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Epoxy coatings for garage floors offer a variety of finish and design options, including:

• Decorative colored flakes: $10 per 250-pound bag

• Metallic epoxy: $5–$12 per square foot

• Rock or stone epoxy: $100 per gallon

• Acrylic and poly-acrylic sealants: $0.85–$1.15 per square foot

• Polyurethane sealant: $0.95–$1.10 per square foot

• Polyurea sealant: $150 per gallon

Whether it's better to stain or paint concrete depends on your budget, desired aesthetic, and DIY skill level. Generally, staining is a more durable option because the stain soaks into the concrete's surface and won't wear away like a topical paint coating. Painting concrete can trap moisture underneath the paint layer, which may cause the concrete to deteriorate over time. However, concrete paint offers a wider variety of colors, is typically easier and less expensive to apply, and is effective at covering up existing stains or blemishes on the surface.

If your garage floor is heavily soiled or stained, then it’s a good idea to powerwash it with a concrete cleaner before sealing. This process will remove dirt and debris to help the new sealer bond to the concrete properly, and it will also improve the look of your sealed garage floor. After power washing your floor, make sure you let the concrete dry completely before applying sealant, usually for 24 to 48 hours.

A concrete seal can protect your garage floor from water and stains as can an epoxy coating. The main difference is that epoxy is much more durable and better for heavy-duty wear and tear—it’s used in more industrial and commercial settings. If you’re just using the garage as storage for tools and your car, concrete sealer will do just fine. But if your garage doubles as a workshop for side projects and auto repair, epoxy will hold up better.