Basement Floor Epoxy in Boulder, CO

Basement floor epoxy turns a dusty, cold concrete floor into a sealed surface that is easy to clean and holds up to furniture, gym equipment and the occasional spill. Many Front Range homes have basements, and a coating is a practical alternative to carpet in rec rooms, home gyms, laundry areas and storage rooms, because it does not trap moisture or odors the way carpet can.

Basements are also where coatings face the most moisture risk. A slab below grade can wick moisture up from the soil. Trapped under a coating, that moisture builds pressure and the coating blisters or lifts. Every basement job starts with a moisture test, and we tell you plainly if your slab is not a good candidate.

Swelling soils and basement slabs

The Colorado Geological Survey notes that cracked and heaved basement floor slabs are very common in areas with expansive clay, which is widespread in Colorado. Stable cracks can be repaired and coated. A slab that is still moving, or a floor that has lifted against a framed wall, needs an engineer's opinion before any finish goes down, and we will tell you if we see signs of that.

When a basement is not ready for a coating

• Active leaks, standing water after storms or a sump that runs constantly
• White mineral deposits (efflorescence) spreading across the floor
• A moisture reading above what the coating system allows

Some of those can be handled with a moisture-tolerant primer. Active water problems need to be fixed before any floor is installed.

Coatings and radon

Boulder County reports that one in two homes in the county has elevated radon, and the EPA ranks the county Zone 1. A floor coating is not a radon mitigation system, and we never sell it as one. If you have not tested, do that with a certified radon professional before finishing the space, and if you have a mitigation system, we coat around its sump and piping without disturbing it.

Choosing the finish

Most basement floors get either a flake system, which hides imperfections and adds texture, or a metallic finish for a more polished look. Both sit on the same ground, repaired and primed slab.

Basement gyms and workshops

Home gyms are a natural fit for a coated basement. A coated floor holds up to dropped weights better than carpet, especially under rubber mats in the lifting area, and wipes down easily. For gyms and workshops, we recommend a thicker build and a textured topcoat.