Frequently Asked Questions

For installed epoxy, HomeGuide's national figures come to $4 to $10 a square foot (about $1,600 to $5,800 when the garage fits two cars), with polyaspartic listed at $5 to $12 per square foot. Stripping an old coating, repairing cracks, adding a moisture primer or choosing a decorative finish moves a floor higher in those ranges. Once we have measured and tested the slab, you get the price in writing.

Standard epoxy yellows in sunlight, needs several days before it can take a car, and can blister or peel over a damp or poorly prepared slab. In Houston, the moisture risk is the big one. Testing first, diamond grinding and a UV-stable topcoat deal with most of these weak points.

For garages that get sun or need a fast return to use, polyaspartic is often the better topcoat because it holds its color and cures within a day or two. Epoxy still builds thickness and fills flaws better at a lower cost per coat. Plenty of floors combine the two, with epoxy underneath and polyaspartic on top.

It depends on the load and the chemicals. Thick 100% solids epoxy is a common choice for warehouses and forklift traffic, with chemical-resistant topcoats where oils, cleaners or solvents spill and added texture where floors get wet. We look at what the floor sees each day before recommending a system.

Usually, once the slab has dried out. Concrete that sat under water can stay damp inside well after the surface looks dry, so we test it first. If it still reads high, we either wait or use a moisture-mitigating primer, and we explain which in the quote.

It can if nobody checks. Moisture can condense on a slab that is near the dew point and spoil the bond, so we measure slab temperature and humidity on site and only roll coats when the readings allow. Summer jobs often start early in the day.

HomeGuide says a polyaspartic floor can handle heavy vehicles after 24 to 48 hours and that epoxy may take up to a week before it is fully cured, and the HomeGuide epoxy guide advises keeping cars off it for 2 to 7 days. When we finish, you get the exact times for the system on your floor.

Both. Most of our work is home garages, patios and pool decks, and we also coat warehouses, shops, service bays and other commercial floors around Houston.

HomeGuide gives water-based epoxy a life of about 3 to 5 years and solid epoxy systems 10 to 20 years. Prep, slab moisture and how hard the garage is used decide where a floor lands. Diamond grinding and a good topcoat push it toward the long end.

That pattern is usually hot-tire pickup. Hot tires soften a weak or poorly bonded coating and pull it up when the car leaves. It points to thin product or a slab that was etched or washed instead of ground.

Sometimes, if the old coating is well bonded. Most of the time we grind off failing or peeling material so the new system bonds to concrete, not to a layer that is already letting go.

A smooth, glossy finish can be. A flake broadcast or a texture additive in the topcoat adds grip, which helps when a wet car or a dripping boat trailer comes in after a storm.

Yes. The floor needs to be completely clear for grinding and coating, and items should stay out until the floor can take traffic. We tell you how long that is for your system.

Less so than smooth gloss coatings, because the chip edges leave a fine texture under the topcoat. For extra grip near the door or in wet areas, we add an anti-slip aggregate.

They hide repaired cracks and small surface flaws well. We still fill the cracks first, and an active crack that keeps moving can show through any coating over time.

Nothing. Chip, flake and vinyl flake are names for the same decorative pieces broadcast into the base coat.

Sweep or blow out grit, then mop with a mild cleaner. The texture can hold a bit more dirt than a smooth floor, so a soft deck brush helps on muddy days.

Yes. Break rooms, locker rooms and service bays often use flake floors, sometimes with a chemical-resistant topcoat.

Usually yes as a topcoat when the garage gets sun or has to be usable again soon, because it resists UV and cures in a day or two. Epoxy still builds thickness for less money, so plenty of floors pair an epoxy base coat with polyaspartic on top.

HomeGuide lists heavy vehicle traffic at 24 to 48 hours, and Bob Vila puts vehicles at about 24 hours. We give you the exact time for your system and the weather on install day.

Yes. Humidity and heat change how fast it cures and how long it can be worked. We check conditions before mixing and size batches to the day.

It is hard to do well. Bob Vila describes it as not a DIY product, because the short working time leaves little room for error.

HomeGuide gives a lifespan of 10 to 20 or more years. Where a given floor lands depends on prep, slab moisture and use.

Yes, but sunlight can shift the color of epoxy, so a garage metallic needs a UV-stable topcoat. Rooms with controlled light are a better fit.

Wet high-gloss surfaces can get slippery. For kitchens, bars and entries, an anti-slip additive can be mixed into the topcoat.

It will be close in color and style, but each pour is worked by hand, so the pattern will be unique. We show samples so you know what to expect.

We remove the tile and grind the slab first. Coating over tile risks grout lines showing through and the tile letting go.

Keep grit off it with door mats and dust mopping, and put felt pads under furniture. A topcoat with better scratch resistance helps in busy rooms.

For most warehouses, a high-build 100% solids epoxy handles forklifts and pallet traffic well. Spills, washdowns and temperature swings may call for a different topcoat or system, so we look at the floor first.

Usually. We work section by section, at night or on weekends, with fast-curing topcoats where a quick turnaround matters.

Yes. Walkways, forklift lanes, hazard zones and equipment outlines can be built into the coating in contrasting colors.

We grind or shot blast them off down to sound concrete. Coating over a failing layer means the new floor fails with it.

HomeAdvisor's figure for commercial or industrial 100% solids systems starts at $12 per square foot. Prep, chemical resistance and phasing shift that, and you get a written price from us after a site walk.

It depends on the deck. Textured acrylic coatings like Kool Deck are slip-resistant and help keep the surface cooler, while decorative overlays and polyaspartic systems give more design choices. We recommend a system after seeing the deck.

Usually. We route and fill cracks and use flexible sealant at joints. Cracks caused by moving soil can come back, and we tell you if we expect that.

Standard epoxy yellows in sun, so it never goes on as our outdoor top layer. A polyaspartic topcoat or an outdoor-rated system suits the job better.

Light colors and textured cool-deck finishes stay cooler than dark, smooth surfaces. HomeGuide says Kool Deck helps lower surface temperature.

Per HomeGuide, Kool Deck runs $4 to $6 per square foot, decorative overlays $6 to $12 and stamped overlays $7 to $20. Repairs and design change the total, and you get a written price once we have seen the deck.