When it comes to preparing for a floor coating application, many people spend their time thinking about the type of coating product they’re going to use. So often, they will weigh the pros and cons of Polyaspartic and epoxy coatings without considering the most important step in this process: the floor prep.

Floor coatings are a major investment in a space, and you want to ensure this investment is prepared to last a lifetime. However, no coatings perform well unless the surface beneath them is properly prepared. Floor prep isn’t just a preliminary step. It is the foundation to success, ensuring your coating looks and performs its best for its expected lifespan. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss why this step is crucial in ensuring floor coating performance and the risks you face if you don’t invest in quality prep. 

The Role of Floor Prep in Successful Coatings

Your chosen floor coating product needs a solid, clean, and properly textured surface to adhere to. If the base for your coating is dusty, greasy, cracked, uneven, or already coated, your new floor coating may struggle to bond correctly. This leads to a variety of problems, from aesthetic issues to early system failure. 

But, with adequate prep, you set the stage for success, ensuring strong adhesion between the concrete and the coating. Additionally, floor prep removes contaminants that interfere with bonding and reveals underlying floor damage so you can make essential repairs. While it might seem tedious, this is a critical step for installing a floor coating. 

What Happens Without Proper Prep? 

Skipping or rushing through floor prep can compromise the entire floor coating project. Improper preparation is one of the most significant causes of coating failures, which is why this step is essential. If you skip or rush through this step, there are several problems you may encounter, including: 

• Peeling and Flaking: If your floor isn’t clean or rough enough, your floor coating may begin to peel soon after installation. Even if it looks fine initially, daily use and temperature fluctuations will soon cause delamination. 
• Bubbling and Blistering: Moisture trapped under your coating due to improper preparation, like skipping moisture tests and sealing damp surfaces, can lead to bubbles and blisters that ruin coating performance and appearance. 
• Uneven Finish: Floor prep ensures the surface is level and opens up the pores of the concrete. Skipping this step can result in visible imperfections and a bumpy texture that is hard, if not impossible, to correct after application. 
• Reduced Lifespan: When prepared properly, floor coatings have a decades-long lifespan. However, if you disregard floor prep, you may have to redo the application just months after the initial application. 

What is Involved in Floor Prep? 

Professional floor prep is a multi-step process tailored to your concrete’s condition and the type of coating being applied. While these exact steps may vary depending on the product you’ve chosen, here is a breakdown of what you can typically expect: 

Inspection and Moisture Testing

Before any floor coating product is installed, your team will perform a thorough inspection of your floors. The team will look for cracks, stains, old coatings, and signs of moisture issues, which may compromise the appearance and performance of your coating. Moisture testing is an essential part of this step. If your concrete is too wet, it can prevent the coating from curing properly and lead to blistering later. By testing beforehand, your team can craft a proper plan to ensure your floors are ready for this project.

Cleaning and Roughening

Once they’ve inspected the floors, the team will begin the cleaning process, removing oil, grease, dust, and debris from the concrete surface. They’ll use degreasers, specialized cleaning agents, and industrial vacuums to ensure all contaminants are removed before the application process begins. Then, they will grind the concrete surface to ensure the floor coating can adhere properly. This process removes the top surface of the concrete, opens the concrete’s pores, and creates a texture that allows the coating to grip tightly. 

Cracks and Damage Repair

If your floor coating team finds any signs of damage to the concrete during their inspection, they will need to patch and repair it before they can apply the coating. Cracks, pitting, and spalling are repaired using epoxy fillers or patching compounds. By repairing their floors before the application process, your floor coating team creates a smooth, stable base. This smooth and even base ensures uniform application and prevents the coating from settling unevenly once it has cured. 

Dust Removal

After the grinding or blasting, your floor coating team will need to do one final round of dust removal. They will use HEPA vacuums to remove the last bits of debris across your floors. If they don’t remove this debris from your floors, it can lead to an adhesion problem. This dust can compromise the contact area between your coating and the concrete. By going through with a vacuum, your floor coating team ensures that any remaining dust is removed and you’re setting yourself up for success. 

Should You Try to DIY Floor Prep? 

You may be tempted to perform floor prep on your own, but you may struggle to do so adequately. Unlike the professionals, homeowners often don’t have the tools necessary to prep their floors. Before you can begin, you’ll need to purchase these tools to ensure they are done properly, which can quickly become costly. 

Additionally, the DIY prep products, like acid etching products, don’t provide a deep etching profile, making it difficult for the coating to adhere. Finally, you may miss cracks and moisture issues that a professional would. While DIY prep may save you money upfront, it can lead to early failure and an even higher price tag to fix the problem. 

Exceptional Prep and Floor Coatings in Denver, CO

If you’re considering a floor coating project for your garage, basement, or commercial space, don’t just focus on the coating product. Take the time to understand the preparation process and why it matters so much. When you work with our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Colorado, you can trust that we’ll provide comprehensive floor prep to ensure your floors look and perform their best. With our support, you’ll have beautiful floors in your home for years to come. 

If you’d like to learn more about our floor coating products or schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to contact us today. 

When choosing a new garage floor coating for your home, safety is often a top priority. While these coatings are durable, stain-resistant, and enhance the aesthetics of your home, many homeowners are weary about the potential health effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These can be concerning, but with the right research, you can keep your home and loved ones safe from potential health complications.

If you’re considering investing in a floor coating, keep reading to learn more about what VOCs are, how they impact air quality, and how to choose the safest option for your space.  

What are VOCs

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate at room temperature and are found in paints, refrigerants, pesticides, aerosol sprays, and floor coatings. When you install a floor coating in your home, VOCs are often released during the curing process. Although these chemicals are found in a variety of products across your home, they can contribute to the worsening of indoor air quality, leading to potential health risks. 

Health Risks Associated with VOC Exposure

Exposure to high levels of VOCs can cause a range of short- and long-term health problems. Some of these health risks include: 

• Short-Term Effects: Upon initial exposure to VOCs, you may notice eye, nose, and throat irritation. You may also experience headaches, dizziness, and nausea. 
• Long-Term Effects: Individuals who experience long-term exposure may deal with liver and kidney problems, loss of coordination, and certain cancers. 
• Further Respiratory Conditions: If you already have respiratory conditions, like asthma or COPD, you may experience aggravated symptoms when exposed to VOCs. 

How Garage Floor Coatings Impact Indoor Air Quality

Garage floor coatings vary in their VOC content, and their impact on indoor air quality depends on several factors. These factors include the type of coating used, the size and ventilation of your garage, and how well the coating can cure before you reenter the space. Traditional epoxy and polyurethane coatings can release significant VOCs during curing, contributing to poor air quality in and around your home. 

If your garage is poorly ventilated or attached to a living space, these fumes can infiltrate your indoor air, leading to prolonged exposure and subsequent health effects. Additionally, VOC off-gassing can continue for an extended period, even after the coating appears dry. The rate of emission depends on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

High concentrations of VOCs indoors can exacerbate respiratory conditions and cause discomfort for individuals sensitive to air pollutants. Understanding these factors can help homeowners make safer choices when selecting an appropriate garage floor coating for their space. 

Your Low-VOC Alternatives

While you may be concerned about your risk of VOC exposure, there are safer alternatives for your home. Many manufacturers now offer low-VOC garage floor coating options that minimize harmful emissions. Some of the most common options include: 

• Epoxy Coatings: An epoxy floor coating is a durable, protective surface applied over your concrete floors to enhance their strength, appearance, and resistance to damage. While these are popular among homeowners, these floors are not UV-resistant. This lack of UV resistance means the floors may become yellow with prolonged sun exposure. 
• Polyaspartic Coatings: If you love the appearance of epoxy floors but want a more reliable option, Polyaspartic is a more modern, dependable choice. These floors are durable and UV-resistant. Unlike their epoxy counterpart, these floors are cured in 24 hours, allowing you to return to regular use of the space.

If you’re struggling to find the right floor coating for your home, it is always best to reach out to a floor coating professional for support. Their expertise can help you determine which floor coating is the right fit for your lifestyle. Whether you use your garage as a parking spot, storage, or weekend hobby space, they’ll ensure your floor coating is prepared to handle it all. 

Minimizing VOC Exposure During Installation

If you’ve chosen a garage floor coating that contains some VOCs, there are a few things you can do to limit exposure and protect yourself during off-gassing. If you want to reduce VOC exposure, follow these steps: 

• Improve Ventilation: Keep your garage doors and windows open during and after installation to allow fumes to dissipate. 
• Wear PPE: If you’re installing a floor coating, it is essential that you wear protective equipment, including a respirator mask and gloves.
• Allow Proper Curing: Avoid using your garage until the coating has fully cured, between 24 hours and two weeks, to ensure fumes have dissipated. 
• Schedule Professional Installation: The best way to avoid VOCs is by working with professionals to install the coating. With their experience, they can protect you and your loved ones from potential exposure. 

Your Expert Floor Coating Partner in Denver, CO

Garage floor coatings can be a safe choice for your home when chosen correctly. If you’re considering installing a floor coating in your home, it is best to turn to a team of professionals for support. For homeowners across Denver, CO, who want to install a garage floor coating, turn to our team at Solid Custom Floor Coatings for support. 

For years, we’ve provided homeowners with the highest-quality floor coatings on the market. Whether you want a shiny, sleek epoxy floor or are interested in a more modern Polyaspartic option, we provide them all. With our support, you can trust that you’ll have the best floor coating in your home. 

If you’d like to schedule floor coating installation for your Denver home or have any questions about our services, don’t hesitate to contact us today. 

If the floors in your garage are beginning to look worn down, you may find yourself considering ways to protect the concrete. If paint isn’t enough to restore your floors, you may gravitate toward floor coatings. These expert products are a great way to protect your floors from drop damage, chemical exposure, and everyday friction.

But, while DIY floor coatings may seem like a quick and easy solution, they are far more complex than they appear, leading to a headache for homeowners. If you’re considering attempting a DIY floor coating, keep reading to learn more about how this may hurt your floors and wallet down the line. 

Essential Floor Prep

Although you may be tempted to throw a DIY floor coating down when you purchase the product, concrete floors need essential prep to be the right canvas for coatings. While this prep starts with sweeping and mopping, it is far more complex than it seems and difficult to perform without the essential tools and training. 

Professional floor coating installers will patch minor cracks and imperfections across your concrete to ensure the coat applies smoothly. Once these imperfections are addressed, they’ll begin etching the concrete surface. Without proper training, etching your concrete can lead to the weakening of the entire slab. 

Experts know how to properly apply and neutralize the etching agent, making it essential to rely on their experience when starting this project. By relying on professionals instead of attempting DIY floor coating, you guarantee that the project starts on the right track and the coating has an adequate base to adhere to. 

The Application Process

Once the floors have been appropriately prepped for your floor coating product, the problems with DIY floor coating really begin. While everything may seem like it is going according to plan as you begin the installation, this can quickly take a turn. Applying a floor coating takes a great deal of expertise and training.

Without the proper experience and training, you may struggle to install a complete layer of coating before parts of it begin to cure. This uneven cure time can lead to premature peeling, bubbling, and a decrease in durability. Because durability is such an important part of these coatings, this is especially frustrating. 

Additionally, if you attempt to add flakes to your floor coating, it can be hard to install them without overusing the product or applying it in a way that doesn’t appear cohesive. This may leave your floor with gaps where you run out of product. On the other hand, professionals have the experience to apply the coating and flakes quickly, ensuring full coverage and durability. 

Exposure to Harmful Fumes

One major risk of installing DIY floor coatings that you may not think about is your risk of exposure to harmful fumes. While many floor coating products on the market are low VOC, there is still a risk with inhaling these fumes. Although you may have appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), you still run the risk when installing these yourself. 

Instead of attempting to install these products yourself and exposing yourself to harmful chemicals, it is best to rely on professionals. They’ll have professional protective equipment, fans, training, and experience to install these products without risk. If you need new floors but don’t want to put yourself in harm’s way, it is always best to turn to the pros. 

Moisture Problems

The final risk you run by attempting to install a DIY floor coating is moisture problems. Moisture can be incredibly detrimental to concrete floors, especially in spaces with a history of flooding. When your floors have dips in them, where water may pool, this can compromise the integrity of your new floor coating. 

If water is allowed to collect in one spot on a floor coating, it may seep beneath the coating. This seepage can cause your coating to peel, flake, and bubble prematurely. Additionally, excessive moisture in your concrete floors may lead to efflorescence. This increased damage can be costly and frustrating to repair.

When you work with professionals, they ensure your floor is appropriately sloped to allow adequate drainage if there is water exposure. If you’ve dealt with flooding or pooling in your space before and want to avoid dealing with damage down the road, it is best to contact the professionals for support. 

Skip DIY Floor Coatings and Invest in Professional Products Instead

If you’ve ever been tempted to install a DIY floor coating in your home, it is best to avoid these products, as they do more harm than good. Instead of purchasing a DIY coating product, consider relying on professionals for a reliable floor coating installation. With their experience and professional products, you can trust that your floors will look their best. 

If you’re looking for a floor coating provider in the Denver, CO, area, turn to our team at Solid Custom Floor Coatings for support. Whether you want an epoxy or Polyaspartic coating, we provide it all, ensuring your space looks exactly how you want. With varying colors and finishes, our floors are perfect for your home.

If you would like to learn more about our professional floor coatings or need help remedying a DIY floor coating, don’t hesitate to contact us for support.