Garage Floor Epoxy in Fort Worth, TX

New concrete has a smooth, dense surface called laitance, and older slabs carry oil, tire marks and sealers. A coating applied over any of that will peel, usually starting under the tires. Acid etching, the method in most home kits, cleans unevenly and can leave residue. We grind the whole floor with a diamond grinder connected to a dust extractor, which opens the surface to a texture similar to medium sandpaper. Edges and corners are ground with a handheld grinder so the profile matches out to the walls. Oil stains that have soaked deep get degreased and, in stubborn spots, heated to pull oil out before grinding again.

Almost every garage slab in North Texas has cracks. Control joints, the straight cuts in the slab, are intentional, and random cracks come from shrinkage and the clay soil underneath. We chase cracks open with a crack-chasing blade, vacuum them and fill with a semi-rigid polyurea or epoxy crack filler, then grind flush. Pitted and spalled areas near the garage door get a fast-setting epoxy mortar. We tell homeowners plainly: if the slab keeps moving, a crack can telegraph through the coating again, but a properly filled crack is far less noticeable than an untreated one. Control joints can be filled and coated over or left open and honored, depending on how much movement we see.

We build the floor in layers, each with a specific job. The first is a two-part 100% solids or high-solids epoxy base coat, rolled at a thickness that soaks into the ground concrete for bond. While it's wet, we broadcast decorative vinyl flake, either a full broadcast for a fully covered look or a partial scatter. After the base cures, loose flake is scraped and vacuumed, and a clear topcoat locks it in. For the topcoat, polyaspartic is our usual choice. It's UV stable, so it won't amber in sunlight from an open garage door, it resists hot tire pickup well, and it cures fast. Epoxy topcoats are less expensive but can yellow and soften more in heat.

• Diamond grinding with dust extraction
• Crack and spall repair with polyurea or epoxy mortar
• Two-part epoxy base coat
• Full or partial vinyl flake broadcast
• UV-stable polyaspartic clear topcoat

Moisture rising through concrete is the hidden enemy of garage coatings. A slab without a vapor barrier, common in older homes, can push water vapor up and blister the coating from below. We tape a plastic sheet to the floor for a simple test before the job, and on suspect slabs we use a calcium chloride or meter reading. High readings call for a moisture-tolerant epoxy primer, which adds cost but keeps the system stuck to the slab.

With a polyaspartic topcoat, foot traffic is usually fine the next day, and vehicles can go back in after about three to five days, depending on temperature. Epoxy-only systems need about a week before driving on them. Hot tires from a long highway drive are softer than cool ones, so for the first month we suggest letting the car sit outside for a few minutes before pulling in. Clean spills promptly, and use a mild cleaner with a soft mop afterward.