Garage floor coatings seem like a simple way to transform your outdated garage into a functional, modern workspace. Yet, talk to homeowners who have done this project themselves and you’re bound to hear horror stories of projects that did not go as planned.
The unfortunate truth is that many garage floor coating projects don’t go well because homeowners were not properly prepared for the job. Learn three myths about garage floor coatings to prepare for this home improvement task.
1. DIY flooring kits are just as good as professional epoxy coatings
Home improvement stores are flooded with epoxy flooring kits. Many people jump at the chance to give the garage floor a quick makeover and buy one of these kits. Unfortunately, the material in these do-it-yourself (DIY) kits is far below the grade of professional garage floor epoxy coatings. Sure, they’re cheaper-but you will notice the problems using “cheap” quickly. These coatings only last a short time. If you are looking for more details on how or why the epoxy is different, please see our blog about DIY vs Contractor Grade epoxies.
If you’re preparing to put your home on the market for a quick sale, the best option is a solid color epoxy finish which is inexpensive and more basic. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a job that will stand the test of time, you would be much more wise to work with a floor coating professional who has access to premium quality products, and a variety of designs and educated installers. If you use a kit, you’re likely to wind up redoing the job every few years. Over your time in the home, you’re actually losing money this way.
See also – The Cons of DIY Epoxy Garage Coatings
2. The epoxy installation step is as simple as sweeping and removing debris, right?
Garage floor epoxy kits say to clean the floor before applying. If you think a simple sweep or mopping will suffice, think again. It takes hard work and special tools to really get that old floor ready to shine.
When you hire a garage epoxy coating contractor like us to install garage epoxy, first clean out the garage then remove surface stains with a heavy-duty, commercial concrete cleaning products During the next step, which is actually the most crucial aspect is the preparation step – WHICH IS EVEN BEFORE we lay the epoxy coating.
Our installation team will open up the pores of the concrete, so the epoxy can bond properly without cracks. It takes a lot of effort (both for new and old garage concrete) to level the floor with a diamond prep grinder. This part is the secret to a durable garage floor coating that looks shiny and perfect and can last up to 15 yrs with regular maintenance of sealing it every 6 years.
We spend several hours grinding all our customers’ floors and filling in cracks to ensure the floor looks like what our customers want. Then, after all this prep work, our team will layout the epoxy design you want, and customize it to your taste whether it be stains, granite, pearlescent, multi-color just one straight color.
The DIY kits do not have this ability!
3. My handyman or maintenance helper can do this
This is another big myth. We see this first-hand since we are often hired to do “redo’s” or finish a coating that never got completed.
Unfortunately, in Phoenix Valley, there are many unlicensed epoxy company or a “jack of all trades” handyman /remodelers who say that they do garage coatings. They don’t know the right mix of products for a good looking epoxy, have the ability to buy the commercial products we use, nor will spend the time to do all the necessary prep stage correctly – which is why the epoxy coating does not last, look shiny, and cracks.
4. You need to redo the job every three years
This myth is so hard to bust because this is true for homeowners who did the epoxy floor using a kit since it is an inferior product, and the process for doing it (see #2 myth above) isn’t correct. The reality is, when garage floor epoxies are done the right way, they will last up to 15 years without much maintenance from you. When done from a kit, you can bet you’ll be redoing the job every three years or more often.
Now that you understand how garage floor epoxies work, and it sounds like a lot of headaches or labor – hire a professional epoxy flooring company. You can gather estimates by phone. Better yet, call us (Dreamcoat Flooring), and we will come to your home or business free of charge so we can explain and show you ideas! Then you can compare the true cost and benefits of doing the work yourself versus hiring someone and decide what’s right for you.
If you have any other questions, please view our Customer FAQ page which lists the typical questions we hear regarding epoxy flooring.
