Why Does The Garage Floor Become Damaged In The Cold Season?

Winter is here again. There is snow on the ground, the trees are suspiciously shiny with ice, and suddenly a crack is appearing in your garage floor. Oh, don’t worry, your garage isn’t the only one affected; this happens to many people once temperature starts to drop.

A Concrete Garage Floor Will Absorb Anything

Your concrete garage floor, like anything else made of concrete, is porous. This means that all manner of liquids can just soak right in. If you’ve changed oil without any type of garage floor covering, I’m sure you’ve noticed that any oil that hits your concrete will immediately turn in to a brown or black stain. This isn’t just your bad luck; all concrete garage floors do this. Uncovered garage flooring absorbs water, too. Normally this wouldn’t be a bad thing since water obviously does not stain. However, water does something a bit different in the winter…

A Frigid Saboteur

Water, of course, freezes. Most people know that things usually contract as they become colder, and while water is no exception, it also becomes solid. No, ice itself is not stronger than concrete, but tiny pieces of solid ice peppered within the concrete will add solidness where it’s not supposed to be. This will result in a concrete garage floor that exhibits unusual rigidity. This can be a very destructive thing as the concrete contracts, which is what it will do as it gets cold.

Moisture Is Incredibly Tenacious

Your first thought will be to always make sure the garage door is closed. That won’t always help, though. Humidity is also in the air, and will find ways to seep in to the garage floor, no matter how well sealed it is. There is no such things as a waterproof garage (is there?), so every garage floor can be compromised by moisture, no matter how protected they seem. Moisture will also get to the concrete from the ground, on the underneath and the sides, but that largely depends on the area you are in, how often it rains, and if water tends to stand against the garage, as well as the height of your area’s water table.

A Garage Floor Covering Could Have Prevented This Problem!

Garage floor coverings, such as mats and tiles, can help protect your concrete and keep it from cracking. Although there is really nothing you can do about the moisture that comes in from the sides and bottom of your concrete, that is really only a small portion of what you need to worry about. The majority comes from above. An epoxy garage floor coating will seal the top of your garage floor against moisture, keeping it out almost entirely. Even a garage floor covering such as a mat or tiles will help as they will absorb much of the moisture themselves.

Will A Garage Floor Covering Help If I Know Moisture Wasn’t To Blame?

You will still see benefits, yes. With the exception of the big fireball in the sky, which has little effect on a covered garage, the majority of your garage floor’s warmth is going to come from the ground. Using a covering or coating can help contain this warmth, which will make the garage floor stay warmer, and hopefully not crack.

Need more information before you choose your garage floor? Check out Sweet Garage Floor.