Concrete – What kind of garage flooring is this

From the description and photograph, it appears that the crack is the natural result of the sort of stresses one would expect at a location with:

• Drastic change in slab width to extend the slab through the door opening.

• Drastic change in thermal stress where the slab transitions from interior temperatures to exterior temperatures.

• Drastic change in slab stiffness. Dynamic vehicle loads are applied sequentially from the rigidly supported portion directly above the wall below to the spanning portion where they create deflection in the supporting structure.

All of which is to say that repairing the joint does not mean filling it in. There will always be a joint there. Instead, repairing the joint probably consists of keeping water out using backer rod and a flexible traffic sealant rated for wide joints...and perhaps a metal joint cover.

There's no magic in a can that it going to defy the laws of physics or change the internal stresses of a concrete slab under dynamic vehicular loads. Any repair needs to be premised on acceptance that there will be a joint across the opening where the slab narrows.

My workplace installed a vinyl click-down laminate last year in the entry way and a large meeting space. This is a mixed engineering and manufacturing company in the Pacific Northwest, so the flooring has taken a severe beating from boots and heavy equipment being dragged across it, as well as getting soaked from rain being tracked inside. It's held up very well.

In non-wet areas, especially those you may want to look more upscale, you should consider engineered hardwoods. They cost the same amount as good laminate, and you get a real surface rather than printed paper. I recently installed bamboo engineered flooring in my home office for $2.39/sq ft, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Personally I'd recommend a bamboo appearance if you are worried about scratching. Bamboo's appearance hides scratches very well.

In terms of comparing products, go to a store (either home improvement or dedicated flooring) and try and get a hand on whatever flooring you are looking at. Good quality engineered hardwoods should have a plywood-type bottom layer, and if they include a particleboard midlayer, make sure it's a tempered/high-density variety (dark grey-brown). Good laminates should be relatively heavy, and if you want it to stand up to water, should have a vinyl backing rather than fiberboard.