Let’s face it: when you’re thinking about epoxy flooring, it’s hard to ignore the idea of a 1-day installation. Quick, easy, and you’re back in your garage the next day. Sounds pretty appealing, right? But, like a lot of things in life, what seems like the easiest option isn’t always the best one, especially when it comes to something as important as garage floor coatings.
Why the 2-Day System is a No-Brainer
Let’s talk about the 2-day system. It’s not just about stretching out the installation time—it’s about making sure your garage floor lasts. First, the process starts with the application of a 100%-solids epoxy primer, direct-to-concrete. This is crucial in a place like St. Louis where moisture can be a real issue. This primer deeply penetrates and bonds to the concrete substrate, sealing it and creating a moisture vapor barrier. Without this step, you’re asking for trouble in the future as moisture wicks up through the concrete creating hydrostatic pressures.
After the epoxy primer has cured overnight, we follow up with two layers of 100%-solids polyaspartic topcoats. Not just one! Our 100%-solids polyaspartic resists UV rays, impacts, and it holds up against chemical spills and stains. If you’re the kind of person who likes to tinker with cars or work on projects, your garage floor is going to stay looking sharp.
Why 1-Day Systems Don’t Measure Up
On the flip side, let’s look at the 1-day systems that you’ll see marketed everywhere. The main selling point? Speed. The coating goes on in just one day, and you’re back to using your garage almost immediately. But here’s where things start to fall apart.
1-day systems skip the epoxy primer, which means they’re missing that crucial moisture vapor barrier. Instead, they use a polyurea-polyaspartic coating directly on the concrete. These quick curing coatings cure faster still in the presence of moisture (in less than 1 hour) and so they don’t have the time to deeply penetrate the concrete substrate. Over time, moisture from the ground starts to seep through the concrete and pushes up on the thin, poorly-penetrating polyurea-polyaspartic primer coat. Peeling, bubbling, and cracking are common issues with 1-day systems, especially in St. Louis, where the weather can go from humid to freezing in a matter of weeks.
And here’s the kicker: most 1-day systems have warranties that don’t cover moisture-related damage! So, when your floor starts to peel because moisture got trapped underneath, it’s on you to fix it.
A Few More Technical Details
One of the reasons 1-day systems are more prone to failure is how fast they cure. Polyurea-polyaspartic coatings cure quickly, and while that’s great for getting your garage back in use, it doesn’t allow enough time for the coating to bond properly with the concrete. (These coatings are superb top coats, just lousy primer coats). That’s where the slower-curing epoxy primer in a 2-day system makes all the difference. By giving the primer time to penetrate and bond with the concrete, you’re ensuring that the polyaspartic topcoats have a solid foundation to adhere to.
The polyaspartic layers in the 2-day system are also 100%-solids…not in 1-day systems, however. Our quality polyaspartics allow us to comfortably warrant staining from hot-tire transfer (aka plasticizer migration). Many of the 1-day installers don’t warrant for this type of staining from sports tires because they use a lower quality, less-than-100%-solids polyaspartic.
Takeaways
In the end, the 2-day system isn’t just a better choice for durability—it’s the smarter investment. It takes more time, sure, but that extra day ensures your garage floor is built to last. So, if you’re thinking about upgrading your garage floor, take the time to do it right.
Reach out to GatorGuard St. Louis today for a free quote, and let’s get your garage looking its best.
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