always wear safety gear, including glasses, gloves and a mask. 
  • Preparation Is Key: Clean out the garage. Nothing can be left on the floor. And sweep away all the dust and grime. Be aware this process is going to take a couple of days so the epoxy can cure and dry. Zap any oil stains with a degreaser.
  • Just Add Water: Hose the garage floor as part of the cleaning process and wait for it to dry. If any stains remain, you’ll need a thick-bristle brush and elbow grease to erase them. A high-pressure hose can be hired from a hardware store.
  • A Sticky Step: With your floor completely dry, you can apply the first step towards creating an epoxy floor. With a pump sprayer or watering can, apply an etching solution that effectively primes the floor for the epoxy solution. It will fizz as it’s applied. Work in sections and make sure you achieve total coverage.
  • Have A Rest: Most kits suggest waiting 72 hours before taking the next step to ensure the etching solution cures. Your instructions will tell you how to test the floor to ensure it is dry and ready for the epoxy.
  • Applying The Epoxy: You need to move quickly once you’ve mixed the epoxy and added the non-slip solution. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Epoxy dries quickly and can become unworkable after 60 minutes. 
  • Extra Help: Work in 3ftx3ft sections and use a paint brush to cut-in when you are near doors and walls. It really helps if one person cuts-in and the other uses the paint roller to apply the epoxy to the rest of the floor.
  • Touch of Style: If you have decorative flakes to give your garage floor a special finish, you’ll scatter them on each section once you have applied the epoxy. Allow a minimum 24 hours for the epoxy to dry.