FAQ

Using the highest quality of Epoxy or Polyaspartic products is great, but if you do not prep the cement floor correctly the odds are there will be problems later on such as the product lifting or separating from the cement floor.

It doesn’t matter if the cement floor is new or old, we always Diamond Grind it with our industrial floor grinder. Proper Diamond Grinding literally removes a fine layer of the cement’s surface. Our industrial vacuum removes any dust particles caused by the Diamond Grinding. This procedure opens the pours in the cement, allowing the right amount of epoxy to be absorbed into the cement, thus creating a secure permanent bond between the cement and the epoxy. In a sense, the epoxy becomes one with the cement.

Because Polyaspartic sticks to the cement (it has no absorption technology), we still have to grind it to be etched and clean. Plus, we use microfiber cloth mop heads and mop the floor twice in opposite directions. This is important to do as Polyaspartic will stick to the first thing it comes in contact with. If there is any dust on your cement garage floor, it will stick to the dust and not the floor. This can cause future separating problems from the cement.

Once the floor is prepped correctly, then we’re ready to apply the floor application product of your choice.

A lot of floor coating companies only do acid washing to prep the cement before applying the product. The reason IGS will not acid wash cement as a prepping method is because the only thing that acid washing will do is clean the cement. It does not open the cement pores so epoxy can absorb into it and our Polyaspartic can stick to it. This is why we always use our Diamond Grinding machine, as it’s the only way to take off a fine top cement layer.

The other problem with Muriatic Acid washing a garage floor, is when you rinse the acid water out of the garage, where does it go? A lot of it will go down into the expansion joints and the remainder will go out onto the driveway or where your plants are. Either way is not good.

When the acid water goes into the expansion joints, there is a plastic barrier under the cement, and the acid water will lay on it. It will be there for several years because it is protected from the sun and heat by the cement. When you drive your vehicle onto your garage floor, your tires are hot from driving. This heat slowly draws up the acid water through the cement. Because the coating product that was installed did not adhere properly, in time, it will literally separate from the cement floor. This is known as “hot tire pickup”.

The reason a company will do the acid wash technique, is that it is inexpensive and fast. The tools to do acid washing are: a spray container, Muriatic Acid, a wide scrub brush and a water hose. That’s about an $80 investment. Plus, they can put it in their cars’ trunk. Using the right equipment, the investment along with a trailer and truck to haul everything is around $90,000. Whoever you have do your floor, just make sure they do not acid wash it for their preparation technique.

Every year we have completed multiple re-dos for customers who had their garage floors done by different companies, and most of these floors had one thing in common, the floors coating product were lifting and peeling. The worst areas were near where the vehicles’ tires drove on – we had to grind off the existing coat and start over. It was clear that none of the jobs used Diamond Grinders, as there were no cuts in the cement from the Diamond blades. We’re not sure if the floors were even acid washed before applying the coating, but we do know that the floors were not prepped correctly, thus
causing the product to fail.

Yes, absolutely we do fix all of them! In most cases, we will not charge for this service.

Polyaspartic floors takes us one day and you can usually start using it the next day, depending on the temperature and humidity. Epoxy absorbs into the cement and dries overnight. The next morning, we will finish the process and you can start using the floor usually 24 after we are done.

Our Diamond Grinders can remove any previous coating on your garage floor, which is what we use to prepare your floor for our materials.

We are happy to help you remove large, heavy items from your garage, but we ask that you remove smaller items like bikes, boxes etc.

All floors require cleaning and maintenance to obtain maximum longevity.  Floors cannot be cleaned too often.  Although a coated floor will
typically ease maintenance and reduce maintenance costs versus, cleaning maintenance is still required. 

To maximize the lifespan of your investment, routine maintenance procedures are crucial for optimal traction, gloss retention, aesthetics and protective durability of your floor. Spot treating spills as soon as possible helps to lessen potential surface damage from chemicals which may cause etching or staining to the coating should it remain on the surface too long.

Use concentrated Simple Green for general purpose cleaning.  You can purchase a really nice mop kit called O’cedar at Home Depot. It will hold ¾ of a gallon of hot water. Then mix a tablespoon of Simple Green concentrate into the water. Coatings are intended to allow most soils to release from the surface with an appropriate cleaning.

Polyaspartic floors have 10-year warranty against any peeling or lifting. Our epoxy floors have a lifetime warranty against any peeling or lifting. The quality of the look depends on the usage and how clean you keep it.

I would mop the floor at least twice per year (spring and fall). In the winter when you drive in your garage and if there is snow on your tires, it will melt and leave black sand on your floor. Either sweep or blow that sand out of your garage. If you leave it on the floor, in about 3 years your tires will leave a dull look on the floor. Take care of your new beautiful floor investment and it will look fabulous for many years to come!