Applying an epoxy finish to your garage floor isn’t as difficult as you might think. In fact, armed with the right tools and some DIY facts, it’s a job you can easily do yourself. That’ll save you time and money. To set yourself up for success, it’s a great idea to check out some of the many free online videos that can guide you through some of the trickier aspects of getting the job done right. With a little information under your belt, you can gather your supplies and have that beautiful garage floor epoxied in no time.
If you live in Las Vegas or Sacramento, we can provide this service for you. In fact, we offer $500 a full epoxy service! But, we’re happy to just teach you how to do it as well.
How Much Does Epoxy Garage Flooring Cost?
One of the most important things you will need to consider before making the commitment to epoxy your garage floor is how much it is going to cost. To undertake a project of this magnitude for an average-sized single car garage in Las Vegas or Sacramento, it’ll cost you approximately $750 on the low end and nearly $3,000 on the high end. If you’re interested in getting it done professionally, give us a call or schedule a free estimate here.
On average, you can expect to pay between $2 to $5 per square foot for materials and equipment. Compared to the expense of hiring professionals to do the job, that’s pretty reasonable. As a conservative estimate, an expert floor refinisher changes the price from $3 to $12 per square foot of your garage space.
The average single car garage measures approximately 250 feet. That means a DIY project will cost you anywhere from $750-$3000. However, since a typical two-car garage nearly doubles that space, you can expect to pay a figure of $1,200 to $6,000. The type of epoxy you choose and the preferred application will also play a determining factor in the final amount you will pay.
How to Prepare Your Garage Floor for Epoxy
Proper preparation of your garage floor is critical to ensuring the epoxy flooring is successful. Here are the steps you need to complete to properly prepare your garage floor for epoxying:
Inspecting the floor
The finish on some floors makes them unsuitable for epoxy application. If the concrete has had a seal applied to it or has been painted, the surface of the floor will need to be ground to remove the paint or sealant; otherwise, your epoxy will not adhere properly.
As you inspect your floor, be sure to check for any flaws in the concrete. Each of these areas will need to be fixed before you can apply epoxy. It is important to note that epoxy is not designed to level cracks. So, if you don’t fix them prior to resurfacing, the epoxy will have a finish that shows blemishes.
Checking for moisture
Another important step before cleaning your garage floor to apply epoxy is to check for moisture that could affect the final finish. When you survey the floor, you can see moisture through areas of the surface that appear slightly damp or that display what appears to be white powder. This white powder is comprised of lime and mineral deposits left behind when the moisture in it evaporates.
If white powder is seen on the floor only during times of high humidity, then you’re fine. However, a problem with moisture on the floor year-round will prevent the proper adhesion from occurring. If you live in Las Vegas, you don’t have a problem with humidity anyway!
Prepare the garage floor through cleaning
After you have determined that the surface will accept epoxy well and that moisture will not pose a problem, you can then clean the floor as a final step prior to application. Garage floors that bear no sign of oil or other substances that would leave the floor feeling greasy or gummy require little more than sweeping.
It is important to make note of any areas that seem to be stained with grease even after a proper cleaning with a grease removing agent as these areas will not accept water and will naturally repel the epoxy adhesive.
Repairing any flaws
The next step in getting your floor ready for epoxying is to make any necessary repairs. Be sure to avoid using any latex products designed for floor repairs as they are known to shrink over time and can leave behind a mark that identifies where the patch or repair took place.
Profile the floor
The last thing you will need to do before applying epoxy is to profile your floor. Profiling is the process of allowing the pores in the concrete to be revealed to provide a surface that is easy for the epoxy to stick to. There are two different options you can choose from acid etching or grinding. Professionals favor acid etching.
How to Apply Epoxy to Your Garage Floor
In order for your project to move along fluidly, make sure you have all the right tools. Take time to unpack your supplies and look through your garage floor coating materials. You need to be certain that you have everything on hand. This will save you time in emergency trips to the hardware store to pick up items you’ve forgotten.
There are several different types of epoxy that you can use, but we recommend the use of a commercial-grade product. This type of epoxy is very dense and is poured out on the floor all at once and can then be rolled into place with paint rollers until the surface is properly covered.
Weather Compliance
Make sure you don’t start epoxying when the weather is uncooperative. High heat and humidity are the enemies of epoxy and can create a host of problems. The ideal temperature for most types of epoxy is 55 to 90 degrees. You’ll find the warmer the temperature, the quicker your epoxy will dry. That means you’ll have to work way faster.
Make sure you tape off any areas that extend just outside your floor. This helps prevent the epoxy from adhering to spots that you want to remain clean. It’s important that you remove the tape about 30 minutes after the epoxy appears firmly in place. Otherwise, taking the tape off cleanly might be impossible. You can reapply tape between coats.
Epoxy Prep Work
Make sure you mix the epoxy before you apply it. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly. Also, make sure you protect the area beneath your mixing bucket to prevent epoxy spills.
If the package indicates you will need several epoxy kits to complete your floor, it’s best to combine them all into one big batch to be certain the color will be even throughout the floor.
Most of the time, you will need to apply more than one coat of epoxy to the floor. This will help you get the ideal surface. The first coat is typically just a primer. From the time of pouring the epoxy, you’ll have about 40 minutes to roll the epoxy into place for a smooth finish. If it’s exceptionally warm or humid, you might have even less time than this. So be super conscious of the time and work quickly.
To make the process easier, it’s important to have all of your tools close by. This helps you immediately start rolling once you’ve poured the epoxy. If you are applying color flakes, you will also need to have these ready to go before beginning the process.
How to Apply Epoxy
To apply the epoxy, we recommend that you pour it in a ribbon-like fashion to provide coverage for up to 200 feet. This is just to help you understand how the concrete will grab the epoxy.
Once the epoxy is in place, work from the back corner of the garage rolling in an outwards motion. Your paint roller should also be dipped in epoxy for an even application that is free from any air bubbles. Work fast, reapplying epoxy to the roller as needed. For areas requiring cutting in, it’s a good idea to use a chip brush. This helps prevent the epoxy from being splashed on your walls. A chip brush can also be used to clean up any spills or to fill in spots you might’ve missed during the rolling process.
After the epoxy has been rolled in one direction, it’s time for you to roll the product again at a perpendicular angle, a process referred to as backrolling. This helps keep the color and thickness of the epoxy even. It also prevents bubbles from developing. If you live in Las Vegas, a lot of painting companies don’t backroll so check on that.
10-24 hours after you’ve laid the first coat down, you can start the second coat of epoxy. You’ll need to buff the surface of your floor. You can do this with sandpaper to rough up the surface before the second epoxy coating.
Epoxy Top Coat
If a top coat is part of your plan, you’ll want to be certain that the floor is completely set first. If the floor is not totally dry, you’ll leave streaks or imprints on the floor. Once you’ve laid the top coat down, you’ll need to give it at least 72 hours. It needs this time to cure before you move anything back inside the garage.
How Long Does Epoxy Garage Floor Last?
The life expectancy of an epoxy finish depends on how much use and abuse the floor sees and how much care is taken to clean and protect it. As an average rule of thumb, you can expect to get two to three years out of an application of epoxy to your garage floor.
How to Clean an Epoxy Garage Floor
Epoxy floors should be kept clean to prevent stains or scratches from affecting the surface. Sand and dirt should be swept and mopped off the floors as often as possible, or they can be vacuumed up with a Shop-Vac using a soft bristle attachment.
Cleaners that include soap in their formulation can leave a hazy residue that can damage the surface over time. It is recommended that the floor be cleaned using only warm water and a mop on an as-needed basis. If spots develop that require a more thorough cleaning, a gentle scrub brush can be used to buff the area out. Once removed, a light mix of ammonia and water can be mopped over the surface to remove any lingering dirt or stains.
Thinking you’d like a professional to add an epoxy finish to your garage floor? Give us a call or schedule an appointment for your free estimate!
If you’ve decided the time has come to paint the exterior of your home in Las Vegas or Sacramento, the best place to start is by getting an estimate as to how much you can expect to pay for quality workmanship. On average, exterior painting of a home in the Las Vegas and Sacramento areas costs between $2 to $4 per square foot. This means that if your home is 2,400 square feet, the cost will range from $4,800 to $9,600. For most homeowners, the final cost rests somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
With such a hefty price tag attached to this work, you’ll want to be certain you hire a company with a commitment to excellence in their finished product backed by a stellar reputation for a strong work ethic and great customer service. However, many different variables come into play when trying to determine precisely how much a job of this magnitude will cost. After all, no one likes unpleasant surprises when the final bill is tallied and submitted for payment. Also, we offer financing on all our services to make it easier for you.
What is Involved in Exterior Painting of a Home?
Painting the exterior of a home is a complex job. Though you can try to do it yourself, most homeowners prefer to leave this task in the hands of the professionals.
There are a lot of different factors that affect whether the painting of the exterior of your home falls on the low or high end of the cost spectrum. These include:
- Labor costs
- Expenses for materials
- Required permits
- Budget overruns due to inclement weather conditions halting productivity
- Equipment rentals
- Cleanup fees
- Building inspections
- Regional sales tax
- Contractor fees
- Size of the home to be painted
- Discounts applied
Where Does the Money Go?
Though each home exterior paint job will vary in the amount of work and overall cost, there are some common expenses that can be expected whether your home encompasses a modest or vast amount of square footage. Here is a general breakdown of the typical costs associated with painting the exterior of a home:
- Labor
- Cleaning and repair
- Scaffolding or a boom lift
- Paint
- Painting supplies
- Add-ons such as the painting of trim, window casings, or doors
- Siding repairs or replacements
As with most home renovation projects, one of the largest costs associated with exterior house painting is labor. Hiring a professional company to paint the exterior of your home will typically cost you between $30 to $40 per hour per painter required to assist with the work. Most home painting businesses allot two painters per job, and these two workers are most typically able to cover 100 square feet of the home per hour. Based on a home that is 2,400 square feet in size, the labor cost to simply paint the house once all the prep work has been completed would range from $1,440 to $1,920.
Exterior House Painting Prep Work
But a house is not ready for painting once the scaffolding is in place and all supplies are purchased. There is a lot of work to be done ahead of time to adequately prepare the surface for painting. This, of course, translates to additional man-hours on the job. Among the tasks which must be addressed prior to painting the exterior of a home are:
- Power washing the exterior
- Repairs to cracked or broken siding
- Priming the surface to prepare for paint adhesion
These preparations can take anywhere from as little as six hours to 12 or more depending on the size of the space and the extent of the damage to the siding. This increases the labor cost by as little as $360 to as much as $960 and possibly even more.
Safety is an important component of painting the exterior of your home. To ensure things proceed smoothly and with the utmost precautions in mind, equipment rentals are necessary. The less expensive option of the two is scaffolding which can be rented on a per-day basis for a nominal fee. For more extensive jobs, many companies opt to secure a boom lift which can be rented for an average cost of $1,000 for the week.
High-Quality Paint Cost
Paint is one of the lower costs involved with painting the exterior of your home. One gallon of paint will cover approximately 100 square feet of surface area. The type of paint purchased will also be reflected in the overall cost of the project. Inexpensive paints can be obtained for $21 a gallon while better quality products can top out at $70 per can. This means that a home that is 2,400 square feet will require a minimum of 24 cans of paint. However, if a light shade is selected to cover a darker hue, the house may require a second coat which would raise the price a lot.
Though low-quality paint does offer some cost savings, the reduced cost is really only deferred. Cheaper paints are not designed to last, meaning fading, chipping, and damage can occur in a minimal amount of time, necessitating the house being painted again.
When you’re considering paints, you should also factor in the type of exterior that needs to be covered. Different sidings require different preparations and may also need different types of paints to achieve the best results. Metal or aluminum are materials that require both sanding and priming prior to any application of paint. For the best adherence, the siding must be primed at least twice. This, of course, increases the amount of time invested in the project as well as the expenses for additional materials.
By comparison, painting a brick exterior requires only a thorough scrubbing and cleaning. Wood siding is the most costly of all as it must be scraped and sanded until completely smooth, a time consuming and expensive process that is vital to a quality finish. Other exterior surfaces that can be painted and that require their own unique preparations include vinyl, stucco, plaster, and concrete.
Method of Painting
The method employed to paint the exterior will also affect the final cost to change the color of your home. Though spraying paint on siding is an efficient means of painting an exterior, it can be very messy and also involves the use of a thin paint which is often lesser in quality, meaning it may not be as durable as other types of painting. Brushes and rollers are also popular options and offer less mess and greater consistency in the finished product.
If your Las Vegas or Sacramento home’s exterior could use some refreshing, we can help you out. You can book an appointment for a free estimate here or give us a call!
Are you spending a lot of time inside this winter? Staring at your walls, you may notice they are dingy and in need of new paint. You’ll have to wait for summer to paint, right?
No! They myth that you can’t paint during winter is simply not true. PaintRite Pros offers professional exterior and interior painting services all year round. While it is true that we cannot paint exterior walls while it is raining or snowing, we can paint interior walls any day of the year! When there is snow on the ground, it reflects lots of natural light while we paint, which is helpful. During the summertime, humidity can keep paint from drying quickly. During the winter, it’s best to paint with the windows open for ventilation and the heater on. This may drive your heating bill up slightly, but it will help dry your paint correctly. The warm air will prevent the paint from getting too cold and will help it dry faster.
Winter: The Perfect Time to Paint Inside
Another benefit to painting the interior of your home during the winter? Most companies are slower in the wintertime. This is a huge benefit for customers because they can get their project started faster. We can work with your schedule to find the best time to begin. You don’t have to wait in line behind other projects. We’ll schedule your paint job, complete it quickly, and the paint will dry faster due to your heater. It’s a win-win!
If you want to refresh your walls, or are ready for a whole new color scheme, contact PaintRite Pros! We offer interior painting year-round for the residents of Elk Grove, Sacramento, Rocklin, Roseville, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova. Don’t spend all winter staring at walls you want to change – contact the professionals for a paint job with beautiful results!
