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Epoxy floor coatings for basements, garages and shops
A hard, sealed, mop-it-clean floor over concrete — as long as the slab gets ground, tested and repaired first. That prep is the whole job.
Epoxy does not fail. Preparation fails.
Every peeling epoxy floor we have been called to strip failed for one of three reasons: the slab was never mechanically ground, so the coating bonded to a sealed or dusty surface instead of to concrete; nobody moisture-tested the slab, so vapor pushed the coating off from underneath; or it was applied outside the product's temperature window and never fully cured. None of those are epoxy's fault.
So we do the boring part properly. Diamond grinding to open the surface profile, a moisture test on the slab before we commit, crack and spall repair, degreasing where a garage has years of drips, and then coating within the manufacturer's temperature and humidity range. It is unglamorous and it is the difference between a floor that lasts fifteen years and one that flakes in two.
Where it makes sense
Basements — a strong fit for rec rooms, walk-outs, gyms and shop areas. It shrugs off moisture in a way carpet never will, and it is easy to clean. We poured exactly this on a basement living-room slab on our Dearborn Avenue job. Garages — the classic use, and the one where prep matters most because of oil and road salt. Shops and outbuildings — durable under tools, jacks and traffic. Utility and laundry rooms — sealed, seamless, no grout to scrub.
Finishes and options
Solid color, decorative flake broadcast for a speckled look that hides dust and scuffs, or metallic for a poured-marble effect. Clear topcoats come in gloss or satin, and we can add an anti-slip additive where a floor gets wet — worth doing at a garage entry or a walk-out door in a Montana winter.
Timing, in a Montana climate
Cure time is driven by product and temperature, and cold slabs are slow. A heated basement can be coated year-round. An unheated garage in January generally cannot, unless we can hold temperature — which is why garage epoxy work books heavily from spring through fall here. We will tell you honestly whether your slab and your season work, rather than coating it and hoping.
Epoxy and concrete coating work
- Basement slab coatings for rec rooms, gyms and living space
- Garage floor epoxy, including flake and metallic finishes
- Shop, barn and outbuilding floors
- Diamond grinding and full mechanical surface prep
- Slab moisture testing before we commit to a coating
- Crack, spall and pit repair
- Degreasing and stain treatment on used garage slabs
- Decorative flake broadcast and metallic pours
- Gloss or satin clear topcoats
- Anti-slip additive at entries and wet areas
- Stripping and recoating failed epoxy from a previous installer
Our work
An epoxy floor on one of our own jobs
Dearborn Avenue, Missoula — the basement living-room slab before, during the pour, and cured.
Questions
Common questions
How long before I can walk on it and park on it?
Product and temperature dependent, but as a rule you are walking on it within a day and parking a vehicle on it several days later — full chemical cure takes longer than foot-traffic cure. We give you the exact numbers for your product in writing, and we would rather you wait an extra day than mark a floor you just paid for.
Will it peel?
Not if the slab was ground and tested. Peeling is a bond failure, and bond failures come from skipped prep, untested slab moisture, or coating outside the temperature range. If you have a floor that already peeled, we can grind it off and do it correctly.
Can you epoxy my garage in the winter?
Only if we can hold the slab and air within the product's temperature range for the full cure. An unheated Missoula garage in deep winter usually cannot, and we will say so instead of taking the job and blaming the weather later. Heated basements are fine year-round.
Is epoxy a good idea in a basement?
Often the best idea. It tolerates slab moisture far better than carpet, it does not hold odor, and it wipes clean. For a bedroom you may still want carpet or LVP for warmth, but for rec rooms, gyms, walk-outs and utility space it is hard to beat.
Does the concrete need to be new?
No. Most floors we coat are old. It needs to be sound and dry enough — we test rather than assume. Cracks and spalls get repaired as part of prep, and a slab with a genuine active moisture problem needs that solved first.
What does epoxy flooring cost?
It depends on square footage, how much prep and repair the slab needs, and the finish you pick. We measure and test, then give you an itemized written estimate within 48 hours.
Ready for a straight answer on your project?
Free walkthrough anywhere in the Missoula area. Written estimate in 48 hours. No pressure and no sales pitch — just a number you can trust.