If you're fixing up your garage so you can use it for a home gym or other purposes besides parking your car, you may be wondering what to do about the floor. If your current floor is pitted, stained, and cracked, it may look too unattractive to keep in its current form.

A solution to consider is having a concrete contractor add an overlay to the garage floor and then finishing the floor with a decorative option. Here are some steps involved.

The Old Floor Needs To Be Repaired

A concrete overlay is fairly thin, so it's best to repair damaged areas rather than cover them with a thin layer of concrete. This means filling in holes and cracks. Stains should be removed if possible, including things like oil stains and paint.

After the repairs are done, the floor should be swept or blown clean and then power washed. A clean floor allows the overlay to bond better, so proper preparation of the old floor is an important step.

Cement Is Poured On The Garage Floor

The concrete contractor might make the cement mix by hand or use ready-made mix depending on the size of your garage. Either way, the mix is poured onto the floor and spread around with a long squeegee. The contractor controls the thickness of the cement so it doesn't dry too thick or too thin. Plus, the concrete needs to be level and free from imperfections once it's dry.

The contractor has to work carefully, but they also have to work fast if you'll have designs stamped in the wet mixture. Concrete takes a long time to cure, but it gets stiff quickly. The workers have to spread the concrete and start stamping it before the concrete gets too hard.

Decorative Details Are Added

Unless you just want fresh and clean plain concrete, the contractor will add the decorative details once the floor is ready. If you want stamped designs, you could make the floor look like it's covered in wood plank flooring complete with the appropriate color and texture.

However, you might want a stained and polished floor for a unique, attractive appearance. Staining gives your floor color and flair. Polishing adds sheen. You have a lot of choices when you're adding decorative concrete to your floor, so be sure to talk to your concrete contractor about all of your options.

A decorative concrete floor will transform the appearance of your garage, and since concrete is so durable, you can still park your car in your garage if you get tired of having a home gym.