What Questions Should I Ask Before Paying Someone to Install Garage Floor Epoxy
- How many epoxy floors have you installed and can I have the names and numbers of 10 people with floors older than 2 years.
- Who will be taking the stuff out of my garage, where will it be stored and for how long?
- How will you be preparing the floor and what test will you do to make sure the preparation is adequate? Grinding is ideal and acid etching can work. It is important that they make sure the floor has texture of fine sandpaper and that water does not bubble.
- Will you be doing a moisture test? My opinion: If they say no, RUN
- Will you be using a primer? If they say no insist they use a primer.
- What percentage of solids is the base coat? Insist on 100% solids for epoxy products. The rest is just water or solvents that will evaporate. If you get 50% solids you are getting 50% of what you paid for.
- What type of top coat are you using, may I have the chemical resistance chart, how UV resistant is it (will it yellow) and what percentage of solids? Aliphatic urethane and 100% solids epoxy are the best choices for top coats. Make sure they are resistant to the chemicals that may be found in your garage — oil, gas, etc AND that they will not yellow if you leave your door open.
- Are you doing a full broadcast (more expensive) or random broadcast floor?
- Do you offer a full system warranty and for how long? You are paying an expert to install your floor and they should know about the issues ahead of time. In a worst case scenario, even if it is not their fault will they cover regrinding and re coating your floor. In other words if you have an issue they did not detect with your concrete (such as moisture or oil stains) and your floor lifts from your hot tires will they fix it.
- Who is the Actual Manufacturer of the product I am buying and what is their warranty and their installation instructions?
- How long until I can drive on the floor?
- Can I pay you 50% down, 25% on completion and 25% 2 weeks after completion? This will give you a chance to discuss any issues that might occur right away.
