Garage Design Source

Locally owned and operated independent garage storage, garage flooring and garage door repair and installation company. We can install the right products at the lowest price.

 

201 Davis Drive, Suite AA,
Sterling, VA 20164

202-930-9091

info@garagedesignsource.com

  /  Blog   /  Tips for Choosing a Garage Floor Coating Company

Tips for Choosing a Garage Floor Coating Company

 

How to choose reliable garage flooring company?

 

You have decided to give a brand new look to your garage floors, you know the type of surface and the color scheme you want to go with, but you have to go through a list of garage floor coating companies. Choosing one among many garage floor coating contractors is not an easy task. You will have to make a very important economic decisions. Those decisions will directly affect the appearance, design, and functionality of your garage. Keep in mind that not all garage floor coating contractors are the same! Doing the right floor coating requires skill and ability, but how to tell the difference between the good from the bad epoxy garage floor coating contractors?

Hiring a good company will be easier if you know what questions to ask, so we suggest some useful tips. These tips are going to help you to make a good deal with a trustworthy contractor for your project! Make sure you‘re getting the best floor coating for your garage for your money! Ask important questions before signing a contract – avoid unpleasant surprises and attain better communication with the company you‘re hiring.

 

1. How to find a reputable garage floor coating company?

 

If your friends or relatives have recently renovated their garage, they‘ll give you an honest opinion about the hired company. You can, perhaps, take down the names of contractors they recommend and be sure that the contractor you‘re hiring will do the good work.

In addition, most of the garage floor coating contractors have their own websites or listings on platforms such as YellowPages, Google+, review sites. Add the highest rated companies to your list and do the research.

Or perhaps you had a good overall experience in the past with a certain garage floor coating company, so why don‘t you call them again?

 

2. Choose the proper type of garage floor coating

 

Discover the types of garage floor coatings, and choose the one that suits you best.
Find out what are the best products to use, and how to get the one that best suits your needs.

Choose an epoxy coating that will give new life to your stained, greasy floor or a covering in a variety of colors and materials that can be removed any time.

 

What is epoxy?

Epoxy is a super material made from epoxide resins and hardening agents that create a strong adhesive bond. It can be applied to various products and materials such as cars, floors, countertops etc. When applied to a garage floor it creates a durable protective surface that defends the floor from unwanted scratches, stains, corrosion etc.

 

What level of durability do you need for your floor?

A research will definitely help you in the selection process. For example, if you discover that you a need hybrid polymer floor coating, you can promptly eliminate all the garage floor coating contractors who don’t offer that type of coating.

The frequency of traffic determines how long the floor will last.

What kinds of vehicles and loads will pass through the area and how often? The epoxy coating depends on the type and level of traffic the flooring system will receive, so you should choose the most durable and long-lasting epoxy coating for your floor.

 

 

Will the floor be slippery?

If you worry that the floor will be slippery, ask the company you hire to add a slip resistant additive to the topcoats. However, a flake system floor has a non-slippery texture, in fact, it‘s nothing more slippery than wet concrete. Another advantage of flake system floor is that it hides minor imperfections in the concrete and comes in many flake color patterns that can be easily matched with the surrounding colors.

 

Try to plan your floor installation

The longer the coating takes to cure, the tougher and more resilient it becomes.
Light foot traffic is allowed after 24 hours, but most of the professional garage floor coating contractors will recommend waiting up to 48 hours. It‘s important to keep the vehicles off the floor for at least five days so that the topcoats cure completely. By following this advice you‘ll avoid tire marks and potential floor damages.

Talk to your constructor about what time is best for you. Coatings can be installed during the week if the area can be shut down, or ‚ if not, it‘s better to choose a weekend or a holiday.

 

 

Does the temperature affect the epoxy curing?

The colder it gets, the slower it takes for the epoxy to fully harden. For example, a thin coating applied at 35 F may take an entire week to cure. In warm water (above 80 F) it can fully harden in as little as 2 h.

DO NOT apply if:

  • there‘s direct sunlight
  • there‘s a great rain probability
  • temperature is below zero
  • the surface is wet
  • the surface is poorly prepared

 

3. A reliable contractor must have a licence and insurance

 

Choose those garage floor coating contractors who own a contractor‘s license. You can check this information by making a simple phone call. If they tell you that their company is not fully licensed or insured, you should immediately move to another company. If they are both licensed and insured, ask them to send you an email or fax you a copy of their license number to make sure its valid.

You should also ask for liability insurance that covers all damages that might be caused at your property. This is the way to protect yourself if the company, for example, fails to complete all the work after payment or to fulfill a particularly agreed financial obligation.

 

4. Check on the company’s reputation

 

The reputation and the respect that garage floor coating contractors hold is one of the most important factors when you are choosing the best among them. Discover the best garage floor coating review 2017 and read discussions related to custom flooring installation, and we are sure you‘ll find a company that has come off with a glowing reference.

 

5. The importance of good references

 

Good garage floor coating contractors will eagerly give you references.
All reliable and trustworthy companies will give you references if you ask for them. They‘ll recommend past customers willing to discuss their experience with the contractor you are considering to hire. Please, be respectful of their time, be clear and concise.

If they make up excuses to connect you with their past customers, it‘s almost a clear sign that they want to hide some uncomfortable truth. You can always also ask for their portfolio. If they‘re keeping it from you, don‘t waste your precious time, keep on searching for another contractor instantly!

 

6. Hire an experienced company

 

Years of experience are a very important factor when dealing with garage floor coating contractors. Of course, it‘s logical to hire an experienced company, because if you choose the one that‘s new in business you may be at risk to ruin your floor. You can easily check these details on the website of a company. You should also check the experience of the team,‘cause the best garage floor coating contractors always pride themselves on the experienced team of professionals.

 

7. Demand written contracts and warranties

 

All serious garage floor coating constructors will offer written contracts and warranties. Verbal agreements will cause nothing but a severe headache! The contract should clearly state the materials and a particular coating system to be installed, and even the deadline when the work will be completed. Don‘t be lazy to read your contract and warranties thoroughly and with understanding, especially the fine print!

 

 

8. Ask about the types of flooring systems

 

Reputable garage floor coating contractors will offer you a few floor coating systems depending on the money you are willing to spend and your needs. Find out if an epoxy primer is included in their coatings, since the quality coating contains it. Some garage floor coating contractors install only high-quality coat systems that are not cheap, but economizing is not always the best idea. If you look around for the cheapest price, then that is exactly what you will get! And nobody wants a cheap garage floor coating!

Good garage floor coating contractors will insist that you visit their site before quoting a price. These are the details (besides the personal info) that a serious company might request before you get a quote.

– What type of concrete surface will the coating be applied to? (garage floor, patio, an interior surface, basement floor…)

– How much surface area do you wish to have covered?

– Are there any existing coatings on the surface?

– What is the current condition of the surface? (smooth, rough, with small fissures or uneven crevices).

On good garage floor coating contractors‘ sites, you may select the period when you expect the project to be finished or write a short description of your project.

 

9. Ask the contractor about the materials they use

 

Reputable garage floor coating contractors should be well acquainted with the brand materials they use. Also they should be able to explain why they use them. They should also know how thick is each applied coating or what they contain. They should warn you about the possible VOCs issues. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. Exposure to V.O.C.s can seriously harm human health and may cause conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, nausea, fatigue, dizziness etc.)

 

 

10. It‘s necessary to do a moisture test

 

A standard practice of serious garage floor coating contractors should be a moisture test. It’s used to check out if your floor will accept the coating. Do not make a deal with a company that refuses to do a moisture test, and does not want to accept responsibility if the coating delaminates due to moisture related issues.

 

11. Do all the necessary preparations and reparations

 

Before floor coating, professional garage floor coating contractors should do a proper preparation – they must repair all visible cracks and holes, chips and fissures. Check out if these repairs are included in the price. If not, try to negotiate. Using acid wash or acid etch is unacceptable for a serious company. Before hiring them, ask how they do the reparations.

 

12. Meet the team that will be working on the site

 

Usually, it will be a supervisor. You have to meet the chief of the team that will be working on the site. Get to know the working plan in order not to miss a thing. Go through all entries of your own plan with the head person. You must make sure that all parts of your project are clear. Keep track of your project and make sure all the work is done on time.

 

13. Who performs the work?

 

Is it the company’s team or the company hires sub-contractors? Our advice is to choose those garage floor coating contractors with their own professional team to perform the work. If they hire sub-contractors, they cannor monitor the quality of their work cannot in the same way as if they are relying on their own employees.

 

14. You should be able to contact your contractor easily

 

Find out what‘s the best way to contact your constructor. When they start working on the site it‘s necessary to be in contact with the company you‘ve hired. If something goes wrong, it‘s important for you to reach the contractor immediately, so enter all the valid numbers and emails.

 

15. Ask how they will protect your property

 

There are many ways to divide the construction area from the rest of the house for example. To ensure this all the steps should be taken on time. Ask your constructor about the ways they protect a client‘s property. Everything valuable that can be removed from the construction zone should be moved to a safe zone, so that way you‘ll avoid damage in the process.

 

 

Does epoxy guarantee durability and longevity?

 

Before hiring one of the garage floor coating constructors, it‘s necessary to determine how long the floor will last after the installation. The durability and longevity of the coating depend on many factors. Here are some points to consider that will ensure the long life of your floor.

  • If you have your epoxy floor professionally installed its long life is guaranteed.  It will last much longer then in case it was installed by yourself. Many flooring companies guarantee their product for multiple decades, depending on the chosen type of flooring.
  • The frequency of traffic is another factor that determines how long the floor will last. If heavy objects contantly pressure your floor, it will soon get scratches and it will lose its polish. However, an epoxy floor is incredibly durable and it can take a great amount of traffic. If you choose specific types of coatings, it’s even more durable. So make sure the flooring has the proper components depending on the amount of traffic it will encounter in the future.
  • Make sure the floor maintenance is well – the betterit is, the longer it will last. Clear it properly and regularly and your floor will look shiny and great as long as possible. Sweep it daily, perform a regular thorough cleaning and scrubbing, recoat the flooring every few years and it will last forever.

An epoxy floor will last for years if installed properly by one of many expert garage floor coating constructors. A quality garage floor will give you pure enjoyment if it withstands heavy traffic and normal wear and tear. This decorative and durable type of floor has recently become very popular both among homeowners and businesses. It‘s no wonder if you consider having it yourself!

 

Check if there is reliable floor coating company in your neighborhood

 

There are many garage floor coating companies, but only a few reputable within the industry. Now that you have read the tips for choosing a good contractor, you‘ve certainly asked yourself some important questions. For example, what are the best garage floor coating contractors near me? You can check out Garage Design Source work and take a look which areas we cover if you visit the following site: https://garagedesignsource.com/ .

Don‘t hesitate to ask our prospective experts everything that bothers you – a good contractor will eagerly answer all your questions. Make a list of questions to ask Garage Desing Source consultants on https://garagedesignsource.com/free-consultation/ . Compare our answers with other contractors and make the right choice! If you find garage renovation overwhelming and you don‘t think you can keep up, there is a very painless solution. You can hire someone to help you get the job done perfectly!