Method
How We Install a Floor
Nine steps, in the same order, on every floor. The steps you cannot see once the job is finished are the ones that determine whether it lasts, which is why we publish them in full.
How does a floor coating installation work, step by step?
Short answer
An onsite inspection and moisture check first, then a written itemized quote. On install day the slab is diamond ground, cracks and spalls are repaired, the base coat goes down, flake is broadcast to refusal if specified, the floor is scraped and vacuumed, and a clear polyaspartic topcoat is applied.
The sequence does not change
Every floor we install runs through the same nine steps in the same order. What changes between jobs is how long each step takes — a slab with extensive spalling spends far longer in repair, and a previously coated floor adds a removal phase before preparation even begins.
What does not change is the order, or whether a step happens at all. Preparation is not skipped because the concrete looks clean, and repairs are not coated over to save a cure window.
Where jobs go wrong
Almost every coating failure traces back to one of the first four steps rather than the coating itself. A floor that was not mechanically ground, a slab that was still releasing moisture, or damage that was filled with the wrong material will take down even an excellent topcoat.
That is the reason this page exists in the detail it does. The parts of the job that determine whether your floor lasts are the parts you cannot see once it is finished.
Signature Installation System
Nine steps, in this order, on every slab
Preparation is the part of the job that decides whether a coating holds. This is the sequence we run residential and commercial, with no steps traded away to hit a price.
Inspect the concrete and identify cracks, damage, contamination, and moisture concerns
Mechanically prepare the concrete with professional diamond grinding
Vacuum dust using professional dust-control equipment
Repair eligible cracks, spalls, and surface imperfections
Apply Citadel SLE-100 epoxy base coat when appropriate for the selected system
Broadcast decorative flakes to full refusal for full coverage
Scrape and vacuum loose flakes to create an even texture
Apply Polyaspartic F61 clear topcoat when appropriate for the system
Final quality inspection and care instructions
Diamond grinding is our preparation method. Steps 5 and 8 are specified when appropriate for the selected system — substrate conditions sometimes require a different build.
Questions
How the work runs
How long does a typical garage take?
Most residential garages are a multi-day job rather than a single visit, because cure windows between coats are real and cannot be compressed. Your written quote includes a realistic schedule for your specific floor, including when you can walk on it and when you can park on it — those are two different dates.
Why does grinding matter so much?
Mechanical grinding opens the concrete’s pore structure so the resin can key into it. Acid etching, by contrast, chemically roughens only the very top surface and leaves residue behind. A coating over an etched slab is relying on a much weaker bond, which is why peeling-in-sheets failures are so often traced back to preparation.
What does "when appropriate" mean in steps five and eight?
It means those steps depend on the system being installed and what the slab needs. Not every floor gets the same treatment at every stage, and we would rather qualify the description accurately than claim a step happens universally when it does not.
Do you contain the dust?
Yes. Grinding runs under HEPA vacuum extraction rather than open. It is not dust-free, but it is a controlled, contained operation rather than a cloud through your house.
Can I stay home while you work?
In most cases yes. Garage work is largely self-contained, and the dust-control equipment keeps the mess in the work area. We will tell you at the estimate whether any part of your specific job needs you out of the space.
Ask us to walk you through it on your own slab
The inspection is where the sequence gets applied to your specific concrete — what it needs, how long each step will take, and what that costs. It is free and comes back itemized in writing.
- $2M general liability + workers’ comp
- 5-year workmanship warranty
- No upfront payment
The steps in detail
- Grinding & PrepStep two, and the one that matters most.
- Crack & Spall RepairCracks and spalls, handled before coating.
- Coating RemovalWhen there is an old floor in the way first.
- PolyasparticThe topcoat chemistry, step eight.
- Flake FloorsHow the broadcast and scrape steps work.
- PricingWhat each step contributes to the cost.