Over the years, your concrete garage floor may begin to fail. Spills, grease, pressure, and impact can all damage your concrete floor. A full garage floor replacement can be costly. Fortunately, repairing a concrete floor is an easy DIY project. With the right tools and process, repairing the concrete floor in a standard one-car garage only takes two hours.
Buying the Proper Materials
Using the right materials is key to successfully repairing a concrete garage floor by yourself. Different resurfacers often have different curing times. Thoroughly read the labels to see if your resurfacer requires additional priming.
Another key material to your project is the sealer used for crack repairs. Look for a professional-grade, epoxy-based product because it will be harder and stronger than regular concrete once cured. Epoxy-based sealers also provide additional waterproofing.
Prepare Your WorkSpace
Empty your garage to ensure you can reach every corner of the floor. If you only plan on repairing a small portion of the concrete floor, clean up that area and remove obstacles.
Start by cleaning your floor. Scrub the floor using the concrete cleaner to remove stains and grease. You can also DIY a cleaning solution by mixing up laundry detergent and water. After cleaning the individual spots, power wash with biodegradable detergent for a full garage clean-up.
Wait until the concrete is dry before you move forward with repairs.
Identify What Needs to be Repaired
Photo: Vittaya_25 / Adobe Stock
Now, you are ready to repair the smaller damages in your concrete garage floor. Find the small cracks and pits and mark them with a pencil. These pits should be 1/4 inch or deeper. Measure with a pencil and circle them.
Remove Loose Concrete
Using a chisel, remove loose concrete around larger cracks. Sweep up any debris and clean the edges with a steel brush. The cleaner your work surface is, the smoother it will look after patching. A clean surface also allows a stronger bond between existing concrete and the patching you’re about to do.
Patch Up
Use your epoxy-based filler to fill up smaller dents and cracks. Most fillers come in a tube-shaped applier and are easy to use. Make sure to flatten the surface after the cracks are filled.
For larger damages, mix up a sufficient batch of concrete resurfacer or your chosen patching material. We recommend using a power mixing tool for a higher consistency. Use minimum water to maintain a workable fluidity without making the mixture too thin or runny. Pour the mixture onto the damaged area and Scrape off any excess so the repair flushes with the surrounding floor.
Resurface, Prime, and Finish
Start by laying down a weather strip by the garage door to create a dam for the resurfacer. Next, mix up the concrete resurfacer and spread it with a squeegee. Since resurfacers harden quickly, you need someone to mix the resurfacer while you are applying it to the concrete. Once you’ve covered the entire floor, smoothen along the side walls by pulling the squeegee toward you.
Wait several hours for the finished slab to harden. If you notice any pits or bubbles, consider applying a second layer. If the weather is hot, mist the hardened surface so the resurfacer fully hardens properly.
Level Out Low Points
Photo: amankris99 / Adobe Stock
Test your finished slab with water to check for low points. In most cases, low slabs are neglectable. Therefore, if you see small puddles forming in the garage, don’t fret. However, if you see large amounts of water collecting, you should try to level out the surface.
Prepare the surface with a concrete leveler primer. Then, mix the leveler with water and cover the garage floor using a long-handled squeegee. Make sure you apply enough leveler to fulfill the necessary depression your garage floor requires.
Let gravity settle the leveler. Depending on the product, a smooth, solid surface can take as few as four hours to form. However, you should wait at least 24 hours before rolling a car back into the garage.
When you repair a garage floor, you should also consider any upgrades you’d like to do because you already have the garage emptied. For example, you can add additional flooring to insulate your garage or use a waterproof primer at the end for extra protection.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Repairing a concrete garage floor is a beginner’s task and can be done within half a day if you use fast-curing products. However, if the floor has major damage, such as structural damage caused by the ground sinking and settling, you should hire a flooring contractor.
A complete replacement of your concrete garage floor costs$2,000 on average, or $2 to $7 per square foot. Additional costs will be incurred when structural testing, mold remediation, and other add-on services are required.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use epoxy-based concrete fillers to repair small cracks and dents in the floor. For larger damages, remove any debris, then patch the cracks or holes with concrete repair products or resurface the entire floor. We recommend using fast-curing products that cure in four hours. You can also buy a pre-mixed concrete patch and leveler if you are only repairing parts of your floor.
Mix the resurfacer into a sticky mixture. The consistency should look like mashed potatoes. Use a squeegee to push the resurfacer across the pitted area and smoothen the surface with a cement trowel flush. Make sure you protect any expansion joints with a weather strip. Alternatively, cut out any resurfacer that touched the joint once the mixture begins to harden.
Self-leveling concrete is the best option for your garage floor since it guarantees an even surface in the end. However, most garage floors weren’t made with self-leveling concrete. You don’t need to fully replace the garage floor to use self-leveling concrete. A quarter-to-half-inch of self-leveling concrete on top of your existing floor will be sufficient for a smooth and even finish.
You have different options depending on the scale of repair needed. If you are repairing minor cracks that are between ¼ inch to 1.5 inch wide and less than half an inch deep, a self-leveling polyurethane sealant would be your best choice. Polyurethane sealants dry to the touch within one to two hours. Since they come in a tube applier, you also have the option to complete the repair without emptying out your garage.
Xiao is a full-time writer giving advice and tips on improving living spaces so it functions as a peaceful sanctuary and an efficient factory. She is visual artist with substantial woodshop experience and isn’t afraid to pick up a circular saw. She is also a volunteer builder for Kansas City’s Habitat of Humanity.
Xiao is a full-time writer giving advice and tips on improving living spaces so it functions as a peaceful sanctuary and an efficient factory. She is visual artist with substantial woodshop experience and isn’t afraid to pick up a circular saw. She is also a volunteer builder for Kansas City’s Habitat of Humanity.
The homeowners guide to Garage and Shed Building
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
