DIY is all the rage when it comes to home improvement. But, you can’t take shortcuts when upgrading your garage floor. Installing your own garage floor may seem like an affordable way to get the floor of your dreams, but it’s anything but. So, please, put aside the DIY YouTube videos and clear your Amazon chart of epoxy kits. Problems can arise at every step of the process, so leave it to the professionals to make sure you have a garage floor you’ll be bragging about.
Before Garage Floor Installation
Prep. You can’t just apply an epoxy coating straight onto unprepared concrete. If you do, you’ll be unhappy with the results. Surfaces must be free of cracks, stains, and moisture. Professionals have experience to spot all types of issues as well as a proven step-by-step process to ensure your floor is prepped correctly. They have equipment necessary to remove cracks and stains and check moisture levels. As an example, our Inteli-Shield crew uses a diamond sander to prepare the surface of the floors they are coating.
Materials. Garage floor installation is not a one-step-do-it-and-done process. Overmixing or undermixing can also lead to disappointing results. You can create air bubbles or find the coating has not fully cured. This will jeopardize the integrity of your coating and lead to more problems down the road. Also, cheap DIY kits do not include professional-grade materials. At Inteli-Shield, we offer only the finest epoxy and polyaspartic coatings. Unsure about the difference between those? Read our blog on their relative pros and cons.
Environment. DIY-ers will pick a random date and time that is convenient to them to get started with the new project. But, pros know the optimal time to install a new garage floor is not always tied to a weekend or after hours. Temperature and humidity can affect whether a coating adheres correctly and the cure time. The Inteli-Shield team are experts in installing garage floor coatings, so we will choose the best time to install so you will be delighted with your floor for years to come.
During Garage Floor Installation
Now, the most common issues that arise with DIY garage floors occur during the actual installation.
Supplies. DIY kits can lead to problems that won’t be evident until installation begins.
- Even when you do everything according to the package instructions, you can find you have too little resin. This can result in you needing to buy more materials, which defeats the whole point of DIYing it.
- It’s possible that you might not have all the right tools. At first, you might think the kit-supplied tools will get the job done, but then you’ll have to stop in the middle of the job to go buy the right tools. Just another hidden cost of DIY kits. Professionals have state-of-the-art tools and bring everything they will need to ensure a quick and smooth installation.
Time. DIY is all about saving time and money. But you have to remember to take into account that you’re learning along the way, which will slow you down. Fixing problems means stopping part way through the installation, leading to a less-than-perfect surface. Our Inteli-Shield experts have the training, experience, and industry knowledge to work effectively with the best materials and supplies. As a bonus, we can schedule the installation around your schedule.
Don’t Be Disappointed
Your seemingly quick and cheap DIY project can easily end up as a disappointing and frustrating project that yields poor results at a higher cost and with a large investment of time. You have to either do it again—which means removing the bad coating this time around—or hiring a pro to do it. Either way, you’re out the time and money you were trying to save to begin with.
Don’t shortcut your garage floor. Hire a pro, and get it done right the first time. If you call us before August 31, you can also save $250. Request a quote today.