Hi Jason. The best product to apply would be a concrete densifier. Traditional concrete sealers work by repelling moisture and protecting the concrete from the surface. However, they don’t do anything to reduce or prevent moisture vapor transmission from moisture in the soil beneath the slab. This MVT, if it exists in your garage, is what causes mats, boxes, and any other flat object that sits on concrete for a while to collect moisture underneath.

A densifier technically is not a sealer. It works by reacting with minerals and free lime in the concrete to produce additional Calcium Silicate Hydrate. It’s the same substance in concrete that makes it hard as it cures. This additional CSH helps to fill the uppermost pores and capillaries in the concrete. As a result, the concrete becomes harder and denser. A byproduct of densifiers is that they also help to block or reduce moisture vapor transmission from below the surface since it fills the pores and capillaries. A great product we can recommend is PS103 by Concrete Sealers USA. You can find it here.

Hi Judy. Removing rust can be tough. You need to use products that do not contain acids. We recommend trying Evapo-Rust by CRC. It’s water-based and non-corrosive.

Hi Peter. To answer your original question, the GaraDry 2″ will work fine for the seal at the bottom of the garage door to rest on, thus filling the gap. And yes, the G-Floor will work well when properly glued down to the wood. However, my concern with the floor being 2″ lower and extended 3″ out past the garage door is; what will prevent the floor from collecting rain like a pond? That is why I wanted to clarify what you were explaining.

As far as concrete goes, it is inherently brittle and does not like to flex at all, but is extremely strong under pressure/compression. That is why it is typically reinforced with rebar, thick wire mesh, etc., which would be difficult to do with only 2″ to work with. 2″ isn’t enough for a post tension slab either if I’m correct. Though the wood floor is reinforced to handle the weight of the slab and vehicles, it will still minutely flex when pulling vehicles in and out. Thus, the cracking with low to no reinforcement.

There are Engineered Cementitious Composites made with polymer fibers that are designed to flex more than standard concrete, but it’s extremely expensive and may be hard to find for a such a relatively small pour. I’m guessing that is what you have learned.

Thanks for the reply and questions. I think I was probably not clear enough in my details. Right now I have a garage built over a living area, a bedroom to be precise. The garage floor has been engineered to withstand the potential slab as well as vehicles, so structural is no issue. Presently the garage floor is treated plywood, can’t remember the thickness, but it is heavy duty for the required structural aspects. The entire garage area sits at the same level, no step down. The 2″ is the space allocated for a slab and that will bring the entire floor up to the garage door required level. The concern is obviously the viability of a 2″ slab. Some say it can be done with the right prep and mixes, but the cost will be expensive. I have been researching other options to raise the entire floor 2″ without having to go the slab route if possible. Last night when I came across the G-Floor products I thought it might be a good option to install directly over the wood subfloor, keeping in mind that I do need to waterproof the subflooor so no moisture can get into the flooring system or living area below. With all of this in mind the G-Floor product is quite thin in comparison to the 2″ I need to raise in order for the garage door to come down and sit right. However in the meantime I have placed some treated wood where the garage door closes, 2″ in height precisely, and the garage door presently sits fine, no issues. I thought that I could possibly use the G-Floor on the entire floor, and then at the garage door contact point just install one of those GaraDry 2″ stops and it will be just like the 2″ buildup I presently have there now so the door shuts correctly.

The garage floor does extend beyond the garage door at the same height as the rest of the garage floor, maybe by about 3″. I need to make sure that all the floor, including the few inches on the outside is 100% weatherproof. As for the driveway apron, it has yet to be poured and will be done after I come up with a viable solution for the garage floor. In any case the exterior apron will be poured to meet the height of the finished garage floor.

I hope this helps. If you need more info I can send pics or whatever you feel necessary. I really appreciate your time!

Regards,
Peter