5 Myths About Professional Garage Flooring Jobs

Over the years several myths have entered “public knowledge” with regards to garage floor coatings. Here is a look at some of the more pervasive myths regarding professional epoxy flooring in Wilmington, DE and other garage flooring solutions. Take a few moments to read through these before you decide to do it yourself on your garage flooring project.

Myth #1 – Just get a Do it Yourself kit and it will turn out the same

You certainly can do this – all the big box hardware retailers sell at least one epoxy flooring kit. However, don’t expect the final product to look anything like the pictures on the box or for it to last more than a year or two. Do it Yourself kits are, in the long run, a waste of time and money. You are more likely to need to purchase a new kit or end up calling a professional in 2-3 years depending on use and care.

Myth #2 – Having a Professional do it is too expensive.

Yes, the Do it Yourself kits will be cheaper than the Professional job, but the resulting floor will be just as cheap. The saying “You Get What You Pay For” applies well here. It is not uncommon for Professionally installed epoxy flooring to last ten to twenty years with the proper care. With the Professional installation, you will also have a wider variety of colors, layers and industrial ratings available to meet almost any need possible.

Additionally, some Professional floor installers will offer warranty and repair services to keep your floor looking as good as the day it was installed. By doing it yourself, you are responsible for all maintenance or mistakes made during installation. The extra peace of mind may be worth the extra few dollars in the long run.

Myth #3 – Epoxy and Paint are the same, so just paint the garage floor.

By definition, Epoxy is technically paint, but paint is as different from Epoxy as apples and oranges. Paint, either water or oil based, is very thin when applied and very easy to scratch, scuff, stain etc. You will most likely need to re-paint the floor every year, or more, depending on use.

On the other hand, when Epoxy is set it is extremely hard and durable. Epoxy flooring is used in high traffic, high use, healthcare and industrial capacities – so you know it will be good enough for your garage flooring needs. Not only is it more durable, but Epoxy flooring gives you many color and style options that can hide dirt better than any paint can.

Myth #4 – When DIY-ing, a quick sweep and wash are all you need to prep the floor.

Unfortunately, this one is not even close. Sweeping, washing and maybe an acid cleanse might be “good enough” for a Do it Yourself kit, but Professional and long lasting jobs require quite a bit more work. Just like paving a street, the surface that the Epoxy is being applied to needs to be prepared and “roughed up” to make the Epoxy stick. This can be done a few different ways from grinding to shot-blasting, and most of those are beyond the means of the average homeowner.

Myth #5 – You have to constantly re-do the floor to keep it looking good.

Again, this is true of most Do It Yourself kits, but the Professional jobs are much more durable and long lasting. This is definitely one of the best reasons to get the flooring done Professionally. As was previously mentioned, ten to twenty years is not unreasonable with proper care and maintenance.

There you have it, the top 5 myths about professional garage flooring services. By now, the benefits of having an Epoxy flooring system installed professionally should be clear. In the long run, it will save a lot of time, money and headaches versus Doing it yourself, and it will look much nicer!