What we get asked before anybody books a floor.

Why We Write These

Most of what decides whether your floor lasts gets decided before anybody picks a color, and none of it is obvious from the outside.

The questions come up on every quote

Brad answers the same four or five questions standing in people's garages every week. Writing them down means you can have the answer before we turn up, and you can use it on whoever else you are talking to.

Nothing here is a case study

We do not publish customer stories or job numbers. Everything on these pages is how the trade works, not what we did for somebody else, and you can check all of it against any competent contractor.

Ask us anything that is missing

If you have a question these do not answer, call or text and we will tell you. It costs you nothing and it usually saves a visit.

What Decides Whether Your Floor Lasts

Four things, and three of them are settled before anybody opens a tin. They are why these posts are about concrete rather than about color.

Whether your slab is dry

A slab passing moisture upward lifts a coating off itself, and it does it regardless of which system you paid for. We test yours before we quote it, and you can test it yourself first for the price of a sheet of plastic.

Whether it was ground or washed

Grinding opens your concrete so the resin keys into it. Acid etching and pressure washing do not, and a coating bonded to a surface film comes off in sheets. This is the line a cheap quote removes, because you cannot see it once the floor is down.

Whether the cracks were dealt with

We cut them into a V, vacuum them and fill them. A crack that is still moving will telegraph through whatever goes over it, and we would rather tell you that at the quote than have you find it in two winters.

Whether daylight was considered

Clear epoxy ambers where sun lands on it directly. If your space has a glass door, a window wall or open sky, the top coat has to be UV stable or your floor ends up two colors. It is the most common reason a floor looks wrong later.

Where to Start, Depending on Where You Are

The four posts answer different stages, so it is worth knowing which one you need.

You have not had anybody out yet

Start with the moisture test. It costs you nothing, takes a day, and it changes what every quote you take should say.

You are holding two quotes

Read the one on why quotes differ. The four questions in it separate contractors faster than the totals do.

You know what you want and it is winter

Read the seasonal post. A cold slab changes what we put down, and it is usually a specification question rather than a no.

You are choosing a finish

Read the flake and metallic post, then ask us for a sample in the room it is going in.