Tips for Epoxy Garage Flooring

As the leading provider of high-quality floor protectants in Wisconsin, our project planners and technicians at Armor Coating entertain hundreds of requests from residents and business owners for maintenance tips for epoxy garage flooring. They want their indoor and outdoor parking spaces to remain puddle-free, low-maintenance, and look brand-new throughout the seasons, and our technicians love making that happen.

Epoxy paint is the number one protectant for a concrete floor because it is cost-efficient and durable. We serve many customers who cover the entire floor space of their attics, basements, and decks with 100% solid epoxy. In our professional opinion, polyurea and polyaspartic coats make surfaces more hard-wearing and beautiful, but an epoxy-coated parking space is better than leaving your car over unprotected concrete.

In this explainer, our technicians will outline how to keep your epoxy garage floor coating in mint condition long after its warranty period. Following our tips could increase the market value of your property, improve its curb appeal, and help you save money by requiring less recoating.

Use Epoxy as a Base Coat for Your Garage Floor

Installing a more hard-wearing topcoat is on top of our list of tips for epoxy garage flooring, especially for homes and commercial properties that experience a lot of foot and vehicle traffic. A polyaspartic and polyurea combination is the superior option for guest carports and outdoor parking spaces.

A lone epoxy layer as a total solution works best for DIY technicians who require a generous margin for error, as it can take almost half a day to dry. Applying polyurea and polyaspartic requires professional expertise as they can cure in under an hour but form a more durable and long-lasting bond with a substrate. Epoxy is receptive to oil and chemical-based additions, making it an ideal subsurface for paint, another layer of epoxy, or polyaspartic.

Garages in Wisconsin typically host two to three vehicles, and most are SUVs above 5,000 pounds. Epoxy creates a rigid finish that is highly resistant to chemicals and pollutants. However, dirt, debris, and studded snow tires can still scratch it, especially if coupled with thousands of pounds of mass from a heavy vehicle.

At Armor Coating, our technicians cover thousands of square feet of epoxy-coated floors in polyaspartic and polyurea every year. Our customers enjoy a 15-year warranty on all our jobs, whether we cover antique bricks, natural stone, or plain concrete.

Only Use Epoxy Garage Flooring with 100% Solids

One of the most prevalent and costly problems our technicians see with amateur installers is they use DIY painting kits that have only 5% to 12% solids, indicating that only one-tenth of the can is epoxy and the rest is latex paint. Buy commercial-grade epoxy coatings with 100% solids exclusively, and save yourself the headache. Anything less will not withstand foot and vehicle traffic for more than five years.

Increase Your Maintenance Frequency as You Use Your Garage More

For most people, the purpose of getting epoxy floor coatings is to reduce the times they have to sweep, vacuum, and pressure wash their garage, which is partly true. However, when they bring home more SUVs, transform their garages into repair bays, and drop more wrenches and screwdrivers with reckless abandon, their epoxy floors could look rundown sooner than expected.

An epoxy coating will cover up the billions of tiny holes in your brick, stone, and concrete floor, lowering maintenance requirements and eliminating the need for stain removal whenever you spill oil, battery acid, or gasoline. However, if you ramp up car-related activities in your garage, you must increase your maintenance frequency to keep it looking fresh. Dirt, debris, and pollutants can still accumulate on epoxy-coated floors if you do not clean them properly, making your garage look just as unkempt as if it only had bare concrete.

Avoid Direct Sunlight

Unlike polyaspartic and polyurea, epoxy coatings are resinous, which means they are prone to oxidation in extreme temperatures and adverse weather. Oxidation turns epoxy yellow after extended exposure to direct sunlight.

Most manufacturers create epoxy by disassembling aromatic moieties into bisphenol-A and bisphenol-F. Only optical-grade coatings with hydrogenated bisphenol-A and no bisphenol-F develop cycloaliphatic compounds that prevent them from going through weather-related discoloration. If you want to use the reflective qualities of your epoxy garage floor coating to brighten your garage, install slightly tinted windows to reduce exposure to UV rays.

Call the Flooring Experts at Armor Coating

If you want more maintenance tips for epoxy garage flooring, contact our technicians at Armor Coating Company by calling 715-934-9037 and requesting a free consultation.

How Much Do Your Concrete Floor Coatings Cost?

Each project is customized to your particular concrete flooring needs. Every job we do is different, because we offer different types of coatings and finishes.  We will work with you to develop a free estimate keeping your budget in mind. 

How Long Will The Concrete Coating Last?

We use the highest quality materials in our polyaspartic floor coatings and we’ve perfected our application process to make the concrete coating permanent.  Once completely cured and adhered, the concrete coating is meant to last as long as the substrate it’s adhered to.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Over Epoxy Floor Coatings?

Polyaspartic Floor Coatings dry more quickly than Epoxy Floor Coatings, and the finish is also more durable.  Our floor concrete coating finishes are also more slip-resistant and will not discolor like some Epoxy Floor Coatings.

How Long Do I Need To Stay Off My Concrete Floor Coating After It Is Installed?

Our flooring cures within a few hours, however our team of professionals recommends waiting at least 4-6 hours before walking on your brand new concrete coated flooring. After 12 hours, you can begin moving lightweight objects onto the flooring, like light patio furniture.  We recommend waiting a full 24 hours before moving anything heavy back into the area where we’ve applied the coating (your car, heavy equipment or furniture etc.).

Will My New Concrete Floor Coating Turn Yellow?

It sure won’t! Our concrete floor coverings will not yellow or discolor, because they are UV stable. This  one of the many benefits of using Polyurea or Polyaspartic floor coatings.

Will I Need To Reseal My Concrete Floor Coating?

If you follow our maintenance and cleaning guidelines, you should not have to worry about resealing the concrete floor coating. We offer a professional grade cleaner that will easily remove stains or tire marks, but will also preserve the life of your concrete coating topcoat.

How Long Does It Take You To Apply Concrete Floor Coatings?

We’ve perfected our 6-step application process, so most typical projects take between 5-10 hours depending on the square footage.  We pride ourselves in a one-day application, and will do everything possible to stay within that time frame.  Rainy weather can delay the project, but it is rare.

How Do I Care For My Concrete Floor Coating?

You can clean our concrete coatings with typical sweeping, mopping or steaming, and hoses.  We offer maintenance services should your concrete flooring ever need cleaning, however you can also use non-abrasive cleaners, like CLR, to remove grease or other stains. 

Will Oil Stain My Concrete Floor Coating?

Armor coatings are oil resistant as well as moisture resistant.

Who Invented Polyaspartic Coatings?

Bayer Material Science first developed Polyaspartic coatings in the 1990’s to protect steel bridges and infrastructure from rusting and corrosion. It has since been modified for different applications, once being durable concrete flooring coatings.

What Are Polyaspartic Concrete Coatings?

Polyaspartic Concrete coating is another name for Aliphatic Polyurea, which is a hybrid material consisting of ester and other materials. It was originally developed to coat metal bridges.  It was later used to coat concrete flooring due to its durability and moisture resistance. Polyurea is also used to coat truck bed liners.

Can Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Be Used Outside?

They sure can!  We offer wonderful solutions for driveways, patios, and even the area around the pool.  Our coatings are all UV stable, which will help prevent discoloration or flaking.

What Types Of Environments Can Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Be Used?

Polyaspartic flooring coatings can be used in a variety of environments.  The durability, slip resistant finish is fantastic for any industrial setting, storefronts, patios, or even driveways or garages.

How Are Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Applied?

We have perfected a six step process for applying Polyaspartic Floor Coatings that involves prepping the floor, basecoating, applying chips, scraping the chips, and applying the clear UV protective clear coat. 

Can I Apply Polyaspartic Floor Coatings In Cold Temperatures?

You can!  Polyaspartic floor coatings are safe to apply in temperatures as cold as -40 degrees.

How Long Do Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Take To Dry?

Our Polyaspartic Floor Coatings are engineered to rapidly cure, and can be dry in a matter of a few hours!  However, we recommend waiting at least 5-6 hours before walking on newly applied coating and 24 hours before moving heavy objects back onto the flooring.

Do I Need To Hire A Professional To Install Polyaspartic Floor Coating?

Installing Polyaspartic Floor Coating correctly is critical to the appearance and durability of your flooring.  Hiring a professional is the best way to ensure that your flooring will look amazing and last a lifetime! Our team at Armor Coatings is certified in Polyaspartic Floor Coating installation and have many years of experience.

Is It Possible To Cover Existing Epoxy Floor Coating With Polyaspartic Floor Coating?

It is!  Polyaspartic floor coatings are specially formulated for their incredible adhesion properties.  If you have existing patches of epoxy coating, our team can sand it down, vacuum, and wipe down the area with a solvent.  Once prepped, we will apply your new, superior, Polyaspartic Floor Coating