There are a lot of opinions floating around about the correct materials to use when coating your garage floor. Many people assume that a solid job of preparation followed by a thick coat or two of concrete paint will do the trick. Others go the contractor route, who professionally prep the floors and put down high-quality epoxy floor coating products. So which is the correct method? Well, that all depends on the outcome you are hoping to achieve.
The first step in coating your garage floor is to decide what is important to you. Do you want something cheap for a quick fix-up job? Are you looking for a product that will last the rest of your life? Or are you trying to sell your home and you want a quick and easy solution that will dress up your garage? Decide which factors are important to you before you pick a solution to the problem!
Concrete Paint Finishes
Painting your garage floor is a fairly simple process. A quick power wash of your concrete floor will get the majority of the dirt and debris out and, after allowing a full day or two for drying, you can roll out the concrete paint. The end result will be a seamless finish that will hide a multitude of stains and imperfections on your floor. The downside, however, is that this inexpensive quick-fix will have a short lifespan due to its latex acrylic properties. A few prominent paint manufacturers do offer paint consisting of a small amount of epoxy in the mix and often refer to this product as 1-Part epoxy paint. Although this product allows for better adhesion and resistance, it is simply not an epoxy product.
Even though the concrete paint will look great for a few months, you will eventually see bare concrete as the paint wears off in the high-traffic areas. It will stain easily and may flake off in sheets where it covered a previous stain. So then why call it epoxy paint? A few years ago, epoxy manufacturers discovered many consumers, especially those who are DIY savvy, were searching for epoxy floor solutions using the term “epoxy paint”. Therefore, in order to sell more product, the epoxy manufacturers chose to rebrand their items as “epoxy paint” which ultimately created more confusion for the consumers. Yet, here we are sorting out the confusions so you can choose the best flooring option possible.
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Epoxy Floor Finish
Coating your garage floor with an epoxy floor coating system is a more elaborate process, but it has major long-term rewards. Most professional epoxy floors, like the ones we install at Zenith, require a prep stage, two coats of epoxy, broadcast material, and one or two coats of finishing. Typically our installers are able to complete the process of coating your garage floor over the course of a two-day period. This will leave you with a beautiful epoxy floor that is tough and resilient. The industrial grade epoxy floor coating systems that our professional team installs is designed to withstand the weight of vehicles, heavy traffic, and machinery. It is non-porous and will repel oil and paint spills, grease, brake fluid, and most other liquids.
The bottom line is that a professionally installed, industrial grade epoxy floor will last a lifetime. Advancements in technology have made epoxies and poly-hybrid coatings some of the most durable materials on earth.
If you are interested in learning more about epoxy floor services in Colorado, we offer free estimates for all projects. Fill out this form and one of our team members will be in contact with you shortly or click here to learn more about our team of professionals.