Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national figure for professionally installed epoxy is about $4 to $10 per square foot, which works out to roughly $1,600 to $5,800 for a two-car garage. Polyaspartic systems run about $5 to $12 per square foot. Old coatings, crack repair and moisture treatment add to the total, so we price after seeing the floor.

At HomeGuide's $4 to $10 per square foot range, 1,000 square feet comes to about $4,000 to $10,000 for epoxy. A polyaspartic system at $5 to $12 per square foot would be about $5,000 to $12,000. Shop and basement floors that size vary a lot with prep, so the on-site estimate sets the number.

Using HomeGuide's national ranges, 500 square feet is about $2,000 to $5,000 for epoxy and about $2,500 to $6,000 for polyaspartic. Most two-car garages fall between 400 and 576 square feet. The finish you choose and the condition of the slab move the final price.

Epoxy needs a dry, clean, ground slab, and it can peel if moisture or oil is trapped underneath. Standard epoxy can yellow in sunlight without a UV-stable topcoat, and HomeGuide notes it can take up to a week to fully cure. A smooth glossy finish can also be slick when wet unless texture is added. We plan for each of these at the estimate.

Yes, if the cracks are stable. Hairline and shrinkage cracks are opened, filled and ground flush before coating. Cracks that are widening, or where one side has dropped, point to ground movement, which is common on karst soils around Bloomington. A coating will crack along with them, so we tell you if a slab needs concrete or foundation work first.

HomeGuide lists store kits at about $200 to $700, and many are water-based coatings that it says may need recoating every 3 to 5 years. Kits rely on acid etching, which does not remove weak concrete or old sealer. For a garage that sees freeze-thaw and road brine, a ground slab and a thicker system hold up much longer.

HomeGuide's national range for a two-car garage is about $1,600 to $5,800 with epoxy and $2,000 to $6,900 with polyaspartic. Removing an old coating, repairing scaled concrete and the finish you pick all move the price. We give you a written number after we see the floor.

HomeGuide says to stay off a new epoxy floor for 16 to 24 hours and to wait 2 to 7 days before driving on it, depending on the product. Polyaspartic systems are faster, with HomeGuide listing 24 to 48 hours before heavy vehicle traffic. Cold weather slows curing, so we give you a time for your floor.

Most peeling traces back to prep. Acid etching leaves weak concrete and old sealer in place, moisture from below pushes the coating up, or hot tires pull a thin coating off. Diamond grinding, a moisture test and a thicker system prevent most of it.

A smooth, glossy floor can be slick when wet, and that matters with winter slush. Flake floors have built-in texture, and we can add anti-slip grit to the topcoat on solid-color floors.

They are usually less slippery. The chips leave a slight texture under the topcoat, and we can leave more or less of it depending on how much grip you want.

Usually a little more. HomeGuide lists decorative flakes and custom colors as adding about $0.50 to $2.00 per square foot. A full broadcast uses more chips than a light one.

Mid-tone blends of grey, tan and black hide dried brine and dust better than very dark or very light blends. We suggest looking at samples on your own floor in daylight before choosing.

Only if the old coating is sound and well bonded. If it is peeling anywhere, we grind it off, since a new coat over a failing one will fail with it.

It cures faster, resists UV yellowing and can be applied in a wider temperature range. Epoxy builds a thicker coat per pass and costs less. Many of our garage floors use both: an epoxy base with a polyaspartic topcoat.

HomeGuide says floors are dry to the touch within hours and ready for heavy vehicle traffic in about 24 to 48 hours. We give you exact times based on the product and the weather that week.

Often yes, because the product works in a wide temperature range. We still need the slab dry and above the dew point, so we check conditions before we start and reschedule if they are not right.

Yes. Polyaspartic is UV-stable, so it can continue onto the apron or a covered porch slab without yellowing the way epoxy can.

Often yes, if the dampness is vapor and not liquid water. We test the slab and use a primer made for damp concrete when readings call for it. If water is coming in through cracks or the floor-wall joint, that has to be fixed first.

No. A coating seals the surface but is not a radon mitigation system. Test before you finish the basement, and install a mitigation system first if you need one.

Most basements take two to three days, including prep and coats. HomeGuide says to stay off a new epoxy floor for 16 to 24 hours, and furniture can usually go back after a few days.

Some products have an odor while they cure. We plan ventilation before we start, use low-odor materials where possible and tell you how long it will last with the product we choose.

Yes, and we do it on almost every floor. Stable cracks are opened, filled and ground flush so the coating goes over a continuous surface.

Stable shrinkage cracks usually stay hidden. Cracks caused by ground movement can return, because the slab is still moving. We tell you which cracks we think are active before you decide.

Bloomington sits on limestone karst, where sinkholes and settlement happen. Most garage cracks are ordinary shrinkage, but a slab that is dropping or rocking should be checked by an engineer before it is coated.

No. We repair and coat floor surfaces. If a slab has a structural problem, we will tell you so you can bring in the right specialist first.

Usually yes. Grinding removes the top layer, and heavily soaked spots are cleaned out or treated so they do not lift the coating. Extremely saturated areas sometimes need to be cut out and patched, and we will point those out at the estimate.

A thick 100% solids system handles lift and jack loads far better than a thin coating. We follow the lift maker's anchoring guidance and coat before installation or around the baseplates.

It depends on the size and system. Polyaspartic topcoats can return a floor to light use within a day, and large floors can be done in sections so part of the space stays open.

Yes, if the existing coating is sound. Lines laid in during a new coating last longer, because they are sealed under the topcoat.