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Epoxy Floor Coatings: 10 Tips for New Construction of Concrete Garage Floors
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Plan ahead before you construct a new concrete floor

Planning ahead can save time, money, and frustration - frustration that's usually tied to money wasted. When pouring a new concrete garage floor, a little planning can save a lot of time, hassle, and money when later applying decorative and protective epoxy coatings.

Garage floor coatings in Middleriver, Maryland

Planning ahead before constructing concrete floors can save you a headache when applying epoxy floor coatings later.

10 Tips for New Construction of Concrete Garage Floors

The following items are applicable to new concrete floors, whether it's a garage, basement, porch, pole barn or tack room.  If the concrete is going to be coated, keep these in mind:

  1. Do not apply Cure-N-Seal to the new concrete. No type of sealers should be used. If you're using a curing agent, be sure it doesn't have a sealer component.

  2. Do not burnish, blacken or over trowel the surface. Just a smooth, steel trowel finish is suggested. If a power-trowel is not necessary to get a good finish, don't use it.  If a power-trowel is used, work the surface only a much as absolutely necessary.  

  3. Use plastic zip strips or saw cuts for control joints. Don't use metal strips or expansion joints on the main slab, unless absolutely necessary. For more information on joints, read What if I Have a Joint?

  4. Concrete steps and wood steps can be coated. If wooden, it should be plain wood; not pressure-treated lumber, OSB, MDF or other plywoods.

  5. A normal concrete mix must cure for at least 28 days prior to coating. We highly suggest 45 or more days of curing (depending upon weather conditions). Faster curing concrete can be used, but please discuss it with the STRONGHOLD FLOORS staff first.

  6. Radiant floor heat is NOT an issue for coatings. The concrete surface preparation and coatings application process won't harm the radiant heating system. Just install the radiant floor tubing as specified by the manufacturer.

  7. The blacktop or concrete driveway does NOT need to be installed prior to coatings application. If adding a blacktop driveway later, just lay cardboard on the garage floor coatings prior to allowing the rollers to touch the coated floors.

  8. Install base board, trim or cove base after coatings are installed. That way any future changes to the trim won't change the finish line of the floor coatings.

  9. Any wall painting to be installed prior to the floor coatings should be completed at least 72 hours prior to our arrival. Painting after coatings installation isn't an issue. Wall paints rarely ever form any real bond to the cured epoxy, urethane, or polyaspartic coatings. Most clean off with just water if still tacky, or pop off when dried.

  10. Don't worry about scrubbing the garage floor's concrete clean before the arrival of a STRONGHOLD FLOORS coating crew. Just remove all items and debris prior to the crew's arrival.  A simple broom cleaning of the floor is all that is required Our team will prepare the surface with mechanical diamond grinders, so spots of drywall compound, paint over-spray, and mud will be removed during the normal process.

garage concrete floor surface preparationWhile failing to heed any of the items above won't stop us from installing coatings, you may incur additional and unnecessary charges. This is especially true of item #1. Don't seal your residential concrete floor if you plan to have a professional epoxy floor installed.

If you expect there to be several years between initial placement of the concrete floor and the purchase of a professionally installed epoxy coating, contact us. We can provide guidance on the best course of action.

If your slabs are already poured, don't fret! Again, we can get past most issues.  Even heavily damaged slabs can often be repaired and have a floor coating system applied.

 

 

What About Outdoor Concrete?

Outdoor concrete, whether broom finished, exposed aggregate, or integral color, should be protected from the elements. Salt, acidic water, and other erosive substances will quickly degrade the surface of sidewalks, porches, and pool decks.

The easiest sealers to apply (and rejuvenate) are penetrating, silane/siloxane sealers. We've used and highly recommend these types of sealers.

The staff of STRONGHOLD FLOORS can also assist with commercial floor coating projects. We work with architects, project managers, and designers to design the coatings solution that best fits your requirements.

Request a free quote today online to get started with your coatings project today!