• Home
  • Epoxy / Coatings
  • Mats
  • Paint
  • Tiles
  • Sealers
  • Cleaning
  • Repair
  • Concrete Prep
  • Reviews
  • Accessories
  • Gallery

All Garage Floors

Garage flooring options, ideas, and tips

  • Contraction Joints
  • Low Spots
  • Pitting and Spalling
  • Concrete Dusting

Why Your Garage Floor is Dusting and How to Stop it

Updated 23 September, 2020 By Shea 94 Comments

To our Reader’s: This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, All Garage Floors earns from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here.

Dusting concrete garage floor

Do you sweep or clean the concrete of your garage floor only to have it feeling gritty and dusty the next day? Even after washing it down, can you can run your fingers over the concrete once it is dry and get a white, dusty film on your fingertips? If so, you may have a problem with concrete dusting.

The good news is that dusting of a garage floor can be reduced in many cases and sometimes stopped completely depending on the severity and the solutions that are applied.

What is concrete dusting and what causes it?

Dusting is the white chalking and/or powdering of concrete at the surface. It is primarily caused by the slow disintegration of a weak top layer of concrete. Foot traffic, cars, and even cleaning can enhance the problem.

There are many reasons for this weakened layer of concrete. It can range from poor mixing at the concrete plant, excess clay or silt in the concrete mix, old age of the concrete, or even insufficient curing.

Medium to heavy dusting of concrete garage floor
Severe dusting of concrete

The most common reason, however, is excess bleed water at the surface. If there is too much water in the concrete mix, this water will rise to the surface during the finishing process (troweling). This bleed water can carry finer particles and cement to the surface, forming a weak layer of concrete at the upper most top of the slab.

This surface laitance is actually a porous layer of softer concrete that slowly breaks down, thus creating the white powdery surface. In some cases, the surface can be so soft that it can easily be gouged with a sharp screwdriver or nail.

In addition, this same condition can be caused when water is added to the surface during the finishing process. This is commonly done by less experienced and DIY concrete finishers in a last-ditch effort to create a smooth troweled surface.

Unfortunately, sweeping and even pressure washing of the concrete never seems to get it completely clean since the surface is in a constant state of disintegration.

If left untreated, this fine concrete dust can become extremely annoying as it finds its way onto the surface of cars, work benches, laundry machines, and anything else kept in the garage. It can also be tracked into the house on the bottom of your shoes.

How to stop a dusting garage floor

There are a few solutions for stopping or reducing dusting of your garage floor. However, how effective they are is dependent upon the severity of the dusting to begin with.

For light dusting, the easiest solution in many cases is to apply a quality densifier. Typically used for warehouse floors and polishing concrete, they have other uses as well, including the reduction of concrete dusting.

Densifiers are non-film forming and do not change the look of concrete. They work by penetrating into the upper layers of the concrete surface to create a chemical reaction with the minerals. This reaction forms a hard substance called calcium silicate hydrate (CHS) which fills many of the open pores and capillaries at the concrete surface.

The resulting reaction is reported by various manufacturers to increase the surface strength of concrete by 20% – 40%, depending on the initial condition of the concrete to begin with – and that is the odd paradox of a densifier.

The best way to explain it is like this. Densifiers tend to be most effective the better a concrete surface is and less effective the worse a concrete surface is. As a result, the worse the concrete dusting, the less effective a densifier will be. That is why they work best at reducing or stopping light dusting only.

penetrating sealer on garage floor
Garage floor with a densifier sealer

Lithium based densifiers are the easiest to apply and typically the most effective. They are relatively inexpensive and all that is required is to clean the concrete before application.

One product that we highly recommend is PS104 by Concrete Sealers USA. It’s a lithium densifier with a siliconate sealer added.

best-garage-floor-densifier-sealer-ps104

Not only will it densify your garage floor to reduce or stop dusting, the added siliconate sealer will also seal the surface to protect it from water and salt damage as well.

You can check the latest price of PS104 here.

Check Price of PS104 – 1 Gallon

Check Price of PS104 – 5 Gallon

We also have an article that explains in more detail how a densifier with siliconate sealer works.

Another option for light to moderate dusting would be the application of an acrylic topical sealer.

Acrylic sealers are film forming and create a protective coating on top of the surface. This thin coating layer acts as a barrier over the concrete thus sealing in and stopping the dusting.

acrylic-garage-floor-sealer
Acrylic garage floor sealer

If the garage will encounter vehicle traffic, then our recommendation would be an MMA acrylic sealer.

This type of acrylic sealer is the most durable and will not suffer from hot tire pickup and will resist staining and chemicals much better than water-based and standard solvent-based acrylic sealers.

An epoxy floor coating or similar is another option to stop dusting of a garage floor. However, grinding of the concrete surface would be the required concrete prep when dusting is an issue.

Garage floor epoxy stops dusting
Garage floor epoxy

The reason is that grinding will remove the excess laitance and thin layer of soft concrete at the surface. Acid etching will not.

If epoxy or a similar coating is applied to dusting concrete that was prepped only with acid etching, the epoxy will peel up at a later date, exposing a thin layer of concrete dust on the bottom of the epoxy.

Stopping moderate to severe concrete dusting

If the surface of your concrete is soft enough to easily gouge with a screwdriver or your dusting is more severe, then aggressive grinding, shot blasting, or scarification of the concrete surface is going to be required.

This type of aggressive mechanical process effectively removes the soft upper layers of concrete to expose the harder surface underneath. It also leaves the concrete with a very rough finish.

This leaves you with a couple of options. The first is to coat over the rougher finish with a thick, multi-layer commercial epoxy coating system.

The second option is to smooth out the surface of the concrete with less aggressive grinding stones. After that, you can then properly seal the concrete.

Final thoughts

Though concrete dusting can be a real nuisance in your garage, it doesn’t mean that you can’t tackle the issue with a little bit of DIY effort on your part.

Unless the dusting is moderate to severe, an application of a quality densifier, an acrylic sealer, or a garage floor coating system will usually get the job done.

If the dusting is severe or the concrete is so soft that it can be gouged fairly easily, then we recommend contacting a garage floor coating company or concrete grinding contractor to discuss your options.

Lastly, do not rely on a home improvement center to help solve your problem. They typically are not well educated on such topics and most do not carry the proper products to use.

Instead, we recommend contacting a quality vendor who specializes in concrete floor coating and sealing products to ask questions. Their knowledge and experience can help you to successfully stop concrete dusting of your garage floor.

Cleaning and Repair Concrete Densifiers Garage Floor Sealers Penetrating Sealers


94 comments

  1. Rena says

    14 September, 2020 at 6:14 AM

    We had a concrete patio poured over 2 months ago. We have a lot of dusting that we keep tracking into our home. It also cracked in 2 places. How do we deal with the dust?

    Reply
    • Shea says

      14 September, 2020 at 10:28 AM

      Hi Rena. It sounds like your concrete contractor used too much water on the surface to finish the patio. The best way to stop the dust is to apply a solvent-based acrylic sealer. We highly recommend this product here. Before you apply an acrylic sealer, you will want to remove as much of the dusting surface as possible without having to grind. We recommend acid etching the surface and make sure to neutralize it properly. After it has been neutralized and rinsed, a pressure washer will help to remove the remaining dust. After it has thoroughly dried, you can then apply the acrylic sealer. Two coats should do it.

      Reply
      • Rena says

        14 September, 2020 at 10:36 AM

        Will the PS104 do the job?

        Reply
        • Shea says

          14 September, 2020 at 10:54 AM

          Yes, that will work as well. The PS104 is a densifier that has an additional siliconate sealer added. The densifier is what helps with the dusting and not so much the additional sealer. The PS103 is a densifier only. It has slightly more solids for densifying, but so much more that it will make that much of a difference.

          Reply
          • Rena says

            14 September, 2020 at 3:10 PM

            Thank you so very much!

    • Jim says

      12 April, 2021 at 7:34 PM

      Our 1 yr old concrete, covered patio still has sanding, so we’ll try a densifier. But the color of the concrete is beige/ orange. Can we paint or stain it first, gray, then apply a densifier?

      Reply
      • Shea says

        12 April, 2021 at 8:55 PM

        Hi Jim. Densifiers and other penetrating sealers can’t be applied to paint. The paint prevents them from penetrating into the concrete. True stains permanently stain the concrete and do not form a film on the surface like paint does. As a result, a densifier or penetrating sealer can be used. Keep in mind that penetrating sealers applied to stained concrete will not darken the stain and make it glossy. It will look just as it did before the densifier was applied.

        Reply
  2. Betty Carter says

    23 September, 2020 at 2:21 PM

    Should the concrete company be responsible for the concrete dusting?

    Reply
    • Shea says

      23 September, 2020 at 2:41 PM

      Hi Betty. In most cases for new concrete, the contractor is the one responsible. However, some exceptions can be written into the contract for things that cannot be controlled by the contractor such as unexpected weather (rain storm for example).

      Reply
  3. Angela Martin says

    8 December, 2020 at 1:04 AM

    Hi we have had severe concrete dusting from the first week our driveway was poured. The concrete company and supplier have told us it is our fault because we started hosing it down throughout the day from 48 hours after pouring for 7 days as we thought this would give it strength. We are pretty sure it is not from this and more from the bleeding of the concrete when finishing. Love to hear your feedback.

    Reply
    • Shea says

      8 December, 2020 at 10:11 AM

      Hi Angela. The method you used is very common and would not cause your slab to dust. There is abundant information available about wet curing concrete. The dusting you are experiencing would be caused from one or more of the reasons we describe above.

      Reply
  4. Jeff Soetmelk says

    16 December, 2020 at 1:03 PM

    My new garage floor is only a few days old and is dusting. How long do I need to wait before applying anything to stop the dusting?

    Reply
    • Shea says

      16 December, 2020 at 1:52 PM

      Hello Jeff. Concrete should not be dusting after only 3 days. It is still going through the initial curing process. We recommend that you contact the concrete contractor you used to discuss what is going on with your slab.

      Reply
  5. Jared Taylor says

    19 January, 2021 at 10:36 AM

    We just had waterproofing done to our garage/basement floor. The contractor removed the concrete around the perimeter and put in a drain system and then poured new concrete. The new concrete is very rough and not smooth like the rest of the slab. The entire garage is covered with fine dust now that tracks in the house. I have vacuumed with a shop vac but this has not helped. What would you recommend? Should we do something to smooth out the new concrete with the existing concrete?

    Reply
    • Shea says

      19 January, 2021 at 12:55 PM

      Hi Jared. From your description, the new perimeter concrete may have a thin layer of heavy laitance or weak concrete that is causing the dusting issue. Does the main slab dust at all and what kind of shape is it in? Has it been treated with any type of sealer?

      Reply
      • Jared Taylor says

        19 January, 2021 at 1:03 PM

        The main slab doesn’t dust. I am not sure if it has been treated with a sealer. We just bought the house in December. I looked up “laitance” that you mentioned in your reply and the newly poured concrete looks like some of the pictures that came up on Google Images. The main slab is in fairly good condition. It is smooth and has some stains here or there but overall looks good.

        Reply
        • Shea says

          19 January, 2021 at 11:04 PM

          OK, that helps. We would recommend that you lightly grind the surface of the new concrete to remove the excess laitance. Afterwards, treat it with a densifier sealer like what we recommend in the article. Doing this should heavily reduce if not eliminate the dusting. You can even treat the main slab at the same time if you like.

          Reply
          • Jared Taylor says

            21 January, 2021 at 2:27 PM

            Thanks for your advice! This article was very helpful.

  6. Ally says

    8 March, 2021 at 2:08 PM

    We have a concrete floor in the backroom of our workplace. Most of the floor is in much better shape and not dusting except for the corner where i work and paint signs. It’s roughly a 9’x12′ area where we sit at two rolling office chairs and paint at utility tables. Everything in our space gets thoroughly covered in a light dust within a few hours. The floor is lumpy, cracked, dusty and covered in various splatters of paint and spray adhesives. It doesn’t break away too easily but i can make holes in it with a screwdriver. I want to propose to my boss a cost effective way of managing the dust in this corner without taking away too much time from making signs for the store. I am also considering the possibility of getting a rubber garage mat

    Reply
    • Shea says

      9 March, 2021 at 1:29 PM

      Hi Alley. A polyvinyl (not rubber) garage floor mat would be the quickest and easiest solution. It would just cover it all up and keep the dust down. The other solution that would be cheaper would be to apply a couple thin coats (not thick!) of a clear water-based acrylic sealer. This is an example from Home Depot. However, it will require that you clean the concrete well and allow it to dry for 24 hours before application. It’s not going to fix lumpy spots, but it will prevent the floor from dusting.

      Reply
  7. Jason says

    13 March, 2021 at 9:12 AM

    I used a diamond grinder to prepare my floor with epoxy and cleaned it numerous times. Will there still be little traces of dust on concrete and will it be ok to epoxy?

    Reply
    • Shea says

      13 March, 2021 at 9:18 AM

      Hi Jason. Yes, some trace of concrete dust is normal. Sometimes wiping the surface down with denatured alcohol on a microfiber mop pad will remove the remaining dust. If you used water for cleaning, make sure the concrete dries a minimum of 24 hours if not longer before applying the coating.

      Reply
      • Jason says

        13 March, 2021 at 9:22 AM

        Ok. It has been over 24 hours. I vacuumed the area few times, but I wasn’t sure if the small amount of dust was normal and safe to apply the epoxy. I guess I’m being a little anal about it. Thanks for the reassurance.

        Reply
  8. Chris Rowlett says

    4 April, 2021 at 6:25 PM

    I need help with a concrete basketball court. There is a lot of dusting which makes it almost impossible to play due to sliding everywhere. I painted the three point, free throw line and boxes but they peeled up even though I used a concrete adhesive paint. What are your recommendations to paint and seal the court? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Shea says

      5 April, 2021 at 9:16 AM

      Hi Chris. If you have dusting that bad, then the only option to reduce it is to grind the surface to remove the very weak layer of concrete on the surface. No amount of coating or sealers is going to fix your issue until that is done. We would recommend a single head or dual head (faster) grinder with 25 grit diamond segmented discs. Your local equipment rental should have one. Make sure to wear a respirator. Once you grind, you can then apply a densifier on the bare concrete and then paint the appropriate lines and markings for the court.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Questions and comments are moderated before they are published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest Featured

best-low-profile-creeper-garage

The Top Floor Creepers We Recommend for the Garage, Driveway and Rough Floors

posted on 31 March, 2021

best-budget-garage-floor-epoxy

On a Budget? Why TrueLock Low Odor Epoxy is A Good Value

posted on 28 February, 2021

NewAge-lvt-garage-floor-review

NewAge Defies the Rules with Their Luxury Vinyl Garage Tiles

posted on 30 January, 2021

garage-grip-carpet-mat-best

Why the Garage Grip™️ Carpet Mat Turns the Competition on its Head

posted on 21 October, 2020

Our Sponsors

Most Popular

grinding garage floor with diamabrush rental

How to Grind Your Garage Floor With This Easy Method

repairing-pitted-garage-floor

How to Easily Repair Your Pitted and Spalled Concrete

pet-urine-odor-concrete

How to Eliminate Pet Urine Odors from Concrete and Basements

deltadye-concrete-stain-garage-floor

Why DeltaDye is an Impressive Alternative to Acid Stain

best-garage-floor-epoxy

How to Choose the Best Epoxy Coat System for Your Garage

cleaning epoxy coated garage floor

Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for Garage Floor Coatings

best-garage-floor-coating-kit

Why the Best DIY Floor Coating Kits are Single-Part Polyurea

Rubber gym flooring in a garage

Discover these Top Gym Flooring Options for the Garage

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Site Map
  • Reader’s Projects
  • Options and Ideas
  • Advertise

What we do

All Garage Floors is the most comprehensive resource on garage flooring that you can find today. We are here to help you with the latest information about garage floor coatings, garage tiles, floor paint, garage floor mats, concrete sealers, and more.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Enjoy!

Follow Us

Get the latest updates on flooring ideas, tips, storage, and all those cool garage accessories.

Contact Us

Have a question or submission? Just let us know here! Proud of your own project? Just send us your project info for consideration to be displayed on our Reader’s Projects page.

Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 All Garage Floors · All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Return to top of page

This website uses cookies for the best browsing experience. By continuing to use this site, you accept our Cookie Policy OK, Got It!
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT