Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national figure for installed epoxy is $4 to $10 per square foot, which works out to about $1,600 to $5,800 for a two-car garage. Polyaspartic runs about $5 to $12 per square foot in the same guide. Removing old paint, repairing salt damage and adding flakes all affect the price, so we quote in writing after seeing the floor.

Epoxy needs dry, well-prepared concrete, and it can blister or peel if moisture or oil is trapped under it. HomeGuide notes that standard epoxy can take up to a week to fully cure, and a smooth glossy finish can be slippery when wet. A ground surface, a moisture test, a UV-stable topcoat and added texture handle most of these issues.

Kits at local home centers range from about $40 for a gallon of one-part epoxy paint to several hundred dollars for a two-part system. HomeGuide says water-based epoxy may need recoating every 3 to 5 years. Most kits rely on acid etching, which does not remove old paint or salt-damaged concrete. On a slab that takes salty slush all winter, the prep is what decides how long the floor lasts.

A typical system has a primer or base coat of epoxy, an optional layer of decorative flakes or color, and a clear topcoat, often polyaspartic or urethane. Crack filler and patching compounds go in before the base coat. The diamond grinder, dust vacuum and moisture meter matter as much as the coatings.

Coatings need the slab and air above the minimum temperatures the manufacturer lists. HomeGuide notes polyaspartic can be applied in a much wider temperature range than standard epoxy, so it is often the choice for cold-season jobs. We measure slab temperature at the job, and if conditions are wrong we reschedule instead of forcing it.

Flaking, or scaling, means the top layer of concrete has been broken down by salt and freeze-thaw. We grind off the loose material, fill the pits and low spots, and then coat. If the damage is deep across the whole floor, resurfacing may be needed first, and we will tell you that at the estimate.

HomeGuide's national range for a two-car garage is about $1,600 to $5,800 for epoxy and about $2,000 to $6,900 for polyaspartic. Older Cheektowaga slabs often need paint removal or scaling repair, which can move the price up. We give you a written number after we see the floor.

HomeGuide says polyaspartic usually reaches a full cure for vehicle traffic in about 24 to 48 hours, while standard epoxy can take up to a week to fully cure. Cold weather slows curing. We give you a specific time for your floor before we leave.

A smooth, glossy floor can be slick when wet, and Buffalo winters keep garage floors wet. Flake floors have built-in texture, and we can add an anti-slip aggregate to the topcoat on solid-color floors.

No. A new coating is only as strong as the layer under it, and old paint lets go. We grind old paint and failed kit coatings off completely so the new system bonds to bare concrete.

A full-broadcast flake floor has more texture than a smooth coating, so it is less slick when wet. If you want more grip, we add a fine anti-slip aggregate to the topcoat. That is worth considering in garages that see meltwater all winter.

HomeGuide lists decorative flakes and custom colors at about $0.50 to $2.00 per square foot on top of the base system. On a 500 square foot two-car garage, that is roughly $250 to $1,000 more. The blend and chip size you pick affect where you land.

They hide it much better than a solid color. The chip pattern breaks up the white film that dried brine leaves behind. You still need to rinse salt off now and then so it does not build up and dull the topcoat.

Yes, as long as the slab passes a moisture check or gets a primer designed for damp concrete. Lighter chip blends are popular in basements because they make the room feel brighter.

Each has strengths. Polyaspartic cures much faster, resists UV and goes down in a wider temperature range. Epoxy builds more thickness per coat and is often used as a base under a polyaspartic topcoat. On many older slabs, the combination works well.

HomeGuide estimates 10 to 20 or more years in residential use. Prep, traffic and how often salt is rinsed off affect real-world life. A worn topcoat can usually be recoated if the layers under it are still bonded.

HomeGuide lists an application range of -30°F to 140°F, far wider than epoxy. Each product still has its own slab temperature and humidity limits, and we measure at the job. If conditions are outside those limits, we move the date.

HomeGuide puts a two-car garage at about $2,000 to $6,900. Older slabs with scaling or paint to remove land higher in that range. We quote in writing after the estimate visit.

It depends on how damp. Moderate vapor can be handled with a primer made for it. Standing water or water coming through cracks has to be fixed first, because no coating will hold against it. The moisture test at the estimate tells us which case you have.

HomeGuide's national range is about $1,200 to $20,000 for basements of 300 to 2,000 square feet, or $4 to $10 per square foot. Moisture primers, old paint removal and metallic finishes add to that. We quote after testing the slab.

Coatings are thin, so the floor will feel about as cool as the concrete under it. Many owners add area rugs in seating areas. The coating's real benefit is a sealed surface that does not shed dust and is easy to mop.

No. A coating seals the surface and cracks, but it is not a radon mitigation system. The EPA recommends testing and fixing homes at 4 pCi/L or higher, so test before you finish the basement.

Yes, once the cracks are cleaned and filled. Stable cracks are repaired and ground flush before coating. Cracks that are still moving may show through over time, and we tell you if we see signs of that.

HomeAdvisor lists patching chips and small cracks at about $25 to $250. If damage covers most of the floor, HomeGuide puts resurfacing at about $3 to $7 per square foot. We price repairs as a line item on your written quote.

That flaking is called scaling. Salty water soaks into the surface, freezes and expands, and the top layer breaks off. It is usually worst near the door, where meltwater collects and temperature swings are largest.

Call one if a crack keeps widening, one side sits higher than the other, water comes through it, or doors and windows start sticking. Those point to movement a floor coating cannot fix.

HomeAdvisor puts 100% solids coatings, the type used in heavy-traffic spaces, at about $12 or more per square foot. This Old House gives a general professional range of $3 to $12 per square foot. The system, prep and scheduling needs of your space set the actual price.

Often, yes, for part of the time. We can work in sections, after hours or over a weekend, and fast-cure topcoats shorten closures. The written schedule shows exactly when each area is off limits.

A thick 100% solids system over properly ground concrete is built for rolling loads. We size the system to your traffic and tell you when the floor can take full loads after install.

Usually, after heavy degreasing and grinding to remove contaminated concrete. Very deep oil saturation may need extra treatment, and we test for it before quoting.