Q.

A.

Most likely the garage is the primary entrance you and your guests use to enter your house. It has become the new ”front door” to your home. Wouldn’t it be nice if it had an attractive, easy-to-clean floor that reflects the beauty of your home’s interior? Aren’t you tired of that mottled, UGLY (maybe even dangerous) garage floor? Wouldn’t it be great to park your car on a beautiful garage floor… a virtually impervious floor that eliminates the stains, cracks and pock-marks you've got now? A garage floor coating that would give you unmatched stain, chemical and UV (ultra-violet – sunlight) resistance! You CAN have a new garage floor that looks like a million bucks, and more…In just a matter of days! It doesn’t matter how old it might be, a cracked cement garage floor is not only unsightly it's dangerous! But don’t worry… our amazing garage flooring compounds penetrate and bond to the inside of the cracks and once they're covered with our striking granite-look garage floor coatings, they’re gone for good.

Q.

Why do garage floors fail?

A.

By its very nature, a concrete garage floor is quite porous, making it prone to absorbing liquids and staining. This means water (rusty, dirty and otherwise), automotive lubricants, coolants and fluids can easily penetrate the surface, resulting in unsightly, almost impossible to remove marks, stains and blemishes. During Canadian winters, driving your car onto your garage floor almost always bring salty/chemical-laden snow and ice along for the ride. And when it melts and falls to the floor, it’s also absorbed into the concrete. Not only does this leave unsightly stains, it also gradually weakens the floor surface, resulting in tiny pits, cracks and fissures that eventually become evident pock-marks and cracks… both of which will continue to grow and spall off dust and cement bits until taken care of professionally, or your floor ultimately fails.

Q.

What type of flooring system do you use?

A.

We have a number of resinous polymer formulations of epoxy and polyaspartic. This allows us to address various concrete, temperature and humidity conditions as well as offer different aesthetic attributes in our decorative coatings systems.

Q.

How do you prepare the floor before coating it?

A.

New or old we prepare the concrete mechanically using diamond tooling on a commercial grinder. This cleans the top surface and “opens the pores” of the concrete allowing our base coat to penetrate deeply for excellent adhesion. This process is typically considered to be the best method for obtaining a consistent surface profile.

Q.

I have some cracks and heavy pitting caused by road salt. Can you repair this condition? Yes.

A.

We have a polymer filler that works extremely well and is compatible with our coating system. It restores the floor to a level, flat surface.

Q.

How long does the entire process take?

A.

The floor install takes two days. You can return to normal usage of your garage between 24-36 hours depending on weather conditions. Some companies complete this process in one day and present it as a benefit to you. We disagree. To finish in one day the cure times of the base coat must cure fast. Speeding up this process can jeopardize the depth of penetration and ultimately the quality of adhesion. Cabinet installs typically are completed in 1-2 days.

Q.

What do we do with all our garage “stuff” while the work is being done?

A.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to remove all contents. It is often stored under a tarp in the driveway or in a side yard or patio. As a chargeable option, we can arrange for a storage unit to be delivered and we can also empty the garage for you. As for the junk that you don’t want we can arrange to have any items donated to charity or disposed of.

Q.

Are the coatings flammable? And what about the smell?

A.

Our coatings are free of solvents. They are not flammable and although there is minimal odor, it’s non-hazardous to people, pets, and the environment.

Q.

How should I clean my new floor?

A.

Simply spray it clean with a garden hose and spray nozzle then use a foam squeegee to remove the excess water. Occasionally you may need to use 5-6 ounces of CLEAR ammonia per gallon of water to remove some stubborn dirt.

Q.

Why should I pay you when I can buy a DIY kit from a hardware store?

A.

There is no comparison! We use industrial grade polymer floor coatings. DIY kits contain cheap grade formulations and offer no polyaspartic top coat…a must! This is what gives your floor the UV stability so that it does not fade or yellow; it provides the abrasive resistance and gives you that showroom shine. Furthermore, DIY kits contain a scarce amount of decorative flakes that truly does your floor an injustice. Like the adage says, “You get what you pay for”.

The biggest reason why the DIY kits are inferior is because there's no effective floor preparation process included with any of the do-it-yourself kits... and if your concrete garage floor isn't prepared properly, it doesn't matter what kind of coating or finish you apply… it will quickly fail.

Q.

What do we do with all the “garage stuff” while work is being done?

A.

It is the homeowners responsibility to remove all contents of the garage prior to our arrival at the job site. Contents are often stored under a tarp in the driveway or back garden or in a garden shed. As a chargeable option we can arrange to have a storage unit delivered to your residence to store your belongings. If you would like to have us remove the contents and move them back into the garage after the work has been completed we charge $60 dollars an hour (minimum 1 hour charge is applied for removing the contents and a minimum 1 hour charge for putting them back).

Q.

A.

Yes, and many of customers take advantage of the empty garage to give it the attention it deserves. Many garages have bare walls or a skim of white contractors paint applied during construction. Now is the time to plaster and paint your garage to give it that finished looking making it an extension of your interior home.

Having a hard time doing anything in the garage with that minimal lighting? Tired of using an extension cord to run your tools? We can update your lighting, move a heater or add a plug (provided capacity is available on your electrical panel).

Ultimate Interiors and Coatings Inc. has a list of qualified and reputable tradespeople we rely on. Ask us for a quote!