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Flake Finish

Garage floor coating

A full-flake polyaspartic floor, done right, in one day.

We install a full-flake polyaspartic system (polyurea base coat + polyaspartic topcoat): a polyurea base coat for the bond, vinyl flake for depth and grip, and a UV-stable polyaspartic topcoat for the beating a Colorado garage hands out. The owner installs it, start to finish.

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The process

Five steps. None of them optional.

Most coating failures trace back to step one or two. Here's what we do on every slab and why.

  1. Grind

    Diamond grinding opens the concrete so the coating can bite. No acid etch, ever.

    We run a planetary diamond grinder with HEPA vacuum dust control over every square foot. Grinding removes laitance, sealers, paint and old coatings and leaves a uniform profile (think 80-grit sandpaper) that the base coat mechanically locks into. Acid etching, which most cheap kits and some installers use, only cleans the top skin of the slab and leaves a weak, powdery surface. It's the single biggest reason coatings peel.

  2. Test & repair

    Moisture test on every slab. Cracks routed and filled with flexible polyurea.

    Before anything goes down we take moisture readings across the slab. Colorado slabs, especially newer pours and basements, can push enough vapor to blow a coating off from underneath. If readings are high, we use a moisture-mitigating primer and tell you about it up front. Then cracks get chased open with a crack-chasing wheel, vacuumed, and filled with a fast-set polyurea that flexes with the slab. Pits and spalls get filled and ground flush.

  3. Base coat

    Pigmented polyurea base coat, rolled and back-rolled for full coverage.

    The base coat is a high-solids polyurea that wets into the ground profile and forms the bond to the concrete. We cut in edges by hand and roll the field in sections, keeping a wet edge so there are no lap marks. It's pigmented to match the flake blend so the floor looks uniform even between chips.

  4. Full flake

    Vinyl flake broadcast to refusal, so the floor is 100% covered, not sprinkled.

    While the base coat is wet we broadcast flake until it stops sticking, which is called broadcasting to rejection. That's what gives a full-flake floor its depth and hides dust, tire marks and minor slab imperfections. After it sets we scrape the floor flat with a floor scraper and vacuum up the loose flake.

  5. Topcoat

    Clear polyaspartic topcoat. UV stable, hot-tire proof, and cures in cold weather.

    The final layer is a clear, high-build polyaspartic. It locks the flake in, gives the floor its chemical and abrasion resistance, and won't yellow in sunlight the way epoxy does. Polyaspartic cures fast and in low temperatures, which is why we can do the whole job in one day and why you can walk on it the next morning.

Why prep matters

Why cheap epoxy peels (and ours won't)

A coating is only as strong as what it's stuck to. Concrete comes with a weak, chalky top layer called laitance, plus whatever sealer the builder sprayed on and twenty years of tire residue. Acid etching, the prep method used by DIY kits and low-bid installers, doesn't remove that layer. It roughens it. The coating bonds to the chalk, and then the chalk lets go of the slab. That's the peeling you've seen.

Diamond grinding takes the whole weak layer off and leaves sound concrete with an open profile the base coat can lock into. It's louder, dustier (which is why we run HEPA vacuums) and takes real equipment. It's also the reason the floor stays down.

The second silent killer is moisture. Vapor pushing up through the slab will lift any coating from underneath, and you won't see it coming without a meter. We test every slab and use a moisture-mitigating primer when readings call for it.

Third: material. Water-based epoxy kits go on thin and soften under hot tires. Our polyurea base coat and polyaspartic topcoat are commercial-grade, high-solids materials that stay flexible, don't yellow, and cure in cold weather.

What's included

Every garage floor, every time

No "base package" with the important parts sold as upgrades. This is the job.

Optional add-ons

  • 4" cove base / stem walls. Coats the short concrete wall around the slab so the floor wraps up and there's no dirty seam at the edge.
  • Step coating. Steps into the house or down from the man-door get the same flake system so nothing looks unfinished.
  • Custom flake blends. Mix our standard blends or match a color you have in mind. Small upcharge for special-order flake.
  • Anti-slip topcoat additive. A fine grit broadcast into the topcoat for patios, shops and anyone who tracks in snow.
  • Radiant-heated slab protocol. For slabs with in-floor heat: heat-down and warm-up schedule, slab temperature monitoring on install day, and tube-safe shallow crack repair with no drilling. A flat line item so the tubing is never a question.
  • Diamond grinding of the entire slab with HEPA dust control
  • Moisture testing and written readings
  • Hairline crack chase-and-fill with flexible polyurea
  • Pit and spall repair, ground flush
  • Pigmented polyurea base coat, edges cut in by hand
  • Full vinyl flake broadcast (to refusal) in the blend you choose
  • Scrape and vacuum for a flat, even finish
  • Clear polyaspartic topcoat, UV stable and hot-tire proof
  • Clean, straight termination line at the garage door
  • Walk-through with you at the end of the day

Timeline

From empty garage to parked car

  1. Before we arrive

    Empty the garage

    Move everything off the floor. Cars out the night before. If something can't move, tell us at the quote. Radiant floor heat off 48 hours before.

  2. Day 1 · morning

    Grind, test, repair

    Grinder and vacuums run for a few hours. Moisture test, then cracks and pits get filled and ground flush.

  3. Day 1 · midday

    Base coat and flake

    Polyurea base coat goes down, flake is broadcast to full coverage while it's wet.

  4. Day 1 · afternoon

    Scrape and topcoat

    Loose flake scraped and vacuumed, then the clear polyaspartic topcoat. We're usually out by late afternoon.

  5. Day 2

    Walk on it

    Foot traffic is fine the next morning. Move light items back after 24 hours.

  6. Once it's cured

    Park on it

    We give you the exact day to bring vehicles back before we leave. Avoid dry-steering (turning the wheel while parked) for the first week.

Care

Keeping it looking new

There isn't much to it. A polyaspartic floor is non-porous, so dirt and fluids sit on top instead of soaking in.

  • Sweep, leaf-blow or vacuum grit regularly; it's what dulls any floor over time.
  • Mop with water and a squirt of dish soap or a pH-neutral cleaner. Hose it out if you want.
  • Wipe up oil, brake fluid and antifreeze when you see them. They won't stain, but they're slippery.
  • Skip solvent degreasers and citrus cleaners for routine cleaning.
  • Put a pad under motorcycle kickstands and sharp-pointed loads.
  • Snowmelt and mag chloride rinse right off. Hose the floor in spring to get the salt out of the garage.

Pricing

Typical ranges

1-car garage

≈ 200–300 sq ft

$1,800–2,600

Typical range · installed

Single bays and tandem singles. Includes full prep, crack repair, base coat, full flake broadcast and polyaspartic topcoat.

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Most common

2-car garage

≈ 400–500 sq ft

$2,800–4,200

Typical range · installed

The most common garage size. Most 2-car floors are ground, repaired, coated and flaked in a single day.

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3-car garage

≈ 600–750 sq ft

$4,000–5,800

Typical range · installed

Three bays or a 2-car plus workshop. Still a one-day install with our two-person crew.

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Basements, patios, shops & commercial

Any size

Quote

Priced per sq ft

Priced per square foot after we see the slab. Larger areas cost less per foot.

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These are typical ranges for floors in average condition. Every job is quoted in person after a moisture test and a look at the slab. Your written quote is the price — no surprises on install day.

What affects the price

FAQ

Garage floor questions

Why do you grind instead of acid etching?
Acid etching only cleans the very top skin of the concrete and leaves behind a weak, powdery layer. Coatings stick to that layer, and then the layer lets go of the slab. Diamond grinding removes it entirely and opens the pores so the base coat locks into solid concrete. It's the difference between a floor that lasts 15 years and one that peels in 2.
Do you really test for moisture on every slab?
Yes, every one. Colorado slabs, especially newer pours and anything below grade, can push enough water vapor to lift a coating from underneath. A moisture test takes us a few minutes and tells us whether you need a moisture-mitigating primer. We'd rather find out before we coat than have you find out after.
What do you do about cracks?
Hairline cracks are chased open, vacuumed and filled with a flexible polyurea filler, then ground flush. That's included. Wider cracks, heaved joints and large spalls are repaired the same way but priced by the foot. Control joints (the straight saw-cut lines) are usually filled so the floor is continuous, unless you'd rather keep them visible.
How do you control dust?
Our grinder and hand tools run on HEPA-filtered vacuums, and we cover doors into the house. Grinding concrete makes fine dust, and we take that seriously. You'll see some haze on shelves near the floor, but your garage won't look like a construction site.
Can you coat over my existing epoxy or paint?
Not over it, no. We grind it off. Coating over an old coating means your new floor is only as good as whatever's underneath, and old epoxy or paint is usually already letting go somewhere. Removal takes more grinder time, and it's priced into your quote.
Do you coat radiant-heated garage floors?
Yes. They're common in newer builds and shop garages. A heated slab changes three things. First, we ask you to turn the floor heat off 48 hours before install so the slab is at normal temperature for the coating to cure evenly. Second, we keep all crack repair shallow and never drill into the slab, so the tubing is never at risk. Third, after the floor cures you bring the heat back up gradually over two or three days. Polyaspartic handles radiant floor temperatures with no problem, and a heated garage is a great place to install in winter. Tell us about the radiant system when you request a quote; the extra coordination is a small line item.
Is it really done in one day?
For most 1-, 2- and 3-car garages, yes. We arrive in the morning, grind and repair, apply base coat and flake, scrape, and topcoat, and we're usually gone by late afternoon. Heavy coating removal or a large shop floor can push to a second day, and we'll tell you that at the quote.
When can I walk on it and park on it?
Walk on it the next morning. Move light items back in after 24 hours. For vehicles, we give you the exact day before we leave. Avoid turning the wheel while stationary for the first week or so while the coating reaches full hardness.
What do I need to do before you arrive?
Empty the garage as much as you can. Anything on the floor has to move, including shelves and freezers, so the whole slab gets coated. If moving something is a problem, tell us at the quote and we'll figure it out. Cars should be out the night before. If your slab has radiant heat, turn it off 48 hours before we arrive.
Do you install in winter?
Yes. Polyaspartic cures in cold temperatures, well below what epoxy tolerates, so we install year-round along the Front Range. We do watch for snow days since the slab needs to be dry.
How far out are you booking?
It changes with the season. Spring and fall fill up fastest. Send a quote request and we'll give you a real date, not a guess.

Free in-person quote

Ready for a floor you never think about again?

Send a quote request for a free in-person quote. The owner comes out, tests the slab, and gives you a written price on the spot.

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