A Complete Guide
When you’re choosing a floor coating, it helps to understand the differences between the most common systems used today. Each option has its own strengths, ideal use cases, and price points. Below is a simple guide to the coatings you’ll see most often—and what sets them apart.
1. Concrete Condition
We take care of preparing and profiling your concrete before applying any of our coatings. Removing contaminants, opening the concrete’s pores, and creating a uniform surface via diamond concrete grinding tools is essential. It allows the epoxy to bond deeply and evenly, preventing issues like peeling, bubbling, or premature failure. Good surface prep also helps the coating cure correctly, improves overall appearance, and protects your investment by maximizing the floor’s performance and lifespan.
2. Moisture Levels
Excess moisture vapors coming up through the concrete can prevent coatings from adhering. Our moisture vapor test ensures the floor is safe to coat and helps avoid bubbling, peeling, or future failure.
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3. How You Use the Space
Garages, workshops, warehouses, patios, and basements all have different demands. High traffic, chemical exposure, UV exposure from sunlight or heavy machinery may require a stronger, higher performance coating system than traditional epoxy, such as a polyaspartic coaitng. (What is a Polyaspartic coating? See below in "Types of Coatings")
4. Temperature & Weather
Some products cannot be installed in extreme hot/cold or extreme humidity. Polyaspartic coatings are more flexible with temperature ranges, but all coatings require the right environment to cure properly.
5. Cure Time & Downtime
Think about how long you can be without your space. Epoxy may take 24–72 hours to cure for light foot traffic and up to a week before full use, while polyaspartic coatings cure in 2-4 hours and full use in 24 hours.
6. Style & Finish
Epoxy/Polyaspartic coatings offer an exciting level of design freedom while maintaining a clean, professional finish. With a wide range of colors, decorative flakes, metallic effects, and custom patterns available, you can create a floor that truly matches Your style—whether you prefer a sleek, modern look or a bold, eye-catching statement.
7. Budget & Longevity
Acrylic sealers cost less upfront but don’t last as long. Epoxy sits in the middle. Polyaspartic and polyurethane clear coats over your design are a higher investment but offer the best durability, UV stability, and long-term value. (Polyurethane protective coatings are better for industrial and commercial spaces, offering a little more impact resistance and flexibility.)
8. Maintenance Expectations
Some floors need simple sweeping and the occasional mop. Others may require periodic topcoat refreshes depending on traffic and use. Clear expectations help you choose the right system from the start.
Types of Coatings
Epoxy Coatings
Epoxy is a traditional and widely recognized coating used in garages, warehouses, commercial spaces, and residential areas. It bonds well to concrete, provides good durability, and is available in a wide range of colors and styles. Epoxy is a solid solution, but many clients prefer more advanced systems.
Polyaspartic Coatings
Polyaspartic coatings are a more advanced, high-performance alternative that is more widely used in the industry today. They cure extremely quickly, resist UV exposure more effectively, and maintain superior gloss and clarity over time. This is the system professional installers use when they want the strongest, longest-lasting finish. Polyaspartic systems have become the preferred choice for homeowners and businesses who want premium performance and minimal downtime.
Polyurethane Coatings
Polyurethane is often used as a topcoat because of its flexibility, impact resistance and abrasion resistance. It’s not usually applied directly to concrete, but combined with other systems for added protection. Polyurethane is most commonly used as a finishing layer to enhance durability and extend the life of your floor. Best for industrial spaces.
Acrylic Sealers
Acrylic sealers are a lightweight, budget-friendly option for basic concrete protection. They sit on the surface rather than forming a thick coating. These are best for patios, sidewalks, or interior concrete where heavy wear isn’t a concern.
The best coating depends on how you use your space, how quickly you need the project completed, and the level of durability you want. For homeowners and businesses looking for the toughest, longest-lasting finish, polyaspartic coatings are typically the top choice.
If you’d like help choosing the best option for your project, we can walk you through the pros, cons, and pricing for each system—so you get the floor that fits your needs perfectly.