Why Does My Garage Floor Grow Lines During The Winter?

It's winter time again. There's snow all over the place, icicles in the trees, and the garage floor is beginning to crack. It's not just your garage, either; concrete of all types begin to show lines and crack when the freezing temperatures hit.

Your Concrete Garage Floor Will Happily Absorb Any Liquid

Your concrete garage floor acts like a very, very slow sponge. Any liquid that comes in contact with it will be soaked up, albeit slowly. Those of us who have changed their own oil know this as the smallest bit of motor oil will create a tiny, but permanent stain. All concrete garage floors are the same, so you're not alone here, either. Any garage flooring that has no cover will absorb water as well. Water doesn't sound very threatening, I know, as it would be a clear stain, right? Unfortunately, when the temperature gets low enough, water does something that many other chemicals don't do...

Water Is A Frigid Concrete Assassin

In most parts of the world, it will get cold enough for water to freeze at some point in the year. Materials contract when they get cold, but water becomes solid. Although ice is no match for concrete when it comes to durability, tiny bits of solidified water added to your concrete will definitely create an unwanted solidity. As the concrete begins to contract, this solidity can become quite destructive.

Moisture Is Very 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 Can Prevent This!

Garage floor coverings, such as tiles, mats, and the like, definitely help protect your concrete, and can play a large part in the fight against cracks and lines. You can't do much about any of the moisture that comes from the earth itself but, honestly, that's normally a very small part of the equation. The majority of the moisture will be from the air itself. The only time ground moisture really comes into effect is when you're considering an epoxy garage floor coating as they can easily be damaged by pretty much any moisture coming from underneath, even though it is the best solution against water from above. Using a garage floor covering instead can be helpful since they will be there to absorb any moisture that they don't deflect.

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

It definitely will, yes. Besides the obvious effects of the sun, which doesn't account for much in a garage, the garage floor's main warmth source will come from underneath. With a coating or covering, this warmth can be kept down in the concrete, and keeping the garage floor a bit warmer will mean less contracting, and generally less cracking.

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