Garage Floor Coating Price Guide

"How much does garage floor coating cost?"

"What does garage floor coating cost?"

Like almost every purchase we make, the answer, depends. Much like walking into a furniture store and asking, "How much do chairs cost?" or the grocery store and asking, "How much is food?", the answer will depend on the details.

And here are the 4 details that matter most

1. Bonding Strength

  • A concrete floor is porous, like a giant hard sponge.
  • Floor coatings made up of larger molecules like epoxies don't soak in; they sit on top. Hot tires parked in the same spot day after day can cause these coatings to de-bond.
  • Coatings made up of smaller molecules really soak in, so they stick better and last longer.

2. Flexibility

  • A concrete garage floor will contract and expand slightly with temperature change.
  • And a garage floor is susceptible to having heavy items dropped on it.
  • Floor coatings that are too hard and brittle will crack as the slab expands and contracts or when heavy items are dropped on it. This allows moisture underneath the coating.
  • As that moisture evaporates out, it can cause the coating to de-bond.

3. UV Stability

  • Ultraviolet rays from sunlight can be damaging to many materials - like paint, fabric, wood and...concrete coatings.
  • Most floor coatings are not UV resistant.
  • They will yellow over time.
  • UV rays will also cause unprotected coatings to break down and become brittle (see Flexibility issues above).
  • A 100 percent polyaspartic floor coating is UV-resistant and won't yellow over time.

4. Installation Expertise

  • Proper preparation of the surface is the most important step in applying a concrete floor coating.
  • If surface grinding is not done correctly, the coating will eventually peel.
  • And if cracks, pitting, and flaking is not repaired correctly before applying the coating, imperfections will show through.
  • Even the highest quality coatings, if applied by less skilled installers or with corners cut to save cost, will not perform long-term.
  • A 100 percent polyaspartic floor coating requires expert installation by an experienced team.

"So what are my options?"

Least Expensive:

DIY coatings from your Big-box store

  • Almost always epoxy-based
  • Epoxies are larger molecules that do not sink into the concrete.
  • Intended for very short-term "spruce up" or to prepare a home for sale.

Still Pretty Cheap:

Professional Epoxy

  • Large molecule that sits on top of the surface.
  • Very hard, but very brittle - microscopic cracks develop easily.
  • No UV resistance - yellows and fades with time.
  • Easier to install than other options.

More Expensive:

Polyurea

  • Smaller molecule, but minimal penetration into concrete surface due to "crosslay".
  • Very flexible when new.
  • Highly susceptible to UV damage. Become brittle when UV exposed.
  • Professional installation required.

Also More Expensive:

Polyaspartic

  • Small molecule with excellent surface penetration and adhesion.
  • Moderately flexible, resistant to cracking.
  • 100% UV resistant (unless blended with Polyurea - check materials data sheet for 100% Aliphatic composition).
  • Professional installation required.

Blends

  • To save money, some companies use the best product - Polyaspartic - for the topcoat only. They still use epoxy or polyurea for the basecoat.
  • Epoxy base coat with Polyaspartic on top: This adds flexibility to the top layer, but the adhesion issues epoxies have will still be present.
  • Polyurea base with Polyaspartic on top: This prevents yellowing from UV rays, BUT the Polyaspartic top coat, while UV resistant itself, DOES NOT provide UV protection to the polyurea below. So, the base polyurea will degrade over time. Adhesion is also not as good with Polyureas, and applying a Polyaspartic top coat does nothing to improve that.
Peeling from Poor Adhesion Peeling from Poor Adhesion
Cracking from a Lack of Flexibility Cracking from a Lack of Flexibility
Yellowing from UV Damage Yellowing from UV Damage

"Can you break that down for me?"

DIY Epoxy
Professional Epoxy
Polyurea
Polyaspartic
Epoxy / Polyaspartic Blend
Polyurea / Polyaspartic Blend
Cost
Bonding Strength
Terrible
Bad
Better
Best
Bad
Better
Flexibility
None
None
Excellent
when new
Best
Good
for the top coat
Excellent
only initially
UV Resistance
None
None
None
Best
Top coat only
Top coat only
Install Expertise
Are you an expert?
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Other Specifics that Affect Your Price:

  • Size of your garage
  • Condition of your garage floor
  • Moisture level in your concrete
  • Options like coating the stairs, foundation walls, or the exterior apron
  • How long you want your floor to last
  • And remember, even the highest quality coatings, if applied by less skilled
    installers or with corners cut to save cost, will not perform long-term.

"OK, but I want a specific price for my garage."

Great! That's what your very own Garage Guru can get for you. Click here or give us a shout at 1-888-59-GARAGE to schedule a free quote. You'll get an exact price, and we promise to make it fun!

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