How to Pour a New Garage Floor Over an Existing One
- 1). Remove everything from the garage that touches the floor. Inspect any damaged areas and remove any loosened concrete. You may need a chisel and hammer to chip away loosened pieces.
- 2). Mop the entire floor with concrete or masonry cleaner, mixed with warm water per specific product instructions. Open the garage door while you clean; this will facilitate drying time and will ensure that fumes from the cleaner don't build up in the area.
- 3). Rinse the washed area with clean water from a pressure washer set at 3,500 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure. This removes residual cleaner and also lightly roughs up the surface for better bonding with the new concrete.
- 4). Mix concrete patching material with enough water to create the consistency of mortar or creamy peanut butter. If you want to create your own patching material, mix three parts sand and one part Portland cement with water to achieve the same consistency.
- 5). Paint cement paste onto any holes or cracks in the concrete floor. Trowel the patching material into the damaged areas with a mason's trowel. Scrape the trowel across the surface to ensure the patched area sits flush with the rest of the floor. Allow these patches to dry completely before continuing.
- 6). Mix concrete patching material or three parts pea gravel, two parts sand and one-and-a-half parts Portland cement with enough water to achieve the consistency of pancake batter: it should pour from the bucket but be thick enough to hold its shape when applied in place.
- 7). Saturate the garage floor with a hose to dampen the area. Remove excess water with a long-handled squeegee. The moist surface will bond better with the patching material.
- 8). Pour the new concrete material onto the floor surface, starting in the farthest corner from the entrance to the garage. Use a clean squeegee or a mason's trowel to spread the material evenly across the entire surface of the garage floor. Pour more, as needed, until the entire surface is coated with an even layer of new concrete. Allow the surface to dry for at least 48 hours before walking on the new floor.
