GatorGuard Concrete Coatings: Garage Floor Coatings One-Day vs. Two-Day Installations

Garage Floor Coatings: One-Day vs. Two-Day Installations

Quick Solutions vs. Long-Term Success

If you had to choose: Would you get your garage floor installed in a single day or two days? Once you start doing some shopping around for garage floor vendors in the Columbus area, you’ll find those two options pop up again and again. Is it okay to just get it done as fast as possible?

It’s definitely tempting to opt for a one-day polyurea-polyaspartic coating system. However, as with many rushed jobs, this often leads to pervasive issues down the road. Similar to hastily completed roofing, rushing the floor coating process can result in inadequate results and cause all sorts of headaches.

The Weather’s Impact on Flooring

Columbus’s weather presents unique challenges for concrete surfaces:

• Moisture and Humidity: The high moisture levels in the summer and the presence of snow and ice in winter can lead to significant moisture retention in concrete. One-day systems typically fail to account for this, often leading to issues like blistering and peeling.
• Freeze-Thaw Cycles: These cycles can cause concrete to expand and contract, a problem that one-day installations often do not handle well, resulting in delamination and structural failure.

Advantages of a Two-Day Installation

Simply spending a single extra day in the installation process effectively mitigates these issues. On Day 1 of installation, a slower-curing, moisture-mitigating 100%-solids epoxy primer is applied (instead of a quick-curing polyurea-polyaspartic that cures even quicker in the presence of moisture). The high-build epoxy primer slowly penetrates into the porous concrete. It properly bonds to the concrete creating a stable base, and acts as a moisture vapor barrier.

This is followed on Day 2 by the application of dual 100%-solids polyurea-polyaspartic top coats. The dual layers provide all the necessary UV, stain and chemical resistance a top coat requires (one day systems only apply a single layer of a less-than-100%-solids top coat).

This method ensures a strong coating system-concrete bond, durability, and resistance to Columbus’s seasonal temperature fluctuations.

The Importance of Patience and Quality

We can’t recommend opting for a two-day installation over a quick one-day fix enough. The two-day installation process provides a reliable, long-lasting solution and will save you from paying for repairs soon after you had your floor installed (sometimes only months!).

Just as you wouldn’t want an electrician to cut corners, the same care should be taken with your floor coatings to ensure a quality finish that stands the test of time.

About GatorGuard Concrete Coatings Columbus

”At GatorGuard, we set ourselves apart from other floor coating contractors by offering the highest quality products, comprehensive warranties, and the best installation and customer service. But we don’t stop there—all our epoxy floor coatings are installed with our GatorShield moisture mitigation barrier to help prevent delamination, which can occur from hydrostatic pressure. We also offer a White Glove service, where we will handle the removal, storage, and replacement of all your furniture and belongings, so you don’t have to lift a finger.

Contact GatorGuard today to learn more about our epoxy floor coating options and to schedule a consultation at your Columbus, OH home.”