garage flooring


What is a Topcoat and Why is it Important for a Garage Epoxy Floor?

Are you considering the installation of garage flooring epoxy?

If so, then you must add a topcoat to your floor. If you’ve never applied an epoxy floor coating, then you might be curious as to why you need one, and we are here to tell you that it is not optional. By itself, an epoxy floor can withstand small impacts, it is scratch resistant, slip resistant, and it is even able to resist chemical spills that would tear any other garage floor to pieces! This can help you avoid anyone suffering a slip-and-fall accident in Houston, or anywhere else that your garage may be based. Once you have installed your epoxy flooring however, a topcoat can add that little something that you just can’t get otherwise. Let’s talk about some of the benefits of a topcoat and why you should most definitely consider covering up.

Shinier and More Attractive

ArmorGarageThe garage floor epoxy cost will only raise marginally with the addition of a topcoat, and one cannot argue with the fresh, clean shine that a topcoat awards to the already formidable epoxy coating. Once you add a topcoat, the flooring will become very reflective, which will help to make the room you’re in a bit brighter, even if the floor is of a darker color. The topcoat is a much harder coating than the epoxy and is there to protect the epoxy for wear and tear. Our military topcoats are designed to last up to 20 years. If and when you ever do wear one out you can simply roll on another topcoat and bring the floor back to new. The epoxy stays protected indefinitely.

Easier to Clean

The epoxy flooring was going to be pretty easy to clean in the first place, but now, with a topcoat, it will become even simpler. All you need is a garden hose and some dish detergent for stubborn spots. Your topcoat acts like a Teflon coating so that nothing likes to stick to it.

Cover the Armor Chips

Some people broadcast multi color chips when into the epoxy and of course others do not. We don’t’ know for sure which of these camps you’re going to fall into, but there are definitely benefits to using armor chips. For example, they will draw attention away from imperfections that existed on the garage floor prior to epoxy. In addition to that, they can add a splash of color to pick up or accent other colors in the room. Chips will add a little texture to the floor but are mainly there for aesthetic purposes.

Make your Floor Last Longer

Garage Epoxy FloorEveryone knows that epoxy flooring wears out eventually, even if you were to opt for a professional installation. The general lifespan of the best garage floor epoxy is somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen-twenty years, a good topcoat can help to ensure a long life for your epoxy coating. First of all, a topcoat is going to make the floor more wear resistant, and secondly, it will ensure that all damage done to the floor is done only to the topcoat , which can be touched up or replaced as needed. An epoxy cannot and should not be used as a topcoat. Even though some of our competitors sell a clear version of their epoxy as a topcoat. This is a complete waste of your time and money. One of our competitors says that they add in UV additives to the clear epoxy, that still does not make it a topcoat and is still a complete waste of time and money. Don’t be lured into an inferior product by saving a few dollars.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to use a true topcoat in your garage. There are many who might consider the topcoat to be unnecessary or ‘overkill’ when you are simply equipping a residential garage, but let’s be honest, you need an extra layer of protection. From chemical spills, to car tire abrasion, to potential scratches, all of that falls under the umbrella of protection that your topcoat offers. Don’t leave your epoxy uncovered!

 


Four Chemical Spills a Garage Epoxy Floor can Repel

Epoxy floor benefits

garage epoxy flooringThere are a number of great reasons to invest in garage floor epoxy for your workshop, garage, or even inside your home, and you’ve probably heard that there are some amazing benefits. We aren’t going to argue, but before we go any further, let’s talk briefly about what epoxy is and how it can benefit you. First of all, epoxy is, without a doubt, one of the most crucial upgrades that you can make to a garage floor. You may also want to make it aesthetically pleasing by landscaping around the garage. Many tend to mistake epoxy for paint, but it is most definitely not standard paint.

If you prepare your floor properly before application then you will find that it is able to withstand small impacts, scratches, and a plethora of other potential issues. The bottom line, is that garage epoxy saves you money, even if it costs a bit to get it properly applied. These points we mentioned should be enough to make anyone consider applying it to their floor, but what if we were to tell you that there is more to it? That’s right we’re talking about chemical spills.

Hazards of Garage Life

When you’re in the garage anything can happen, and chemical spills are right at the top of the list. You should always take the utmost precautions when it comes to storing chemicals, something like a Storemasta cabinet is the ideal solution as they have a number of features designed to minimize the damage caused by spillages. However, accidents do happen and the question you need to ask yourself, is how do you compensate for those spills? Concrete floors are porous, and as such they will absorb virtually anything that is spilled on them. Have you ever spilled water on a concrete garage floor? Did the water remain standing, or did it eventually disappear? Many mistake this for a different process known as evaporation, but the water is actually being absorbed into the concrete. That isn’t necessarily good for your floor, but it is tame compared to the other substances that can be spilled. Corrosives, for example, could find their way into your concrete floor and cause serious damage. It could damage your garage door as well and then you might need the assistance of a company similar to Garage Door Repair company Denver. Let’s talk about a few chemicals you will need to watch out for, and that a good garage epoxy flooring can compensate for.

Battery AcidIf you store cars in your garage or if you park golf carts or other small engine items this is bound to happen. Maybe you’re not a mechanic, and maybe you aren’t one to constantly go under the hood, but at some point you may need to change the battery, or you may need to have someone else do it for you. Batteries leak, and the substance within them is most definitely a corrosive – something that you will want to think about when you’re doing any sort of automotive work. Have no fear battery acid has no effect on our garage epoxy coatings!

Fuel/OilJust as with battery acid, this is the one that happens quite often, and it is actually far more likely your vehicle will drip some oil on the floor. Leaks are inevitable, and there is a good chance you’ve seen at least one garage floor covered in oil stains – you don’t want your garage floor to be like that, not by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, you must make sure to protect your floor from these leaks – at least if you want it to last for the foreseeable future. Nothing looks nastier than an dirty oil stained concrete floor. Keep your floor from becoming that ugly stained floor constantly needing stain removing cleaner with our easy to apply garage epoxy kits.

Paint ­– It’s harder to clean paint off of your garage floor than you might think. The problem, as we mentioned before, is the porous nature of concrete. It will absorb the paint, and it will be very difficult to remove it completely. With an ArmorGarage epoxy coating with a topcoat you never have to worry about paint spills. Paint will wipe off like water runs off a duck’s back!

BeveragesYou might not think of an ice cold glass of Coca-Cola as a chemical but let’s face it, if you can dissolve a nail in the substance in under a week, it’s not something you want to spill on your garage floor. Your ArmorGarage floor can even withstand the dreaded Coca-Cola spill!

The Epoxy Difference

ArmorGarageWith the right garage floor epoxy coating you will have a floor that can not only reject those spills, but also one that is very easy to clean. You won’t need to spend all day scrubbing; the chemical resistant floor will be able to reject the spills, and with its non-porous nature, you won’t have to worry about anything being absorbed, making cleaning a breeze.

Now would be a great time to start looking into the different types of epoxy flooring we offer, whether you find yourself interested in a standard garage coating, or if you want to the commercial or industrial system for even more protection. We have an epoxy system for any floor and any level of protection needed from any type of chemical spill that could occur within your garage.


How Garage Floor Epoxy Creates a Brighter Cleaner Work Space

Garage Floor EpoxyThere are many reasons to like garage floor epoxy coatings whether you are trying to make your garage look better, protect your concrete slab or if you’re trying to increase functionality. Before we get into that, let’s talk about your garage. Let’s face it, you can put a lot of work into your garage to make sure that it is the ultimate workspace. Even simple things like making sure your garage doors work will help you have the ultimate workspace, you don’t want to struggle to bring in cars if your doors don’t work properly. If something like this happens, then you can easily call up something like these Crofton Maryland Garage door repair professionals to help get this fixed for you. You don’t want there to be any issue when it comes to your garage, particularly if you are working in there constantly. Maybe you’re working on restoring a classic car, maybe it’s a woodshop, or maybe it’s just a general workshop – there are many different reasons to use a garage as your workshop, and we would be hard-pressed to list every single one of them here. If you are using your garage to store your collection of classic cars, you may want to consider professional auto transport to move them between your properties or to and from auto shows. The one thing that all workshops have in common, however, is that they need a high-quality floor, which can contribute in more ways than one. Sure, a garage floor epoxy solution makes for a very durable surface, but most people think the benefits end there. Don’t worry, you definitely get more bang for your buck than you think.

A Cleaner Work Space

It’s a workshop; mistakes are bound to happen, whether you spill a cup of coffee or tip over a drum of industrial grade corrosive material. On a typical garage floor, both of these would present a serious problem; coffee would stain the concrete, and the corrosive, well, we don’t even want to discuss what that would do. This is where floor epoxy has the advantage – it might require a bit of an investment but it’s well worth the cost. Here there are two different benefits. First of all, epoxy is very durable, but you should also consider that it is stain resistant. It does a great job of closing the pores that would otherwise rather easily absorb and accept any number of materials. Instead of permitting damage or even a stain, the chemicals will remain on the surface, allowing you to clean them at your leisure. Protecting your floor from staining and corrosion plus having dramatic porcelain-like finish a great reason to consider ArmorGarage epoxy coatings.

In addition to the above it is far easier to clean. You can use a simple washrag or a bucket of soapy water to get your epoxy floor back to its original shine, and it really doesn’t take that much effort on your part. That being said, not only does it reduce the mess, it also takes the effort out of cleaning. You were, after all, planning to expend your effort on other, more important things, weren’t you?

One of the better side effects of being able to keep a clean work space is the ability to get rid of most germs and allergens. If you suffer from allergies or simply want to prevent illness, these flooring options are not only outstanding, they are completely mold and mildew proof. You will keep your work space clean, you will ensure there are no nasty allergens or airborne illnesses wandering around your shop or garage. It doesn’t get much better than that – unless you consider how much brighter your workshop will be.

A Brighter Workspace

ArmorGarageWhat many people fail to consider is how much brighter garage floor epoxy will make their work space. You will find that one of the many benefits is the floor’s ability to make your work space brighter. If you use standard fluorescent lights, you will discover that they reflect well off of your high gloss epoxy floor, making for a much brighter space. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, it will be a great way to conserve on energy that you might have otherwise wasted in lighting. In the end, you’re going to save on energy you’re going to have a slip resistant surface, and most importantly you’re going to have a garage/shop that you can be proud of. It doesn’t get much better than that. Well, as long as your garage is clean, of course. If you’re investing in epoxy flooring, you may as well also invest in cleaning out your garage to make the place look spotless. It’s likely a lot of rubbish and useless items you no longer need have gathered in your garage; it’s useful to look into dumpster rental service in Kansas City MO if this is the case. Get that garage looking as good as new!

Take a look at the garage flooring prices today and get ready to give your work space the treatment it deserves. Installation is easy and lasts for up to twenty years.