Moisture is a hidden culprit that can wreak havoc on garage floors. In Michigan, a lot of homeowners overlook the importance of assessing concrete moisture content before applying a coating. This oversight can lead to peeling and delamination of the coating system, resulting in costly repairs and quite a bit of stress you could probably do without.
Trapped moisture beneath the concrete slab creates hydrostatic pressure, pushing the coating away from the concrete surface. This issue usually becomes apparent well before the first year even elapses, prompting the need for re-coating—which hurts the wallet. Proper moisture assessment and concrete preparation are crucial steps that professional installers never skip. They check for signs of moisture like efflorescence and dark spots, using moisture vapor transmission meters to obtain accurate readings.
If medium to high moisture levels are detected, a moisture-mitigating epoxy primer must be applied. Using a polyurea direct-to-concrete (as “1-day contractors do) under these conditions is a poor decision (and has consequences).
A slower-curing, moisture-mitigating epoxy primer penetrates deeply into the substrate, precisely because it cures slower. A quick-curing polyurea cures quicker still in the presence of moisture; there’s simply insufficient time to penetrate and bond with the concrete below. The slower-curing epoxy, however, creates a strong bond with the concrete substrate, providing a stable foundation for the subsequent layers, including a flake broadcast and polyaspartic clear topcoats.
This thorough process ensures that the coating system can withstand that Michigan weather.
We get it, one-day polyurea systems seem appealing, but they fail to address moisture issues effectively, leading to premature coating failure. Investing in a professional installation that includes moisture assessment, concrete grinding, and selection of the right primer coat, is essential. This approach not only ensures a durable garage floor, but it also just looks better.
Quality takes time. We spend the extra day in our two-day system and make sure moisture isn’t going to creep up from the (literal) floor and cause headaches and wallet aches down the road.