Follow the installer's instructions first
Every coating system has its own care instructions, and the installer's written instructions and the product data sheets come first. What follows is general advice that applies to most coated floors.
The first days
Coatings keep curing after they feel dry. Follow the specialist's guidance on when to walk on the floor, when to put furniture or storage back, and when to drive on it. Avoid washing the floor or exposing it to chemicals until the installer says it's fully cured.
Routine cleaning
- Dust mop or sweep often. Grit is the main enemy of a coating's shine: it acts like sandpaper under shoes and tires. A soft dust mop or a broom handles most of it.
- Wash with a mild cleaner. Warm water and a pH-neutral cleaner, applied with a soft mop or a soft-bristle deck brush on textured floors, is usually all a coated floor needs.
- Rinse. Cleaner residue can leave a film that attracts dirt and dulls the surface. Rinse with clean water and let the floor dry.
Cleaners and chemicals to avoid
- Harsh acids. Acid-based cleaners and etching products can dull or damage coatings.
- Citrus degreasers and strong solvents. Some citrus-based cleaners and solvents soften or dull coatings. Check the product data sheet before using any degreaser.
- Soap-based or oily cleaners. These can leave a slippery film, especially on smooth finishes.
- Abrasive pads. Aggressive scrubbing pads can scratch a clear topcoat.
Spills
Wipe up oil, brake fluid, coolant, gasoline and chemical spills promptly. Most cured coatings resist them, but resistance isn't the same as immunity, and some fluids stain if left for days. Keep absorbent material handy in a garage or shop.
Protecting the surface
- Under tires and stands. Put pads under motorcycle kickstands, jack stands and heavy equipment to spread the load.
- Under furniture. Use felt or rubber pads on chair and table legs in basements and living spaces.
- At the door. A walk-off mat at the entry catches grit and, in winter, road salt and brine before they spread across the floor. Rinse salt residue off a garage floor regularly during the winter.
- Rolling loads. In shops and warehouses, keep wheels clean and repair damaged casters, which can gouge.
Winter salt and brine
In cold-climate cities, tires carry de-icing salt and brine into the garage. Left to sit, salt residue can dull a coating and leave a film. Rinse or mop it off regularly through the season, and let the floor dry.
Garages that double as workshops
Welding spatter, grinding sparks, dropped tools and solvent spills are harder on a coating than cars are. If you weld or grind in the garage, put down a welding blanket or a sheet of steel where you work, keep solvent containers on a tray, and use a rolling mat or plywood under heavy tool chests and engine stands. Small burns, chips and stains are usually repairable when they're caught early. Ask the installer how a damaged spot can be patched, and keep a little of the original flake or color on hand.
Inspect, then recoat
Clear topcoats wear first in the places that see the most traffic: where tires turn, in front of a workbench, along forklift lanes. When the topcoat looks dull or worn but the color layer underneath is intact, many systems can be refreshed by lightly abrading the surface and applying a new topcoat. Ask the installer what their system needs and when, and keep the product names on file so a future recoat uses compatible materials. If the coating is peeling or lifting, that's a different problem, usually adhesion or moisture, and it needs a diagnosis, not a new topcoat.
Questions to ask your installer
- When can we walk, drive and wash?
- Which cleaners do you recommend, and which should we avoid?
- What does the warranty require us to do, or not do?
- When should we expect to recoat, and with what?