Does your garage floor have protection? Floor coating is always a more cost-effective and durable option than floor repair or replacement.

However, if you don’t have an effective coating to protect your garage floor, your flooring will scratch, crack, and corrode more quickly.

We’re going to talk about two basic options for garage flooring: polyurea floor vs. polished concrete. Read on as we walk you through the benefits, uses, and differences of each option below.

What Is Polyurea Flooring?

Polyurea is a durable material that is commonly used to coat garage floors. When polyurea is applied to garage floors, the coating binds to the concrete, creating a sturdy barrier.

The Benefits of Using Polyurea

Polyurea is one of the best options for coating garage floors because of its many damage-fighting benefits.

Some of these benefits include:

  • Durable
  • Long-lasting
  • Scratch-resistant
  • UV resistant
  • Moisture resistant
  • Quick installation

This coating shines for its weather resistance, especially from UV exposure. As time goes on, other garage floor coatings will yellow and fade from the sun’s rays. Polyurea, on the hand, stays consistent and durable with no negative effects from UV rays.

Another common garage flooring problem is the absorption or upward pressure of moisture. Concrete is porous, so any moisture in the area will seep into your floor and slowly break down your foundation. With a polyurea coating, your floor stays more moisture-resistant, preventing costly long-term damage.

If you decide to use a polyurea coating, the coating’s installation and curing time will be much faster than other coating options. From installation to everyday protection, polyurea is low maintenance and reliable at every stage of the coating process.

What Is Polished Concrete?

Polished concrete is a common preparation method known for its durability and high-gloss finish, oftentimes finished with a final clear coating referred to as a “topcoat.”

Unlike polyurea, the coating is applied by several steps of grinding and then polishing the concrete’s surface. The grinding scratches and scuffs the concrete surface, then followed by a polishing step.  The polishing process is really just grinding with increasingly finer grits, which eventually leave the surface looking glossy and polished.

The Benefits of Polished Concrete

Polished concrete has different benefits compared to polyurea coating, so the ideal coating for your garage floor will depend on your goal and priorities. Polished concrete is well-suited for areas that want a high gloss finish while still keeping the rustic look of concrete.  However many polished floors will not provide a wide area of slip-resistant flooring.

Benefits of polished concrete include:

  • Low cost
  • Easy to clean
  • Wide availability
  • Sustainable
  • Moisture-resistant

You can often see polished concrete in industrial and commercial spaces due to its cost-effective installation for large areas.  Due to the large amount of labor needed to polish concrete, this is generally a very expensive option for smaller spaces or residential areas.

Although polished concrete provides some moisture protection, it does wear down with frequent splashes or acidic substances. Polished concrete requires maintenance like regular cleaning and repolishing, which makes it a better option for businesses than for residential areas.

Polyurea Floor vs. Polished Concrete

By comparing polyurea floor vs. polished concrete, you can see that each floor coating option has its own strengths and weaknesses. However, polyurea is the most effective coating solution for most garage floors. Garage floors need a durable coating to handle sun exposure, heavy machinery, and regular wear and tear.

Ready to coat your garage floor? At Garage Force, we offer a full range of products and services to provide concrete coating solutions in the Trumbull area.