While you may want to upgrade your home’s untreated concrete floors, you might also consider skipping professional treatment and instead using a store-bought coating kit. In the short term, this often seems like a great way to save time and money. But, are epoxy garage floor kits comparable to professional products?
When upgrading your home, taking the less expensive route isn’t always the best choice. While it seems like a cost-saving solution, epoxy garage floor kits aren’t equipped to handle frequent friction in high-traffic spaces, and may cost you more money down the line. If you’re considering investing in a DIY floor coating kit, keep reading to learn why working with the pros is always your best option.
Surface Preparation is More Important Than You May Think
The first, and most important, step in the floor coating application process is surface preparation. When you purchase an epoxy garage floor kit, it doesn’t come with preparation products. If you choose to use these products in your home, it is your responsibility to acquire them, which may leave you with an improperly prepared surface. Renting the tools to grind your concrete can be pricey and difficult to use without proper training.
If you opt for concrete etching products, your floor may not be roughened up adequately, resulting in poor adhesion of the floor coating product. With the support of professionals, you don’t have to worry about the cost of renting or inadequate preparation. They have the training and tools to ensure the job is done properly the first time, saving you time and money while guaranteeing a strong connection between the floor and coating.
Higher-Quality Products Have a Longer Lifespan
While you have access to epoxy garage floor kits, they may not be the highest quality product for your home. Store-bought epoxy may not be nearly as reliable or durable as professional products. In many cases, a store-bought epoxy coating kit has a lifespan of between three and five years. Over time, the cost of reapplying and touching up the coatings may make this a more expensive option in the long run.
Unlike when you perform a DIY service, professionals have access to higher-quality products. These products, unlike their DIY counterparts, have an anticipated lifespan of between 10 and 20 years. While professional floor coatings are more expensive upfront, their longer lifespan greatly offsets the associated costs. If you’re considering using an epoxy coating kit, this anticipated lifespan is an incredibly important consideration.
Customization Options Beyond the Basics
If you purchase an epoxy garage floor kit, you are often limited in the color and variation that comes with it. Many of these in-store kits are limited to white, gray, dark gray, and tan colors, with white, tan, blue, and black flake variations. While this may work for some homeowners, it isn’t always the best fit for everyone, and you may be interested in different color variations that your kit doesn’t offer.
When you choose to work with the professionals for floor coating installation, your color and flake color variations expand exponentially. Not only do professional floor coatings come in green, red, and light gray options, but there are about 20 different flake variation options. With 10 coating colors and 20 flake variations, you are more likely to find a combination for your floors that you love and fits your home better.
Faster Turnaround Without Second-Guessing Your Work
Although you may be excited about installing an epoxy garage floor kit in your home, this excitement often wears off quickly. The application process is time-consuming, complex, and a bit tedious. If you try to rush through this process, you are usually far more likely to experience problems with the coating, like bubbles and patchy application. These problems may have you second-guessing the quality of your work.
However, when you work with a team of professional floor coating installers, you have peace of mind throughout the project. With customer reviews and a portfolio of work, you have the knowledge that your team is properly trained and prepared for the application process. Not only will they deliver a better product, but you won’t have to worry about them taking nearly as long, as coating products like Polyaspartic are applied in one day.
Coating Warranties Provide Peace of Mind
When you install an epoxy garage floor kit in your home, you have to deal with the consequences of improper installation, including bearing the cost of repairs or replacement. Removal of improperly installed floor coatings can be time-consuming and cost far more than the installation did. This can be especially burdensome if you believed DIY epoxy garage floor kit installation would save you in the long run.
If you turn to the professionals for epoxy coating installation, your floor coating provider often provides a warranty for their product. If you notice a problem emerging with your coating, like delamination, your warranty will cover the cost of repair or replacement. While investing in a professional coating may cost more upfront, the peace of mind provided by your lifetime warranty is priceless.
Avoid Epoxy Garage Floor Kits and Turn to Our Pros for Support
Although an epoxy garage floor kit might seem like a good investment upfront, it may ultimately cost more money and cause more heartache in the long run. Instead of attempting to install this DIY product, turning to the professionals, like our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Utah, is always your best choice.
With extensive training, access to professional products and tools, and years of experience, you can trust that our floor coatings are the best addition to your residential or commercial property. No matter the floor coating you choose, you can trust that our team has the training and experience that make us a better option than DIY epoxy garage floor kits.
If you’d like to speak to a member of our team about our floor coating products or schedule an appointment for your residential or commercial property, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
