When it comes to garage floor coatings in South Florida we know a thing or two because we only install the industry’s most durable concrete coating; polyurea. However, when getting your new garage floor coating here in South Florida there are several things that you should be aware of.
When you are getting a brand new garage floor coating in South Florida make sure you do these three things. First, make sure you plan out ahead of time the dimensions of your garage floor. Second, it is generally a good idea that you take all valuables inside the house and move your car. Third, understand that the curing process of polyurea takes around 24 hours to fully harden.
By setting yourself up you can ensure that our team here at FloorTek Concrete Coatings can get in and give you the industries leading concrete coating. If you are on the fence about if one of these coatings are the right choice for your project then reach out to us by clicking here; we will give you an honest opinion on what the best type of coating would be.
Plan Out The Dimensions of Your Garage Before Getting The Coating
One of the most popular things that you should be aware of when getting a new concrete coating is to plan out the dimensions of your garage ahead of time.
The reason why everyone should do this is that it forces many people to look at the layout of their garage and see what type of coating they want to apply. While we always recommend going with a polyurea coating the type of polyurea coating will depend on your garage.
Polyurea coatings are known for their versatility and can be modified to create various textures and finishes. ‘Mapping’ out your garage will cause you to decide if you want to have a polyurea garage floor coating that ‘grips’ or slides depending on your dimensions.
One way to texture a polyurea coating is to add a texture additive, such as sand or silica, to the coating material. The texture additive will create a rougher surface and provide slip resistance. Another method is to spray the coating with a texture gun or hopper to create a stippled or textured finish.
Polyurea coatings can also be applied in multiple layers to create a thicker coating that can be textured with various techniques, such as stamping or carving, to create a pattern or design.
If you are undecided on what type of coating is the best for your garage dimensions then you can reach out to us for an opinion on your project. Often we will discuss the use of the garage floor and what your idea is to decide which coating is the best choice for you.
You Should Move All Valuables Inside the Home and Move the Car off the Driveway Before Application of the Polyurea Coating
The second thing that you should be aware of before getting your new garage floor coating installed is that you should plan ahead of time on where you should move the items typically found on top of your concrete.
This depends on the type of person. Some people already have a completely clean garage that has nothing on top of the concrete. Installing a brand new concrete coating here is super easy and requires no ‘downtime’ to move items and vehicles off of it.
However, sometimes a garage has countless items in it. This can be a problem as we need the entire garage floor clear of objects in order to clean it and begin the process of installing a brand-new coating on top of it.
Because of this we often recommend that people begin to clear off their garage floor around 1-2 days before we get out there. Start with the smallest items first and put them into your home. Leave the largest items until we show up so that it is easier to move them and they are outside for only a small amount of time.
A Polyurea Coating Takes Around 24 Hours to Fully Cure
The third thing that most people need to be aware of when getting a new garage floor coating installed in South Florida is that once the coating is installed it will take around 24 hours to fully cure.
While 24 hours might seem like a lot of time it is nothing when compared to other coatings. An epoxy coating for example might take upwards of 3 days to fully cure to the point that you can park a vehicle on it.
When compared to that time frame a polyurea coating is lightning quick. This is one of the best things about a polyurea coating. In just 24 hours or less, we can have a team out at your garage and have a brand-new coating installed and ready to go.
However, since all garage floor coatings need time to cure you will have to budget in this ‘free-time’ of your garage floor to have nothing on it. Treat it like wet cement and just let it sit until it is ready to go around 24 hours later.
Now the thing with South Florida is the high humidity level. In most garages, this is not a problem but we recommend that you do not open up your garage while the polyurea is drying. Not only will this keep humidity levels low but also it will ensure that no wondering animal or object comes into your garage to disturb the polyurea garage floor coating.