Think of your garage floor as the foundation of a fortress. Just like a fortress needs a strong base to withstand the elements, your garage floor requires proper concrete preparation to combat moisture. In Toledo, with its humid summers and snowy winters, moisture lurking beneath concrete surfaces can become a hidden enemy.
Moisture trapped under the concrete slab creates hydrostatic pressure over time. This pressure can push the applied coating away from the slab, leading to bubbling or delamination of the coating system. This issue often emerges within six to twelve months, causing headaches and costly repairs. Many one-day polyurea contractors and DIY enthusiasts skip the essential step of moisture assessment. However, that’s a critical mistake, but one we see all the time.
Seasoned professionals will conduct thorough moisture evaluations before starting any coating application. They look for signs of moisture, such as efflorescence and dark spots, and use calibrated moisture meters to get precise readings. Critically, if medium to high moisture levels are detected, a moisture-mitigating epoxy primer is applied. The epoxy penetrates deeply to provide a robust foundation for a subsequent flake broadcast and dual polyaspartic clear topcoats.
Investing in proper moisture mitigation not only prevents premature coating failures, but simply enhances the overall durability of your garage floor. We all know Toledo is a community that takes pride in homeownership. A well-installed garage floor can add significant value to your property. That can be especially true when you’re trying to sell your home to a prospective buyer.
Our use of a slower-curing, moisture-mitigating epoxy as the direct-to-concrete primer (never a fast-curing polyurea) ensures proper penetration and bonding of the primer coat to the concrete substrate. However, the slower curing epoxy pushes the installation duration beyond one day. Albeit, quality takes a little extra time.
By addressing moisture issues upfront, you ensure that your garage floor remains a strong, resilient base, a lot like a well-fortified fortress. This proactive approach provides peace of mind—I mean, who wants to worry about repairs less than a year after installing an entire garage floor?