Suggestions for how to keep concrete floor dust down?

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Some things to check first to reduce the amount of dust.

1. Roll up garage doors come with a seal on the top and side edges and a rubber seal on the bottom of the door. These seals help to keep dust from entering the door. Not sure if you have an older garage door but either way you want to make sure your garage door seals are working.

2. Normally garages are ventilated near the ground level. This allows gasoline, exhaust, and other things to escape the garage area. Something to look at though is the seal on the garage door. You can install a louvered cover plate that helps to keep dust from entering the lower ventilation area.

3. Many garages are not finished and you will get dust falling from the roof area and rafters into the garage. If your garage is not finished you may want to consider having a ceiling installed and cover the walls with drywall. You can have this built with an access so that you have a storage space in the attic above the garage.

4. Check any windows or walk thru doors in your garage to make sure that they are sealed.

[simbared]

You can always buy sweeping compound from a home improvement store or online. It's usually a mixture of sawdust and oil or wax.

ZEP 50 lb. Sweeping Compound-HDSWEEP50 - The Home Depot

[mortpes]

Spray floor with water mixed with a little floor cleaner. Vacuum up with a wet/dry vac with wet filter. Let air dry after the vac.

[selhars]

^^ MORTPES, Oh please tell me more about this!! Does it just clean, does it leave a coating that keeps down dust?

I've already bought a new seal strip for the bottom of the door. And I'm looking at 'side strips' I can tape or add to the bottom of the side of the doors. I've never had a garage door that grass clipping could get under or around, in those corners where the door bottom meets the side.

SIMBARED, I'm going to research sweeping compound. As of now newver heard of it and not sure how it works -- given that it's a powder itself, right. The floor has now spills, a few paint stains and a few other stains. But no car has been parked in it, so there are no oil or grease spots or anything like that.

I'm doing all this because I will be parking my car inside.

What can I say. I'm just an al about having a neat, clean organized garage -- that I can park my car in.

[selhars]

I've checked out the sweeping compound on YouTube (different brands different videos) and will definitely try that. Don't know that I still won't seal the floor. But the sweeping compound is definitely worth a try.

I'd never heard of it. Thanks.

[Rabrrita]

Did I miss something? How does coating, covering, or sealing a concrete floor eliminate the dust? Unless the dust is from the concrete itself falling apart, it's coming from someplace and all these things do is mask the problem. You may not see it because it's now all pushed into corners or under items, or it's being blown around in the air that you breath, but if the dust was there before, all the covers won;t solve the underlying problem of dust getting into the space.

[pikabike]

Some penetrating sealants (siliconates) claim to reduce concrete dusting as well as prevent oil stains, damage from road salts, and other garage-y messes.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by Rabrrita

Did I miss something? How does coating, covering, or sealing a concrete floor eliminate the dust? Unless the dust is from the concrete itself falling apart, it's coming from someplace and all these things do is mask the problem. You may not see it because it's now all pushed into corners or under items, or it's being blown around in the air that you breath, but if the dust was there before, all the covers won;t solve the underlying problem of dust getting into the space.

Well, it's a lot easier to sweep up the inevitable dust when the floor is moderately smooth and slick than when it's completely rough and porous.

[selhars]

^^ That also would be a help.