When we think of our garage, it’s often considered a safe space to park cars, store tools, and stash seasonal items. But if your garage floor is concrete, it may be hiding a health risk that goes unnoticed by many homeowners: dusting. Over time, your concrete floors begin to emit dust that settles on surfaces, lingers in the air, and, when inhaled, can lead to various health issues. But what can be done to address this concrete floor dusting, and how much of a risk is exposure?
If you’ve recently noticed concrete floor dust across your garage, keep reading to learn why you must address it as soon as possible.
What is Concrete Floor Dusting?
Concrete floor dust is the dust and other debris that accumulate on the surface of an untreated, unsealed concrete floor. It forms due to everyday wear and tear, friction from heavy tools, vehicles, and boxes, and improper sealing. As you use your garage, whether as the entrance to your home or a parking spot for your car, minute particles break loose and become airborne, eventually settling on the floor.
This problem becomes even more significant without a proper seal or finish. Concrete floor dusting plays a major role in harming the appearance of your floor. However, this isn’t the most concerning part of this dusting in your home. It poses a risk to your health, especially if you inhale the dust or the dust contaminates other parts of your home.
The Cause of This Floor Dusting
While concrete floor dusting is most frequently found on older, worn-down concrete floors, this isn’t the only place you’ll find it. If you’re experiencing concrete floor dusting in your garage, basement, or workshop, it may be caused by one of the following:
- Cheap Concrete: Installing new concrete in a space can be an expensive undertaking, and you may consider choosing a less costly concrete mix. However, a cheap concrete mix may not have enough cement, leading to faster wear and tear on your floors. As they wear down, you’ll become exposed to this floor dust.
- Your Environment: Concrete floors outside your home face far harsher conditions than indoor floors, leading to quicker deterioration. If you live in a place with a great deal of inclement weather or extreme temperature fluctuations, you may notice concrete floor dust more quickly than in areas with more temperate weather.
- Inadequate Sealing: While you may consider concrete a durable material, it is susceptible to deterioration without proper care. The friction from everyday use can break down untreated or unsealed concrete floors, leading to dust accumulation.
The Risk of Exposure to Floor Dusting
Concrete floor dusting isn’t just harmful to a room’s aesthetics but also incredibly detrimental to respiratory health. If you have a respiratory condition like asthma or chronic allergies, you are at an increased risk of respiratory irritation. In some cases, homeowners who don’t already have asthma may develop the condition after being exposed to concrete floor dusting.
However, in more extreme cases, exposure to this dusting may lead to the development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). While you can manage the symptoms of COPD, there is currently no cure, which makes it essential that you address concrete floor dusting as soon as it emerges.
Finally, in the most extreme cases, exposure to crystalline silica, found in sand, quartz, and granite, will lead to silicosis, a type of pulmonary fibrosis. Silicosis is the development of scarring in lung tissue that cannot be reversed. As this scarring worsens, lung tissue begins to harden, making breathing far more difficult.
In addition to the risk of exposure for humans, concrete floor dusting also poses a danger to the pets in your home. If your pets spend their time in places with high dust levels, they may exhibit signs of respiratory irritation. If you have concrete dust in your home, you should avoid these areas until you can treat the floors to protect your health and that of your loved ones.
How to Prevent Concrete Floor Dusting
Investing in a floor coating is the best way to avoid exposure to concrete floor dust. Floor coatings protect your concrete floors from everyday wear and tear, which results in dust formation. Installing these coatings in your garage can prevent the formation and spread of concrete dust, protecting your respiratory health.
If you are considering installing a floor coating in your garage, consider investing in an epoxy coating. These floors are durable enough to protect homeowners from consistent wear and tear. Additionally, these coatings protect your floors from chemical exposure and accidental drops that may increase your risk of concrete floor dust formation.
Expert Floor Coatings from Garage Solutions of Arizona
If you’re looking for reliable epoxy floor coatings in the Queen Creek, Arizona, area, turn to our team at Garage Solutions of Arizona. We pride ourselves on providing the most reliable, high-quality epoxy floors to homeowners across the city. With our floor coatings in your home, you can trust that concrete floor dusting is a thing of the past.
If you’re ready to schedule an epoxy floor coating installation for your Arizona home, contact us today.