Frequently Asked Questions

For most Front Range garages, a full-broadcast flake system with a polyaspartic topcoat is the best balance of durability, grip and appearance. It resists magnesium chloride brine, hot-tire pickup and UV yellowing better than a plain epoxy topcoat, and the flakes hide minor slab flaws. Metallic epoxy looks more dramatic but shows scratches more.

National cost guides put professionally installed epoxy at roughly $3 to $12 per square foot, with metallic systems around $5 to $12 and polyaspartic around $4 to $9. One guide puts a 500-square-foot two-car garage at about $1,500 to $6,000. Local prices can differ from national averages, and crack repair, old-coating removal or a moisture primer add to it. We give a written price after seeing the floor.

It depends on the system and film thickness. A thin roll-on coat covers far more area per gallon than a full-broadcast flake system with a thick base and topcoat. For a professional install, the quote covers all material, so you do not need to calculate gallons yourself.

Epoxy can turn slippery when wet unless grit or flakes are added, standard epoxy topcoats can yellow in strong sun, and any coating will lift if the slab has a moisture problem. Each has a fix: textured or flake finishes, UV-stable polyaspartic topcoats and moisture testing before the job.

Published estimates for professionally installed garage coatings range widely, from about 5 to 20 years, depending on the system, the prep and how the floor is used. Thin do-it-yourself kits often fail within a few years because they are rolled onto unground concrete. Refreshing the topcoat every several years extends the life of the floor.

Usually, yes. Most cracks are stable and can be chased, filled and ground flush before coating, and a flake finish hides hairlines well. If one side of a crack sits noticeably higher than the other or the slab is still moving, that points to a soil or structural issue that should be addressed first.

Yes. The floor has to be completely clear for grinding and coating, including shelving that sits on the slab if you want the coating underneath it. Wall-mounted storage and ceiling racks can usually stay. Plan to keep things out until the floor is cured, which we confirm for your system.

A properly cured flake system with a polyaspartic topcoat resists de-icer brine. The weak points are chips, edges and the door threshold, so rinse brine off during winter and fix chips when you see them.

Not directly. Old paint and kit coatings are ground off first, because a new coating is only as strong as whatever is underneath it.

Foot traffic is usually fine within a day. Parking depends on the system and the temperature; we give you the exact window for your floor.

Full-broadcast flake floors have texture, and grip can be increased with an additive in the topcoat if you want more.

Interior steps and landings can be coated with the floor, usually with added grit for traction. The exterior driveway apron takes direct sun, standing water and plows, and is usually better left as concrete or treated with a penetrating sealer.

Aliphatic polyaspartic coatings are UV-stable and resist the ambering that standard epoxy topcoats can show when a garage door is open to strong afternoon sun.

Often, if the existing coating is well bonded. It is sanded to give the new topcoat grip. A peeling floor has to be ground off first.

Usually somewhat, because the material costs more and the fast cure demands more skilled installation. Many homeowners find the longer-lasting clear finish worth it.

It tolerates cooler temperatures than many epoxies, but every coating has a minimum for both the air and the slab. On the coldest days an unheated garage is below that, so we schedule for a stretch of suitable weather instead of forcing an install.

Yes. Its UV stability and flexibility suit high-elevation garages that see strong sun and deep cold. The main limit is install-day temperature, so mountain jobs are usually scheduled for late spring through early fall.

You choose the colors and the general effect, such as marble, lava or pearl. The final pattern forms as the material flows, so every floor is a little different from the sample.

Yes, if the slab passes a moisture test. Basements are among the best places for metallic floors because they avoid direct sun and heavy road grit.

3D and image floors, where a printed graphic is sealed under clear epoxy, are custom work priced well above metallic. They are uncommon in homes; we can quote one if you have a specific design in mind.

Yes, especially a garage that does not take daily winter traffic. Adding grit to the topcoat improves traction, a UV-stable topcoat protects the color, and a regular rinse in winter keeps de-icer from dulling the finish.

Most metallic floors take two to three days: one for grinding and repairs, then the base, the decorative pour and the topcoat, with cure time between layers. Furniture can usually return a few days after the final coat.

No. A floor coating is not waterproofing. It will not stop leaks through walls or cracks, and it should not be installed over an active water problem.

Do not count on it. A coating is not a radon mitigation system. Test with a certified radon professional, and if levels are high, have a mitigation system installed; we can coat around it.

Adhesive has to be ground off first. Coatings will not bond to it. Old vinyl tile and black mastic in older homes can contain asbestos, so those should be tested before any grinding.

No. The coating is thin and does not change the temperature of the slab. Area rugs work fine on top for warmth.

Yes. We grind and coat up to the walls and protect trim, doors and drywall during the work. Baseboards that sit on the floor are easiest to handle if they are removed before the install and reinstalled after.

Concrete keeps moving slightly with temperature and soil moisture, so a crack can reappear as a fine line over time. Proper chasing and a flexible filler reduce that, and a full flake coating hides minor hairlines better than a solid color.

Yes. Scaling at the door is common on Front Range garage floors, because that is where de-icer slush lands first. The loose surface is removed and the area is rebuilt and ground smooth, then usually coated so brine cannot reach it again.

It may be. Swelling clay is widespread in Colorado, and cracked and heaved garage slabs are one of its most common signs. We can tell you whether the cracking looks stable and repairable, or whether an engineer should look at it first.

Repairs are priced by how much damage there is. Light hairline cracks add little; heavy scaling or many failed patches add more. Everything is itemized on the written quote before work starts.

Squeegee or rinse de-icer slush off the floor instead of letting it dry in place, keep the door threshold clear, and use tire mats that can be emptied. Those habits slow scaling, but sealing the slab with a coating is what stops brine from soaking in.

Yes, if the building has a poured concrete floor in reasonable shape. Gravel or dirt floors cannot be coated. Unheated buildings limit installs to suitable weather, since coatings need minimum temperatures to cure.

A properly built shop floor handles them well. Plywood or pads under jack stands spread point loads and help any coating last longer.

Yes. We can schedule in sections, on weekends or over closures, and fast-curing topcoats shorten downtime.

Food and beverage floors often have specific health-code, drainage and thermal-shock requirements. We will discuss whether our systems fit those requirements, and say so if a specialist system is the better choice.

Light grays and tans are popular in shops because they reflect light and make dropped parts easier to find. Darker blends hide stains better. A full flake broadcast in a light blend is a common compromise.