The most common question we get from prospective customers is how much a concrete floor coating costs. And for good reason!
You want a durable floor that looks great, but you’re also not ready to sell the farm to make it happen.
When it comes to how much a new epoxy concrete coating costs, here’s everything you need to know.
First, What is a Concrete Floor Coating?
A concrete floor coating might be as simple as floor paint, but most probably think of a harder, resinous material like epoxy.
In fact, epoxy floor coatings are what a lot of people set out to look for when they think of concrete coatings for garages or basements.
But epoxy isn’t truly the most robust floor coating for most homeowners or businesses!
Polyaspartic coatings are a stronger, more flexible, and more durable floor coating that look and act much like epoxy – which is why people sometimes use the terms interchangeably – but will last longer and look better than epoxy in almost every situation.
Types of Floor Coatings
Floor paint coating – A typical vinyl paint with an adhesive component. Looks fine for short periods of time in low wear-and-tear situations, but floor paint won’t last long or hold up to substantial traffic or abuse.
Concrete epoxy coating – Incredibly hard and durable, but can crack when the underlying concrete expands or contracts in non-climate controlled spaces (garages), and also yellows over time with UV exposure.
Polyaspartic floor coatings – The best-in-breed floor coating for concrete, polyaspartic coatings are rock-hard but with enough flexibility to handle outdoor/indoor conditions, and they won’t yellow from sun exposure.
Concrete Coating Fillers and Flakes – Vinyl flakes in a variety of colors can enhance concrete floor coating appearances to suit your style. Quartz sand can be added to improve durability and slip-resistance.
Decorative metallic swirling – Another increasingly common type of floor coating is metallic swirling, which gives a modern aesthetic and is quite appealing in many spaces. It has almost a 3D effect.
Concrete Floor Coating Costs
At Duramax, we use almost exclusively polyaspartic coatings only due to its enhanced durability and strength. Here are our average prices:
- Our decorative flake polyaspartic floor coatings range from $5 to $6.50 per square foot installed.
- Quartz added to a polyaspartic coating generally runs from $6 to $8.50 per square foot installed and complete.
- Metallic swirled polyaspartic floors cost from $8 to $10 per square foot.
What Affects Floor Coating Cost?
Many factors can influence the price of your floor coating.
- Condition of the underlying concrete – If your floor has excessive breakage or cracking and needs repair work before a new floor coating, this will add to the overall cost of your project.
- Type of coating – A commercial application of polyaspartic with quartz sand will cost more than a homeowner’s basement with a quick, lighter layer of polyaspartic.
- Accessibility or unexpected labor – If the flooring to be coated is in a tough-to-reach place, or we have to do excessive cleaning before we apply your coating, this can add to the overall cost of your floor coating as well.
Concrete Floor Coating Maintenance Costs
The reality is that concrete floor coatings are incredibly inexpensive to maintain – there is no fancy cleaning or sealing process, just hose it down or mop it down when dirty! That’s one of the main reasons people love concrete coatings!
After 10 to 12 years, coatings can begin to show some wear.
We can do a gentle sanding and buffing for around $2 per square foot to revitalize concrete floor coatings that have lost their luster! Many homes will never require this, though some garages may with time.
How Long Does It Take To Install A Concrete Floor Coating?
While it does depend largely on floor size, we’re done with most homeowner floor coating projects in one day.
A 2- to 3-car garage can be completed in one day.
A floor coating in a basement often takes one to one-and-a-half days to complete, though this depends on complexity (stairs, poles, etc.)
Epoxy floor coatings – as opposed to polyaspartic – tend to take two days for many projects because they require more dry time in between coats. Polyaspartic does not have this same time requirement.
Which Floor Coating Is Best For Me: Epoxy or Polyaspartic?
Hands-down, polyaspartic is the material of choice for almost any modern concrete coating project.
Priced similarly to epoxy but with improved durability and shorter installation times, we find very few occasions where epoxy is competitive.
If you’re looking to get your concrete coated – and wondering how much an epoxy floor coating costs – the average Duramax floor coating runs from $5 to $8 per square foot.
Don’t wait. If you’re looking at a dull and dented concrete garage floor, call Duramax to schedule a free quote and consultation with our experienced installation team today.
