Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national range for installed epoxy is $4 to $10 per square foot, or about $1,600 to $5,800 for a two-car garage. HomeAdvisor reports a typical garage job of $1,650 to $3,494. Polyaspartic and flake systems run higher, and removing an old coating or repairing salt damage adds to the total. We give a written price after seeing the floor.

Yes, as long as the concrete is sound and the surface is prepared. Older Springfield slabs often have paint, sealer, oil or salt damage on top, and all of that has to be ground off first. Cracks get filled, and a slab with active moisture or movement needs that problem handled before any coating.

Standard epoxy cures slowly; HomeGuide says to stay off it for 16 to 24 hours and wait 2 to 7 days to drive on it. HomeGuide also rates epoxy's UV resistance as poor to fair, so it can yellow near an open garage door unless it gets a UV-stable topcoat. It can be slick when wet without texture, and it peels if moisture or oil is trapped underneath.

Big-box stores in Springfield stock DIY kits, and HomeGuide puts premade kits at $200 to $700. Many are water-based, which HomeGuide says lasts 3 to 5 years. Kits usually rely on etching rather than grinding, and on a garage that sees road salt every winter, prep is what decides how long the floor holds up.

Diamond grinding equipment and dust collection, crack and spall filler, a base coat, decorative flakes or a pigmented color coat, and a clear topcoat, usually polyaspartic or urethane. We also test moisture and degrease oil spots before anything goes down.

HomeGuide lists solid epoxy at 10 to 20 years and polyaspartic at 10 to 20 years or more in homes, with water-based epoxy at 3 to 5 years. Prep quality, traffic and how often salt brine sits on the floor all shorten or lengthen that.

Sometimes. Epoxy needs a warm enough slab to cure, while HomeGuide lists polyaspartic as workable from -30°F to 140°F. In cold months we check slab temperature, may heat the space, and lean toward polyaspartic. If conditions are wrong, we schedule for a better window.

HomeGuide's national range for a two-car garage is about $1,600 to $5,800 for epoxy and $2,000 to $6,900 for polyaspartic. Salt damage, old coatings and the finish you choose move the price. We give a written number after we see the floor.

A well-bonded, cured coating resists salt much better than bare concrete. Brine left sitting for weeks can still dull and wear the topcoat, so squeegee meltwater out and rinse the floor a few times each winter.

HomeGuide says to wait 2 to 7 days before driving on standard epoxy and 24 to 48 hours on polyaspartic. Cold weather slows curing, so we give you a specific time for your floor.

Most often the prep. Etching does not remove weak or salt-soaked concrete or old sealer, and a thin coating over that surface lifts under hot tires. Grinding and a thicker system bond far better.

A smooth, glossy finish can be slick when wet. Flake floors have natural texture, and we can add anti-slip aggregate to the topcoat on solid-color floors.

HomeGuide lists installed epoxy at $4 to $10 per square foot and flakes or custom colors at $0.50 to $2.00 per square foot extra. A two-car garage in a polyaspartic flake system runs about $2,000 to $6,900 nationally. Prep and blend choice set the final number.

They have more grip than a smooth gloss coat because the chips leave texture in the topcoat. We can add anti-slip aggregate at entries for more traction.

Much less than a solid-color floor. A busy, lighter chip blend hides the white film road salt leaves behind, though you should still rinse it off during the winter.

Most garages take one to two days of work, depending on prep and whether the base and topcoat are epoxy or polyaspartic. Cure time before parking is longer for epoxy.

It cures faster, handles UV better and installs in a wider temperature range. Epoxy builds thicker per coat and costs a little less. Many floors use both: epoxy for the base, polyaspartic on top.

HomeGuide's national range is about $2,000 to $6,900 for a two-car garage, or $5 to $12 per square foot. Repairs and flakes add to it. We give a written price after seeing the slab.

HomeGuide lists it as workable from -30°F to 140°F. We still check slab temperature and dew point, and we may heat the garage so condensation does not form under the coating.

Typically 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature and the product. We give you a specific time for your floor.

A slab with some vapor drive can often take a moisture-tolerant primer. A floor with water actively coming in needs that fixed first. We test before we recommend anything.

HomeGuide lists basement floors of 300 to 2,000 square feet at $1,200 to $20,000, or $4 to $10 per square foot for epoxy. Paint removal and crack repair add to it. We give a written price after testing.

No. A coating can seal cracks, but it is not a mitigation system. Test for radon and install mitigation first if you need it.

The paint has to come off. Coatings bond to the concrete, and paint over a basement slab often has poor adhesion already. We grind it away before coating.

Yes, once the cracks are filled and ground flush. Cracks that are moving or offset need to be evaluated first, because a coating will crack along with the slab.

HomeAdvisor puts patching at $25 to $250, and HomeGuide lists crack filling at $0.50 to $3 per linear foot. Widespread scaling may need resurfacing at $3 to $7 per square foot.

Illinois Emergency Management Agency guidance says subsidence cracks tend to appear suddenly and grow, usually with sticking doors and windows and other damage showing up together. A single old crack is more likely shrinkage. If you suspect subsidence, call your insurer and a structural engineer.

Most will not once filled and ground flush. A crack in a slab that still moves seasonally can show as a fine line, and a flake finish helps hide it.

ArmorGarage lists professional commercial and industrial installs at $7 to $15 per square foot, and HomeAdvisor puts 100% solids commercial epoxy at $12 or more. Contamination and thickness move the price.

Usually. We degrease and grind, then test whether the surface will bond. Badly soaked spots may need to be cut out and patched.

Yes, with planning. We heat the building during install, choose a cold-tolerant system, or schedule for milder months.

Often. We can coat in sections or over a weekend, and fast-curing topcoats shorten the time the floor is out of use.