Bloomington Garage Floors
Call: 812-221-1665

Not at all.  We do commercial and residential floors, inside and outside.   Garage Floors are just one segment of the market that we do.   We do porches, patios, sidewalks, basements, residential and commercial bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and entry floors.  

First, does it matter where your Garage Floor Coatings come from?    Most contractors do not advertise their suppliers.  Most are not exclusive so the same supplier may be supplying 5 or even 10 different contractors in the same area.   It does matter.  The Slide-Lok product warranties are warrantied by the manufacturer.  Slide-Lok is the manufacturer and they are located in Phoenix, AZ.  All the product is made in the USA.  Only one contractor in each area can buy material from Slide-Lok as an authorized dealer.  Slide-Lok's owner is hands-on involved in the company and in the chemical knowledge of the materials used; not just what they are, but why they are what they are.  

Also, the product is consistent from one batch to the next.  Everything is tested to make sure.   The color pigments and even the flake colors are the same from batch to batch.   Per instructions, we always mix batches to eliminate any issues, but we never see any differences to start with.

Warranty:   Slide-Lok backs the Lifetime Warranty against yellowing and a 15 Year Warranty against chipping, peeling, etc (bonding issues).   

reason. As material penetrates the slab, it could out-gas, leaving a hole, or just become thin in that spot. A 2nd coat will seal that area more fully and not compromise the coating. The 3rd coat, in our case, is the clear top coat. If the customer desires full flake, but still wants a smooth floor, we can apply a 4th coat, obviously at additional cost.

Direct Owner Access.  You'll deal directly with the owner.  No salesperson on payroll.  You'll not have to leave a message with a receptionist or try to figure out how to escalate a question or concern.  You'll have the owner's name, cell phone and email.  The owner will even be on the jobsite during installation.  

Get what You Want.  We strive to satisfy your requests -- textured vs smooth, the % of flake used, color selection, slip resistant additive, and more.  Do you want to foundation perimeter coated, or left bare?    What about the steps going into the house?  Whatever it is, we'll do our best to accommodate it.  

Epoxy floors should have a primer coat, most common would be a water-based epoxy or a diluted epoxy that would penetrate the concrete.  The dry times are typically 1-5 hours.  After which, epoxy can be applied and flake added into that 2nd coat.  Beware of contractors that skip the prime coat -- this is a common shortcut.  Moisture in the slab will pop off epoxy.  That 2nd coat of epoxy should take 12 hours to dry.   A clear top coat can be applied after the flake is scraped and cleaned up.  Most contractors will use polyaspartic or an industrial urethane for the top coat since epoxy will yellow in UV light (sunlight) and may peel due to hot tire contact.  So a properly installed epoxy floor will take 2-3 days.   By contrast, polyaspartic can be applied with 45 minutes to 2 hours dry time to re-coat, allowing 3 coats to be applied over a 6-8 hour period.  The first coat is the prime coat.  There are 2 more coats after the prime coat for a total of 3 coats.   Depending on the project size and the amount of prep needed, most polyaspartic floors can be completed in 1 or 2 days.  

There are multiple manufacturers of "epoxy floor coatings" at the DIY stores like Home Depot, Lowes and Menards.   Rustoleum EpoxyShield is $200 to cover 400 square feet.   Read the instructions and spec sheets.    This product is 82% solids by weight.  True commercial epoxy is always 100% solids.  They recommend you apply at 5-7 mils thick wet -- the dry thickness will be 3-5 mils, after the solvent evaporates.   By contrast, most commercial epoxy goes down at 10-15 mils and does not shrink because it contains no solvents.  Note the 400 sqft coverage is max for 2 gallons -- for 1 coat.  The instructions say 150-200 sqft.   So, for each coat at 400 sqft (2 car garage), you'll have 1.5 kits ($300/coat).  You may want to use a polyurethane for the top coat though.  They only have a fraction of flake, or sprinkles, to get 5-10% coverage max.  Their prep is a chemical etch, like muratic acid.  Acid must be neutralized and rinsed.  Most commercial installers would never do this ... we all have grinders or shot blast equipment to mechanically prep the floor, a far superior method.  Bottom line, you'll have a great looking floor that will most likely last 3-4 years before it starts peeling up.  If you're doing a fix & flip and your floor is ugly, this may be your strategy.  We would never recommend it for any other homeowner.   We grind them off all the time.   Here are a few examples.   

Now, compare apples to apples.  To get a halfway comparable DIY floor, you'll need to rent a grinder & vacuum for $300/day.  Haul it back and forth.  You'll also want a handheld grinder and concrete disc and dust mask.  Prep the floor.  Apply 2 coats (it takes 12 hours each for each coat to dry).   Put all the flake on the 2nd coat before it dries.  Remember, you can't walk on wet coatings though.  3 kits for 400 sqft, or $600 in coatings.  Once that dries, apply a clear top coat (not epoxy) that will cost about $150.  You'll get a floor that should last 5-7 years depending on how well you cleaned it prior to coating.  $1,050 in materials + your labor (probably 20 hours over 4 days).  No warranties.  Will likely yellow if your garage faces south.  By comparison, a professionally-installed 400 square foot partial flake floor should only cost $1,750 - $1,900.   So you save $700-$850 by doing it yourself, spending 20 hours of your time doing it and getting a floor that will last 1/3 to 1/2 the time.   Or spend $800 in acids, neutralizers, cleaners, and 2 coats and have a floor that will last only 20% as long.  And that's IF your floor is in good shape - no cracks, spalling, chips or pitting.  It just doesn't add up.  Hire the contractor.  Over 15 years, you'll be much, much happier and money ahead.