Your garage is a valuable area, whether you use it as a place to park your car or double as a workshop, a home gym, a storage area, or even an extension of your living space. No matter how you use it, the garage matters, and flooring is the foundation of it all.

If you’re finishing or renovating your garage, many common mistakes can waste your time, money, and effort. At Ohio Garage Interiors (OGI), we’ve seen (and fixed) all of these mistakes! Today, we’re revealing the top five when it comes to choosing garage flooring.

1. Taking on DIY Projects Without Experience

Doing a garage flooring project yourself is tempting, especially if you’re handy. Some also assume that going the DIY route will save funds. With YouTube tutorials and big-box home improvement stores offering kits, it seems like anyone can pour some epoxy on a garage floor.

Unfortunately, the task is more complex than you think. Without experience, you could run into expensive problems like selecting the wrong material, applying low-quality products, and leaving out crucial steps.

Would you try to replace your car’s transmission following instructions from a video or blog post you found online? Probably not. Garage flooring also requires technical knowledge and proper tools.

2. Considering Only the Price

When shopping, it’s wise to compare price tags, but cost isn’t the only factor to consider.

On paper, budget-friendly flooring options like epoxy or polished concrete are appealing. Epoxy costs anywhere from $2 to $12 per square foot, while polished concrete averages around $2 to $16 per square foot. Compare that to polyaspartic flooring, which falls between $5 and $15 per square foot. It’s only natural to want to go with the cheaper option if you’re looking to save a chunk of money for your project.

Here is a reminder, though: Price does not equal value. A bargain usually lacks the durability and long-term performance that premium choices provide. That means you might end up replacing or repairing your floor sooner, ultimately spending more.

3. Neglecting UV Stability

Your garage flooring is an investment; you want it to look great and work for years. What is its biggest enemy? Sunlight. UV rays fade, discolor, and weaken materials over time, and you may see the damage when you leave your garage door open or let natural light hit the floor for hours daily.

Imagine installing a stunning, glossy floor today, only to watch it fade and dull after a year or two. Expect that with epoxy and concrete, but not with polyaspartic coatings, which are highly UV-stable!

4. Skipping Surface Preparation

Regardless of the material you choose, if you do not adequately prepare the surface beneath, the flooring will not adhere correctly. Many underestimate surface prep, which often includes the following:

• Grinding or shot-blasting the concrete to create the right texture
• Fixing cracks, chips, and other imperfections
• Cleaning away dust, oil, and debris that could interfere with adhesion

Applying a coat right away will cause peeling, bubbling, or chipping in no time. Think of it like painting over a dirty wall; a smooth, lasting finish would be unattainable. Thorough surface prep is part of our signature two-day installation process to ensure lasting durability.

5. Ignoring Cure Time

Fast curing means convenience and fewer chances of something going wrong while your floor is vulnerable. Of course, nobody wants the garage off-limits, but if you do not allow the floor to dry and cure fully, you risk damaging the finish.

On the one hand, epoxy takes up to 24 hours to cure. When applying multiple coats, your garage might be unusable for nearly a week. Environmental conditions like temperature and humidity also stretch curing times even further.

Polyaspartic coatings, in contrast, cure quickly, often in 20 minutes to an hour per coat. Light foot traffic is possible in about 12 hours, and vehicle traffic can resume use within 24 to 96 hours. That is a huge difference.

OGI’s Polyaspartic Floor Coating System

What is the solution to all these lapses? Leave the project to the professionals, like OGI. We specialize in garage flooring installations using our advanced polyaspartic coating system.

Unlike DIY kits or budget options, our system is designed to deliver maximum benefits. Our two-day process involves proper surface preparation, expert application, and optimal curing, guaranteeing a flawless garage floor every time.

It is not enough to just know what mistakes you must avoid. You need a partner to help you achieve the results you’re looking for! Schedule a free consultation with OGI today and let our polyaspartic coating system transform your space.