If you’re considering epoxy and polyaspartic floors for your garage, proper concrete preparation is what determines whether that floor lasts for years or starts showing problems far too soon. Extreme heat, temperature swings, and moisture vapor all affect how well an epoxy floor coating bonds. Skipping or rushing prep work is the fastest way to shorten its lifespan.
Here are the three most important steps for preparing garage concrete before installing a coating.
Step 1: Repair Cracks With Materials Designed to Move
There are two types of concrete: concrete that’s cracked, and concrete that’s going to crack. Even in dry climates like Phoenix, slabs expand and contract as temperatures change.
Because concrete moves, cracks should never be repaired with rigid patching materials. Before coating your garage floor, cracks must be repaired using a flexible elastomeric filler. This allows the repair to move with the slab, helping mitigate inevitable shifting instead of transferring stress into the finished coating.
Step 2: Diamond Grinding to Create a Proper Bond
Sweeping and degreasing alone are not sufficient preparation. Even acid etching fails to create the consistent surface profile required for long-term adhesion.
Professional installers use diamond grinding equipment to open the pores of the concrete and create the correct surface profile. This mechanical preparation allows the epoxy to bond directly to sound concrete, reducing the risk of peeling or delamination over time.
Step 3: Moisture Mitigation Beneath the Surface
All concrete contains moisture, even in arid environments. Before applying epoxy floor coatings, installers should test moisture levels using calibrated meters. When readings are elevated, a slower-curing, moisture-mitigating epoxy primer coat is essential to protect the bond between the concrete and the coating. (Never a quick-cure polyurea or polyaspartic). The epoxy base coat acts as a thick, moisture vapor barrier.Â
The use of the slower-curing primer coat is one reason higher-quality systems often require a 2-day installation instead of a rushed 1-day approach. Moisture mitigation protects the coating at the point where most failures begin, below the surface.
Preview Your Epoxy Floor Coating Before Installation
If you’re planning an epoxy floor coating for your Phoenix garage, proper concrete preparation should never be optional. GarageFloorCoating.com (Phoenix) specializes in professional crack repair, diamond grinding, and moisture-mitigating systems built for long-term performance.
You can also use the Live Coatings Visualizer to see how different options could look in your actual garage before making a decision. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the next step toward a garage floor built to last.