CONCRETE MAINTENANCE & CARE

Cleaning & Maintenance Tips for Garage Floor Coatings

01. Let Your Floors Fully Cure

The amount of time the coating needs to cure will vary with temperature, atmospheric conditions, as well as the condition of the concrete. The minimum is at least 24 HOURS before allowing foot traffic, and AT LEAST 48 HOURS before driving on or moving heavy objects onto the floor. It will take seven days for the product to fully cure.

02. Avoid Dragging Heavy Objects

Refrain from dragging heavy objects across the epoxy floor. Though our ZG Shield coating is highly abrasion-resistant, it is not completely impervious to scratching or damage. If you are planning on adding heavy cabinets we also encourage the use of floor pads under the legs of the cabinets.

03. Always Wipe Up Stains

The coating is stain-resistant but NOT stain-proof. Wiping up oil and other stains in a somewhat timely manner will help ensure your floor stays looking great.

04. Never Use Harsh Chemicals And Acids

Battery acid is one of the very few chemicals that WILL HURT the epoxy and polyaspartic coating. If you have an electric golf cart you may want to consider getting a golf cart parking mat or using a cookie sheet underneath the battery compartment.

Motorcycles and other vehicles with small batteries often have a vented battery that may occasionally discharge small amounts of acid onto the garage floor. You should consider using a mat or tray for those as well.

Be cautious with brake fluid and any highly corrosive agents.

05. Avoid Continuous Abrasion

A good example of this is running your vehicle with tracks on top of your coating on the off chance you decide to use the same spot over and over again you will eventually wear the coating down and damage that spot.

06. Clean Your Epoxy Coating Safely

To clean the floor, start by sweeping, vacuuming, or blowing out the garage floor. You can use a pump-sprayer or garden hose to mist the floor, it is not necessary to completely saturate the floor with water.

Next, use a soft-foam squeegee to pull the water out of the garage — the foam will remove dust, dirt, light stains and debris with it. A rubber squeegee will smear dirt and oil, foam captures the dirt and oil and pulls it out with the water.

07. Do Not Use Detergents Or Waxes On Your Epoxy Floors

It is important that you NEVER use detergents or waxes to clean your garage floor coating. Detergents leave behind a residue on surfaces like the garage floor. Over time, the film will cause your floor to look hazy and dull and may prevent us from being able to repair the floor.

This is also true of mopping additives like “Mop & Glo.” If you feel you need more than water to get the surface clean, products like Simple Green work great. Vinegar or ammonia will also do the trick.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does a regular install take?

A normal two car garage will take eight to 10 hours and can be done in a day.

Do you recommend a one day install?

One day floors are great for us because we can usually get customers back into their space within 24 hours. However, due to the size of the project, weather conditions and any necessary repairs, we might extend this to two or more days, but we will always keep customers informed at every step of the process.

How long until I can use my garage again?

We recommend a full day for installation, and then waiting another 24 to 48 hours once the floor is finished to allow the coating to fully cure.

My floor has some cracks and some damage. Can you fix it?

Yes, we use cutting edge technology to repair the cracks and damages of your floor so we can give you a seamless floor look. This also works to prevent cracks from appearing in the future.

Where do you get your product from?

We manufacture our own products! All of our own POLYUREA PATENTED products are made in Canada. We purchase all of our consumable tools directly from the country’s top manufacturers. This allows us to source higher-quality materials at a better price, giving our customers better value. Being the manufacturer also allows us to get hands on product and application training, tight quality control, as well as access to the latest materials and methods.

What type of materials will you use for my coating?

We always use our own ZG SHIELD POLYUREA PATENTED products. When it comes to coating the floor or repairing floors, we only use high quality products that we manufacture and that have proven to last 20+ years.

What method of surface preparation will you use?

We either diamond grind the floor or shot-blast it. No other method will be used to ensure the proper bond of the product to the concrete.

Why don’t you chemically etch or acid wash the concrete?

Acid-washing or chemically etching is not a method used by professionals. It does not create the textured profile required for our product to properly bond to the concrete. Also, if the acid is not properly neutralized, the altered pH can actually damage the concrete and the new coating.

How much dust will be created during the surface preparation process?

We use dust extraction systems with HEPA filters that are specifically designed for concrete dust, to control the dust that is generated during the grinding or shot blasting process.

How do I clean my garage floor coating?

Simply mist it with water and use a soft foam squeegee to pull the water out. The soft-foam will take dirt, debris, and other foreign material with it. If you feel you need to use cleaning products, only use non-detergent cleaning products like Simple Green or a vinegar and water solution.

What maintenance does the coating require?

A good garage floor coating is very low-maintenance. See our maintenance and care page for details.

Will the floor be slippery after my coating is installed?

While a flake floor is inherently anti-slip, we can always add some anti-slip compound into the top-coat. If this is something you are looking for just ask your salesperson. However, you should ALWAYS USE CAUTION WHEN A FLOOR SURFACE IS WET OR CONTAMINATED.

Will you move my belongings out of the garage?

We are not able to move your belongings for you, we require that the garage floor is empty when we arrive. We do however provide a trailer to put your things inside if you need the extra space. Ask a salesperson for more details.

Will my new floor turn yellow when it is exposed to sunlight?

Our ZG Shield will never yellow. We recommend never using epoxy in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight because it can yellow over time. We can mitigate this by using UV-tolerant top coats but over time you might notice a small discoloration. This is a constant battle for every person in the coating industry but we are dealing with manufacturers that are working on cutting edge Nano-Technology coatings that are complete UV stable.

Will unskilled workers be installing my coating?

Absolutely not! All of our technicians are factory trained. At Zone Garage Edmonton, we have over 25 years of experience.

Will my garage floor be indestructible?

No – while our floor coating systems are designed to be very durable. They provide effective resistance to impact, abrasion, chemicals, and staining. But, the floors still be damaged. Check out our maintenance & care section for tips and tricks to maintain your floor.

Will you coat the “pony” walls and stairs?

Yes – pony walls are a short concrete footing between the surface of the garage floor and the walls. It doesn’t matter if they are concrete or wood, we can coat it all! The same of course goes for the stairs in your garage. If you would like us to coat your stairs, let us know so we can include it in our quote.

Can you coat other materials than concrete?

We can coat almost every surface! Surfaces like concrete, wood, tile and metal are just a few surfaces we can cover. Call us and inquire to see if we can coat your unique surface.

Will you coat the front aprons?

Aprons are the section of concrete between the garage door and the driveway. This is standard practice for Zone Garage Edmonton but if you don’t want it coated, let us know. Please inquire for more information.

Can you coat my deck?

We can count your deck and most other outside surfaces. Call our sales staff and let them know about your project so we can guide you towards the best coating solution.

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Call Us : 1-780-996-0716