DIY epoxy kits vs. a professional floor.
A kit can look great for a season. In a Calgary garage with salt and hot tires, it often starts peeling within a few winters. Here’s why.
What’s different.
Prep
Kits use acid etching. We diamond-grind with dust extraction, which opens the concrete so the coating bonds into it, not onto it.
Thickness
Most kits are thin, often water-based epoxy. A professional system builds several coats: base, full flake and a clear top coat.
Top coat
Kits usually stop at epoxy, which can yellow in sun and soften under hot tires. We finish with UV-stable polyaspartic.
Repairs
Cracks and salt pitting need filling and grinding flush, or they show through and let water in.
Time
A kit is usually a weekend or two of your own work. We finish most garages in one day.
When a kit is fine.
A storage room, a shed, or a floor that never sees a car or road salt.
If nothing heavy, hot or salty touches the floor, a kit can be a reasonable way to brighten it up. For a garage you park in all winter, the bond is everything, and that comes from grinding.
See your floor done right.
Free on-site measure and a written price. No pressure.