Epoxy Flooring in Lancaster, NY

Epoxy flooring in Lancaster often starts with a newer slab. The town entered a period of rapid growth in the early 1990s, mostly in its southern and eastern parts, and it is still growing. The 2020 census counted 45,106 residents, up 8.4% from 2010. A lot of those homes have attached two- and three-car garages with concrete that looks clean and smooth. That smoothness is exactly why it needs grinding.

Why a smooth new floor still gets ground

Garage slabs in newer homes are usually power-troweled to a hard, dense finish. Many also get a curing compound or sealer from the builder. Coatings struggle to grip either one. Here is what happens on a newer Lancaster garage: 1. We check for sealers with a water drop test. If water beads, there is something on the surface. 2. We diamond grind the floor to open the concrete. 3. Control joints are cleaned out and filled or left open, depending on the system. 4. Base coat, flakes and a topcoat go down in order.

Skipping step two is the most common reason kit coatings peel in newer garages.

Bigger garages, more choices

A three-car garage has room for a workbench, a second fridge and storage racks. Homeowners here often want more than a plain coat. Popular choices include:

• A full-broadcast flake floor in a color that matches the house
• A polyaspartic topcoat that resists yellowing in a garage with large windows or a door left open often
• A lighter base color to brighten a deep garage

Rural shops and outbuildings

The part of town east of Bowen Road is still largely rural. Pole barns, detached shops and equipment buildings there get a different system. These floors see tractors, trailers and heavy tools. We use a thicker 100% solids epoxy base, add more texture and pay attention to slab edges and door thresholds where water comes in.

The older village core

The Village of Lancaster sits inside the town, and the oldest parts of town go back much further than the subdivisions. The Warren Hull House, built in 1810, is the oldest surviving stone structure in Erie County. Houses in the village center are more likely to have older, patched basement floors. Those get the moisture testing and crack repair that older concrete needs before any coating goes on.

Creeks and wet springs

Cayuga Creek, Ellicott Creek and Scajaquada Creek all run through parts of the town. Homes near low ground can have damp basements in spring. We measure moisture at every basement estimate and use a moisture-tolerant primer when readings call for it.

Builder-grade floors and early cracks

New slabs crack too. Shrinkage cracks often show up in the first few years, usually along or between control joints. They are rarely structural. We fill them before coating so the surface is uniform. If a newer garage shows a crack with one side higher than the other, we note it and talk about it before going ahead.

Bowmansville and the north end

Bowmansville, in the northwestern corner of town near Genesee Street, mixes older homes with newer streets. Ellicott Creek runs through it. Garages there range from older detached buildings to large attached ones, so we see both old repaired slabs and new troweled ones on the same day.

Call (716) 576-3587 to book a free estimate anywhere in Lancaster.