Epoxy flooring offers several benefits. It’s beautiful, easy to clean, and also durable. But, if you have installed epoxy flooring in areas like your garage, the bad news is that it is susceptible to tire marks!
Removing tire marks from epoxy floors can get tiring, so there are some ways to prevent them altogether.
- Heating up of tires or dirt can cause tire marks on the epoxy floor.
- You can prevent tire marks on epoxy flooring by using rubber mats or cleaning it regularly.
- Parking your vehicle at different locations or cleaning up your tires can also help.
- If you have time, allow the tires to cool down before driving on the epoxy floor.
I have discussed some of the best ways to prevent tire marks on epoxy floors in this guide.
What Causes Tire Marks on Epoxy Floors?
Epoxy floors are quite durable, then what goes wrong when they come in contact with tire marks? Well, let’s discuss the cause in short.
Initially, tires consisted of only natural rubber. However, as time went by, most companies started using synthetic rubber.
When the car is running, this synthetic rubber heats up, causing the temperature of the tires to reach more than 100 degrees sometimes.
Now, when the hot tires come in contact with cooler surfaces, like your epoxy flooring, they may cause the top coat to soften. The damaged top coat further gets stuck in the tires.
Hence, you’ll end up with tire marks on your epoxy flooring!
How To Prevent Tire Marks on Epoxy Floor?
You might think that preventing tire marks on epoxy flooring is unavoidable. After all, how are you supposed to cool down tires? Well, some ways can come to your rescue!
Let’s take a look at them:
1. Use High-Quality Epoxy Floors
Low-quality epoxy floors are the main culprit, as they don’t have a solid top coat. Therefore, they’re susceptible to getting damaged due to the tires and developing marks on them.
So, if you haven’t yet installed your epoxy flooring, only go for the best ones. There are several options: epoxy floor coating (solvent-based epoxy, water-based epoxy, and solids-based epoxy), epoxy chip floors, ad epoxy slurry floors.
I don’t recommend water-based epoxy, as it is pretty weak and can get damaged easily. But you can opt for epoxy chip floors for better durability and reduced issues of tire marks.
2. Opt for Rubber Mats or Tire Mats
What if you have installed cheap epoxy flooring? Well, you need to invest in good rubber mats or tire mats.
Rubber mats or tire mats cannot directly help in preventing tire marks on epoxy flooring. However, they can catch any debris or dust surrounding the area. This way, your vehicle’s tires won’t get very dirty and reduce the chances of damage.
Remember that more dirt and debris in your tires leads to more friction and heating up tires!
Place them strategically to make the most of your rubber or tire mats. For instance, keep them near the doors, windows, or any openings from where dirt and debris could come in.
3. Let Your Car Sit Outside for 10 Minutes
Before you drive your car on the epoxy flooring, allow it to sit and cool down for at least ten to fifteen minutes. This solution can work for a short time only.
Note that I’d not recommend this option, as you’ll have to wait every time you take out your car or any other vehicle. Moreover, you might even forget to wait if you’re in a hurry.
4. Clean Your Epoxy Flooring Regularly
There are two main reasons why cleaning your epoxy flooring regularly can reduce the chances of tire marks.
By cleaning the floor, you’ll be removing a lot of dust and debris. Hence, your tires are less likely to pick up the dirt and get hotter. Second, the top coat might not come off easily if you clean and maintain your flooring daily.
I suggest sweeping or vacuuming the epoxy flooring daily to eliminate the dirt. However, when it comes to wet mopping, you should do it at least twice a week.
It would be best if you also considered scrubbing your epoxy flooring once a week. However, always use soft brushes or pads for scrubbing instead of hard-bristled brushes! The latter can ruin the top coat more than protect it.
5. Strategically Park Your Cars
Parking your car at the same location on your epoxy flooring might cause tire marks. It is because the tires might cause pressure on the flooring daily.
Hence, this is a very straightforward solution. All you need to do is park your car at different locations. Moreover, you don’t have to do it daily, but instead, after every few days.
6. Keep a Weather Check
If you live in an area with snowfall and rain, you should always keep a weather check. Snowfall and rain may cause the tires to get dirty and pick up on the dust.
The dirty tires might heat up when you drive your car on epoxy flooring. As I mentioned above, overheated tires might lead to the epoxy flooring’s top coat coming off.
Another problem with wet and dirty tires is that they can cause marks on your epoxy flooring even without heating. If you don’t clean the marks immediately, trust me, you’ll have to spend a lot of time later to remove them.
The best solution is to avoid using your car or vehicle during extremely snowy or rainy weather unless there is an emergency. If that is not possible (due to work or duty calls!), allow your tires to get a bit dry before you drive on the epoxy flooring.
7. Clean Up Your Tires
Most of us love cleaning our cars. However, we often forget to clean our tires thoroughly. This might cause the dirt to build up. Thus, leading to higher chances of tire marks.
Therefore, I recommend cleaning your tires once every two or three weeks. If you have more time, do it weekly!
Now, let’s check out one of my favorite methods to clean tires.
- Use a spray nozzle or pressure washer (lowest setting) to eliminate the exterior dirt on the tires.
- Next, take a soft-bristled brush and scrub the tires thoroughly, using warm water and soap.
- Repeat the process till all the dirt comes off.
- Use a microfiber cloth to dry the surface.
Once you’re done cleaning, apply wax for added protection and shine!
Can You Remove Tire Marks From the Epoxy Floor?
Keep in mind that you cannot remove all kinds of tire marks. For instance, if the tire marks are due to the top coat of your epoxy flooring coming off, you’ll have to redo the flooring.
On the other hand, if the tire marks are due to dirt or moisture, then there is a quick DIY way to remove them.
- First, add two to three tablespoons of detergent soap in one-gallon warm water.
- Then, apply some solution to the tire marks using a sponge.
- Allow the solution to sit for three to four minutes.
- Next, scrub the tire marks using a sponge.
- Finally, use a wet mop to clean the solution left on the tire marks.
You can repeat the above process till you get the desired results.
Takeaway
There are some ways to prevent tire marks on epoxy flooring. Most include keeping your tires clean and eliminating as much dust as possible.
However, there are still several chances that might cause tire marks. If they’re caused due to dirt-related reasons, you can easily remove them!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Not Use on an Epoxy Floor?
You shouldn’t use aggressive-cleaning products like steel wool and harsh chemicals to clean your epoxy floor. It would be best if you also avoided citrus-based or vinegar-based solutions.
How Many Years Will the Epoxy Floor Last?
Epoxy flooring can last ten or fifteen years if you clean and maintain it properly. However, for high-traffic areas, its lifespan can reduce to five years.
