Living in Denver comes with many perks, including access to a variety of outdoor activities, urban amenities, frequent professional sporting events, and a vibrant cultural scene. But, there are a few drawbacks, including the city’s snowy, icy, freezing winters. While below-freezing temperatures can make you shiver, the problem goes beyond personal discomfort.

Your home, and more specifically your concrete surfaces, face harsh conditions day after day that leave them looking worn down. That’s where professional Polyaspartic coatings come in. While DIY coatings kits may be a good option for homeowners in states with milder climates, homeowners across the city are beginning to realize that these store-bought kits don’t offer quite as much protection as they suggest. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the many risks of leaving your concrete floors unfinished and why professional Polyaspartic coatings should always be your top choice for long-term protection. 

The Magnesium Chloride Factor

It is incredibly important to residents across Denver that the roads are quickly and efficiently salted and plowed following heavy snowfall. This essential task makes the commute to work and school much safer and more comfortable for drivers across the city. But, the snow melting and snow removal process does come with some consequences.

The city relies heavily on the use of magnesium chloride and rock salt to melt ice. While this combination is incredibly effective for keeping the roads ice-free, it also attaches itself to your vehicle’s tires and finds its way into your garage. Your porous, unfinished concrete floors are then met with an incredibly abrasive agent that slowly eats away at them. 

That’s where professional Polyaspartic coatings come in. Unlike DIY coatings, professional Polyaspartic coatings create an impenetrable, non-porous barrier. With these coatings in place, you don’t have to worry about these harmful, abrasive chemicals leeching into the floors, leading to long-term damage like spalling and efflorescence. 

Solving the Dusting Problem in Denver New Builds

Between 2020 and 2024, the Greater Denver area experienced a population increase of over 160,000 people. While this is great for Denver’s rapidly growing economy, it also meant that real estate developers began building homes faster than ever before. Areas like Castle Rock, Parker, and Aurora saw the greatest growth.

These new construction homes were the perfect place for new residents to call home, but they came with one major problem: dusty concrete floors. You may have initially thought this dust was a result of windy days. However, concrete dust is actually the result of the surface of your concrete breaking down after constant exposure to the freeze-thaw cycle. 

When you invest in a professional Polyaspartic coating, you aren’t just ensuring your concrete doesn’t break down prematurely. You seal it so you don’t have to worry about tracking this annoying white dust into your home. Not only will it keep you safer, but it will help you avoid the harmful effects of exposure to silica, which can result in a life-altering silicosis diagnosis. 

The Outdoor Living Extension

When you live in a place like Denver, you get to enjoy over 300 sunny days a year. Whether you moved to the city for snowboarding, skiing, hiking, or mountain biking, most residents would say that the outdoor access is a big selling point. When you’re at home, you want to ensure your outdoor living space is prepared to stand up to regular use.

But, coupling frequent use with sun exposure at 5,280 feet, your concrete may not be looking its best. Constant sunshine dries out this already porous surface, resulting in cracks and degradation. That’s why it’s so important to skip out on the DIY kits and instead choose to coat patio and porch spaces with professional Polyaspartic coatings. 

Polyaspartic coatings are UV-stable, meaning they won’t yellow or degrade with regular sun exposure. Beyond its ability to stand up to constant sun exposure and regular moisture, these coatings make cleaning a breeze. When they’re dirty, you can simply rinse the surface off with a hose, meaning worries about stains and damage are a thing of the past. 

The Health of Your Home and Risk of VOCs

Denver residents are a notoriously health-conscious bunch. From ensuring they eat the best foods to getting plenty of exercise throughout the day, the American College of Sports Medicine named Denver the 5th fittest city in the nation. However, you may not realize your DIY epoxy flooring kit can take its own toll on your personal health. 

Store-bought epoxy products are known for off-gassing harmful chemicals, also known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), into your living space. Because your home spends the winter months tightly sealed against the cold, these fumes migrate into your home and fester, putting you and your loved ones at risk. 

At Denver’s higher altitude, you may also notice that it is more difficult to remove these VOC smells from your home. Unlike store-bought epoxies, professional Polyaspartic coatings are low or no-VOC. Whether you have pets and small children or it’s just you in your home, investing in professional Polyaspartic coatings can help you avoid potential health complications from VOC exposure. 

The Brewery & Small Biz Boom

Denver is quickly becoming the brewery capital of the world. On top of that, there are gyms and pet-friendly places around every corner, especially in neighborhoods like RiNo, LoHi,and Highlands. Unlike some other small businesses, the floors in breweries, gyms, and pet-friendly establishments face unique challenges.

Breweries deal with spills of incredibly acidic beer, while gyms face heavy weightlifting drops and pet-friendly spaces deal with dirty paws and sharp claws. If you attempt to use DIY floor coatings to keep your floors safe from this abuse, it may not stand up to it for very long. That’s why professional Polyaspartic coatings are so incredibly important.

Whether you own a well-established brewery or are considering opening a boutique gym or dog daycare, these coatings will help you keep your floors safe from abrasion. Additionally, with their anti-slip additives, you reduce your risk of slip-and-fall incidents; and their antimicrobial properties can help you avoid hygiene nightmares. 

Choose Professional Polyaspartic Coatings for Your Denver Home

From new homeowners in Denver to long-time residents, our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings is here to help you keep your concrete floors looking and performing their best. No matter what you want your floors to look like, you can rest assured that our professional Polyaspartic coatings are the perfect solution. 

If you’d like to learn more about our professional Polyaspartic coatings or schedule installation for your home or business, don’t hesitate to contact us today. 

When you install a floor coating in your home or commercial space, you don’t anticipate dealing with major problems for years. However, this isn’t always the case. Over the first few years of its life, you may notice small issues or imperfections with the coating. While you may overlook some, other damage may have you wondering whether you can repair your floor coating. 

Although repairs are always the fastest solution, you may also need to decide whether it’s time to replace your floor coating. But deciding between repairing and replacing your floor coating can be difficult on your own. In this blog, we’ll help you determine whether you should repair or replace your floor coating to ensure you get the most out of this investment. 

Why Your Floor Coating May Be Damaged

When you invest in a floor coating, you don’t expect to deal with damage. If it is properly installed, your floor coating should have a decades-long anticipated lifespan. However, this isn’t always the case. Some floor coatings may begin to deteriorate prematurely. But why might you need to repair or replace your floor coating? There are a few common causes of damage to floor coatings, including: 

• Improper Installation: Surface preparation is one of the most crucial steps in the installation process, and foregoing this step can have devastating consequences, including premature peeling and chipping.  
• Moisture Problems: If you previously dealt with moisture problems and didn’t address or remedy them before installing your floor coating, it isn’t uncommon to experience repeat problems after the installation is complete. 
• Chemical Exposure: While your floor coating can withstand some chemical exposure, prolonged exposure to abrasive chemicals like acetone can lead to wearing of the coating, which compromises long-term performance. 
• UV Exposure: Although UV exposure to your floors might not seem detrimental, they can significantly impact the appearance of your floors. With regular exposure to sunlight, some coatings, like epoxy, may begin to yellow. 
• Low-Quality Product: DIY floor coating installation is a great way to quickly change the appearance of your floors, but these lower-quality products may not have a decades-long lifespan, leading to problems sooner than anticipated. 

Signs You Need to Repair Your Floor Coating

While you might be experiencing damage to your floors, this isn’t always a sign that you need to replace your floor coating. In some cases, you may be able to reach out to your coating professional about scheduling minor repairs. But is that an option for your floors? If you’re experiencing any of the following problems, you may be a candidate for repairs: 

• Minor Staining: If you’re dealing with a stain that won’t go away, even after using acetone, your floor coating team may be able to repair it. 
• Small Bubbling and Peeling: Minor adhesion problems like bubbling and peeling can be repaired as long as it isn’t a problem across the entire floor. 
• Short Cracks: Small surface cracks that don’t reach the concrete surface and are less than ¼” thick and a few inches long can often be repaired.
• Scratches: Minor scratches or scuffs from moving boxes, frequent foot traffic, and exposure to machinery can be buffed away and repaired. 

When It’s Best to Replace Your Floor Coating

Although minor damage to your floor coating can be quickly addressed and remedied, it is important that you understand when it is best to replace your floor coating. Your floor coating team can make repairs to minor damage, including those mentioned above. But they cannot save a severely deteriorated floor coating. 

Deep scratches, major peeling problems, large stains, cracks that reach far across the floor, and widespread damage cannot be repaired adequately. While your coating team may be able to provide temporary solutions, this damage often signifies that it’s time to replace your floor coating with something new and more reliable.

While it can be frustrating, especially if your floor coating is relatively new, it is always best to heed the advice of your coating team. They don’t suggest that you replace your floor coating unless that is the best solution for your space. When they provide these suggestions, it is best to take their advice, or you may deal with repeat damage issues down the road. 

Should You Choose a New Floor Coating Product? 

As you prepare to replace your floor coating, this is the perfect time to consider investing in a higher-quality flooring material. Whether you used DIY products or worked with an inexperienced team, this replacement allows you an opportunity to invest in something more reliable and with a longer lifespan.

Before you replace your floor coating, it is important to consider the benefits of investing in epoxy and Polyaspartic floor coatings. Each comes with its unique benefits, making them a great addition to every home or commercial space. But which is right for you. Consider the following before scheduling with your coating team: 

• Epoxy: These coatings are right for your space if you’re looking for a high-gloss, modern finish but are working on a limited budget. It is important to note that epoxy is prone to yellowing with frequent UV exposure, so consider this before installing it in high UV-exposure areas like patios, porches, and open garages or work bays. 
• Polyaspartic: A Polyaspartic coating the most protection of all coatings on the market, cures quickly, and is customizable, making it a great choice for every space. While it is often more expensive upfront, its durability and over 20-year long lifespan makes it a worthwhile investment. 

Let Our Team Replace Your Floor Coating

When it is time to replace your floor coating, don’t settle for a team with subpar experience. Instead, turn to our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Colorado for support. With years of experience delivering high-quality coatings to homeowners across the Greater Denver area, we’re confident that we can do the same for you. When you invest in our coatings, you’ll have the peace of mind that our coatings are designed to perform and look their best for decades.

If you would like to schedule an appointment to replace your floor coating, contact us today for support. 

 

Living in Colorado, you are probably used to the snowy, bitterly cold winters and sunny, scorching summer days. While this is something you grow accustomed to, the fragile materials around your home may be far less flexible. One of the least flexible materials in your home is concrete. Although you may think of it as durable, concrete is actually incredibly fickle. 

Concrete is built to last, but even the strongest surfaces can weaken under the stress of constant temperature changes. When temperature fluctuations happen quickly or repeatedly, your concrete expands and contracts in ways that can lead to cracking, crumbling, and long-term structural issues.

Understanding how temperature fluctuations affect concrete can help you spot early signs of damage and take action before small issues turn into costly repairs.

The Impact of Heat on Untreated Concrete

Hot weather also impacts concrete durability. High temperatures accelerate water evaporation, which can interfere with proper curing and lead to shrinkage cracks. When concrete cools at night after hot days, the repeated expansion and contraction from these fluctuations place stress on the structure. Effects of hot weather on concrete include:

• Rapid moisture loss: Accelerated drying causes shrinkage and surface cracking.
• Thermal expansion: Concrete expands in heat and contracts as it cools, potentially creating stress at joints or within slabs.
• Weakened strength: Inadequate curing in hot conditions reduces long-term strength and durability.

Temperature fluctuations magnify these problems, creating more pronounced cracks, warping, and surface defects. Using curing compounds, shade, or controlled water spraying can help minimize these effects and maintain concrete integrity under changing temperatures.

How Cold Weather Impacts Your Concrete

Cold weather can significantly affect concrete, especially when temperatures fluctuate. Concrete is porous and absorbs water, which can freeze when temperatures drop. This freezing water expands, putting stress on the concrete and potentially causing cracking or scaling over time. Frequent cycles of freezing and thawing exacerbate this problem, as repeated expansion and contraction weaken the surface. Key impacts include:

• Freeze-thaw damage: Water trapped in concrete freezes and expands, leading to surface spalling and internal cracks.
• Delayed curing: Low temperatures slow down hydration, reducing early strength development.
• Increased brittleness: Concrete becomes more rigid and prone to cracking under stress during cold snaps.

Temperature fluctuations intensify these effects, as the constant expansion and contraction of the concrete accelerate deterioration. Proper protection, such as insulation or heated blankets during curing, is essential to prevent long-term damage.

How to Protect Your Concrete from Temperature Fluctuations

If you want to keep your concrete floors safe from damage caused by frequent or extreme temperature fluctuations, it may be best to turn to floor coating professionals for support. When you install a high-quality floor coating over your concrete floors, you create a protective barrier that minimizes the impact of these temperature fluctuations, keeping them stable and durable. 

Professional floor coatings seal the porous surface of your concrete, reducing moisture absorption that can worsen during freeze-thaw cycles. When moisture enters uncoated concrete and freezes, it expands, putting pressure on the slab. Floor coatings help prevent this, keeping water out and reducing the risk of deterioration.

Additionally, many floor coatings offer enhanced UV resistance, helping the concrete withstand heat exposure, surface fading, and thermal stress during the warmest months of the year. By adding this layer of defense, you support the longevity of your concrete, improve its performance, and reduce long term maintenance costs. 

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and reliable way to keep your concrete floors safe from regular temperature fluctuations, floor coatings are the easiest way to achieve this goal. Whether you want to improve their appearance or functionality, a professionally installed coating is the best way to maintain their performance year after year. 

What Floor Coating is Best for Long-Term Protection?

When you begin looking for a floor coating to protect your concrete from regular temperature fluctuations, you want to ensure you choose a coating that is built for long-term performance. Not all coatings are created equal, and you want to ensure that your chosen coating product will keep your floors safe for years to come.

One of the most popular options homeowners may consider is epoxy. These coatings are known for their modern appearance, helping you protect your floors while boosting their appearance. While epoxy is great for achieving the sleek appearance you’re looking for, it is prone to yellowing with prolonged sun exposure.

If you’re looking for the most reliable option on the market, it is best to invest in a Polyaspartic coating. These coatings have an expected lifespan of 15-20 years, meaning you won’t have to worry about them breaking down for decades to come. Additionally, as the most flexible, stain- and chemical-resistant coating on the market, it won’t degrade from accidental spills. 

Whether you’re protecting the concrete floors in your garage or on your patio or porch, Polyaspartic is designed for peak performance. With these floor coatings installed on your property, you can trust that you’ll avoid the major damage and structural concerns that occur as a result of regular temperature fluctuations. 

Let Us Protect Your Floors from Temperature Fluctuations

Whether you’re dealing with previously damaged floors or you’ve just installed a new concrete slab, our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Colorado is here to help. With our high-quality epoxy and Polyaspartic coatings in your home, you can trust that your concrete can withstand temperature fluctuations, frequent friction, and much more. No matter what comes their way, your concrete floors will always look and perform their best.

If you would like to schedule a coating installation to protect the concrete floors in your Denver home, don’t hesitate to contact us for support.