Frequently Asked Questions

Plain epoxy yellows and chalks in sunlight, it can be slippery when wet without added texture, and it takes longer to cure than polyaspartic. HomeGuide notes you may need to avoid driving on an epoxy floor for two to seven days. It also fails when put on a damp or poorly prepared slab, which is why we grind and moisture test first and use a UV-stable topcoat where the sun reaches.

Coating guides quote by area, so start with the per-foot rate. For installed epoxy, HomeGuide shows $4 to $10 a square foot, and This Old House shows $3 to $12 for pro work; multiply by 1,000 for a rough band. Where your floor lands in that range depends on prep, repairs and finish. After we measure and test, the written estimate we give you is the price.

Twenty feet by twenty gives 400 square feet, close to a standard two-car garage. For a two-car size, HomeGuide's guides show $1,600 to $5,800 in epoxy and $2,000 to $6,900 in polyaspartic. Where yours lands depends on old coatings, crack work and flake coverage, which we check in person.

Yes, when the slab is tested and the coats go down in the right conditions. Humidity mostly causes trouble during installation, when moisture condenses on a cool slab or rises through it. Before each coat we read the dew point and slab moisture and move to a moisture-tolerant primer whenever the readings run high.

For a garage that sits with the door open in strong light, polyaspartic is the safer choice, used for the whole build or just as the top layer above epoxy. In HomeGuide's chart, polyaspartic is excellent on UV and epoxy is poor to fair. The faster cure is a bonus: your car is back inside sooner.

Yes. Many condo and HOA communities in Broward ask for approval before work, set work hours, or limit where equipment can go. Tell us about any rules when you call, and we can provide product information for the board and schedule the job inside the allowed hours.

It depends on the system and the weather. According to Bob Vila, polyaspartic floors can handle walking in about 3 to 4 hours and cars after about 24 hours, while epoxy usually needs about 12 hours for walking and around three days before parking. We give you the exact times for your floor on the day we finish.

Yes, the floor has to be clear from wall to wall so we can grind and coat it evenly. Most people move things to the driveway, a side yard or a storage pod for the few days the job takes. Shelving that is bolted to the wall can usually stay if the floor beneath it is clear.

Going by HomeGuide, a two-car floor runs $1,600 to $5,800 in epoxy or $2,000 to $6,900 in polyaspartic, nationally. Paint removal, crack work and full flake push it up or down. Your written price comes after we measure and test.

The usual causes are poor prep, moisture coming up through the slab, or a thin kit coating that hot tires pulled loose. Acid etching often leaves residue and old sealers behind. We grind the floor and test for moisture so the new coating has a sound surface to grip.

Any high-gloss surface gets slick once water is on it. Flake broadcast adds texture, and we can also mix a fine anti-slip additive into the topcoat. Given how often garages here get wet feet and dripping gear, we usually recommend some texture.

We remove it rather than coat over it. Paint and old kit coatings are only as strong as their bond to the concrete, and once they start to lift, anything on top lifts with them. Grinding them off is part of the prep.

Per HomeGuide, epoxy should go without vehicle traffic for two to seven days, while polyaspartic systems usually allow parking in about a day. Heat and humidity shift those times a little, so we confirm yours when the job is done.

A flake floor is a type of coated floor. Its base is epoxy or polyaspartic, vinyl chips are broadcast into it, and a clear layer locks them down. Most of what people call epoxy garage floors are actually flake systems.

Yes. The speckled pattern hides sand, dust and small drips far better than a solid color, which is why we recommend it for garages and entry areas. Full broadcast hides the most.

On a covered lanai, yes. On a fully exposed patio or deck, we use a polyaspartic flake system or a textured deck coating so the surface handles direct sun and stays grippy when wet.

Dry clean with a broom, then wet clean with a soft mop and a gentle cleaner. You can hose a garage floor out. Avoid harsh acids and wire brushes, which dull the clear coat.

On sun resistance and cure time, yes. Epoxy builds thicker per coat and is often used as a base. For sunny garages and outdoor slabs here, we usually recommend polyaspartic on top at the least.

Bob Vila puts walking at roughly 3 to 4 hours after the last coat, and vehicles at roughly 24 hours. HomeGuide puts full cure at one to two days. Heat and humidity can shift that a little.

We would steer you away from that. It sets quickly once mixed, so it must be spread and rolled fast and evenly, and it needs a ground, clean slab to bond to.

Polyaspartic is aliphatic, which is why it holds color in sunlight. HomeGuide's chart puts it at excellent for UV, while epoxy sits at poor to fair.

If the old floor is sound and well bonded, we can sand it and add a polyaspartic clear coat. If it is peeling or lifting, it has to come off first.

This Old House gives a national band of $5 to $12 a square foot for metallic. Tear-out of old flooring, leveling and your topcoat choice set the final figure. We quote after seeing the room.

Yes, but it is less forgiving than flake. It shows dust and scratches more, and a garage that is open to the sun needs a UV-stable topcoat over it.

Wet full-gloss surfaces can get slick, so in kitchens, baths, bars and entries we can switch to a satin sheen or add fine texture to the topcoat.

We do not coat over tile. We remove the tile and grind off the thinset to reach the concrete, then build the metallic floor on the slab.

For 100% solids systems on commercial and industrial slabs, HomeAdvisor gives $12 a square foot and up. Prep, repairs, chemical-resistant topcoats and after-hours scheduling all affect the price, so we quote after a site walk.

That comes down to floor size and the system. Fast-curing polyaspartic topcoats can return an area in about a day, and we can phase work so only part of the floor is out at a time.

Yes. We pick a build and topcoat that handle salt water, fuels, solvents and the dust that comes with hull work, and add texture where the floor gets wet.

Commercial systems are usually thicker and use topcoats rated for chemicals and heavy wheels. They may also include cove base, striping and slip-resistant texture that a home garage does not need.

Yes. Many commercial projects are scheduled after hours or in phases, and we plan that with you before the quote is final.

From HomeGuide's resurfacing guide, per square foot: Kool Deck $4 to $6, epoxy $4 to $10, decorative overlay $6 to $12, stamped overlay $7 to $20, and plain sealing $1 to $3. The condition of your deck decides which options make sense.

Texture prevents that. We add grip to every outdoor coating and choose a texture that is comfortable for bare feet.

Lighter colors and textured, cool-touch style coatings help. HomeGuide describes Kool Deck as helping lower surface temperature. No coating stays cool in full sun, but the difference is noticeable.

We coat concrete only. Pavers move and have open joints, so a film coating would crack along them. Concrete decks and patios are what we work on.

The drier months in winter and spring are easiest, because summer storms and humidity make outdoor work harder to schedule. We work year round when the readings and forecast allow.