Coating Options
Coating Options
Epoxy
Tried and true are these products. These are coatings not paints. They are the best for adhesion which is why they will carry a better warranty against peeling. It is essentially pretty glue. They dry hard and smooth and come in numerous colors. They are still the go to product for smoothing out and sticking to a floor. With the ability to build the mil thickness (this is how coatings are bought, sold and applied). Build can be achieved by applying the epoxy thicker out of the can (this can have some issues) or by enhancing the resin with solids, I.E. sand, flours etc. Going to these measures is not typically needed in your garage, but some commercial and industrial applications it is the only choice.
Now we all love our epoxy correct? We should it has been a great product; however, it does have some characteristics that make it fall short of other products. It is very moisture sensitive for a period after application. It loses its gloss within a year, it fades in the sun and boy is it slow to walk on (16 hours +/-).
Urethanes
Where the epoxy falls short in chemical resistance, hot tire pick up, gloss retention and UV stability the Urethanes shine. This thin mil roller applied product is the PRETTY coat. It scratches less, is more flexible holds that shine and color a lot longer. Your old rotary phones were coated with this type of product. Did you ever slam a phone? It is a great topcoat for epoxy primers. They have complimented each other for years and who knows how many square feet they are on.
The draw backs are they really stink. They are also harder for applicators to work with. There are a number of coaters that like to put glass beads or aluminum oxide in this coat. It might make it a little tougher, but you cannot clean it and it is used to hide contractor short comings. When applied properly they still go head to head with today’s new coatings.
Polyaspartics
These are the new kids on the block. Well, they have been around for a while now, but they have not been superseded yet. These have made a lot of careers in the garage coating industry. They have also made it easier on the homeowner. No longer do you have your garage torn up for a week. Now in one single day you can have a finished floor that you can walk on in a couple of hours (vehicles should wait 24). These out test the epoxies and urethanes in the lab. They are self-priming, can be recoated in an hour or so, have great sheen and lay down nicely. You can achieve most decorative finishes with them and they can be used on the exterior.
It is nice to have this fast recoat time, but if you miss it these products will not bond to each other. So, we coaters need to pay attention to this. They also self-prime, but not like an epoxy. They do not attach like the epoxies, but have had great success. Your turn around time is incredible and your finished product is just as nice. These products do stink in the lower solids versions. Thought tests show they outperform urethanes some still feel that the urethanes out do the Polyaspartics.
Metallics
These are the popular new craze in our industry and they should be. They are fun for us to apply and are a great look on your floor. No two floors or two square feet are the same. They cannot be replicated in appearance only by color. There are many tricks to dazzle these up.
Chip
We offer two ways to chip your floor. A full chip that completely covers the floor or a random chip which shows the background color through. Both have a nice look and there is a place for both of these. This process has been around since the at least the 70’s Torginal was one of the names back then and they are still around today.
Solid Color
There are times when just a solid color is appropriate. We can go straight epoxy or add urethane with it or do just Polyaspartic in this process.
Cracks – Repairs
Cracks in your concrete for the most part are a fact of life. They are not usually the beginning of an expensive repair project. We like to cut them out fill them and then grind them smooth. This is the same process that we prefer to do on your sawcuts. Some contractors leave saw cuts in, but why? You want to have a smooth clean surface when done. Do you really want to see these lines that will hold debris?
Other repairs could be divots, those are easy fixes and will be done with cracks and sawcuts. Maybe your slab was placed in two pours and one side is higher. This can be remedied as well.
Existing Coatings Removal, VCT -Ceramic Tile Removal, mastic-glue removal
These for us all fall under the same heading. “THEY MUST COME OFF” we can remove all of these items with good success. Sometimes they are difficult, but we have a good track record of winning these battles. Now some coatings that are tight at times can stay, but this is a rarity. Sometimes the process needed to remove these coatings has an impact on the concrete remaining to coat. If it has been an invasive removal process we may need to smooth the floor with a float coat or additional grinding