A lot of homeowners start with a hardware-store kit before calling us. Here are 9 honest answers on what's actually different between DIY and professional-grade epoxy.
Hardware-store kits are typically thin 1-part acrylic or light 2-part epoxy — a fraction of the thickness of a professional system — so they wear through in months instead of years. Our epoxy coating system uses commercial-grade materials applied at proper mil thickness.
Most DIY kits aren't rated for daily tire traffic and start showing hot-tire marks, peeling, and delamination within a year. A professionally installed flake system is built specifically to handle daily vehicle use.
In most cases, yes — but the failed coating has to be fully ground off first rather than coated over, or the new epoxy will fail the same way. Our residential team handles this removal-and-recoat process regularly.
It's necessary, not optional — epoxy only bonds properly to a mechanically profiled, contaminant-free slab. Our concrete polishing and grinding process preps the surface properly before any new coating goes down.
DIY kits typically last 1-3 years before visible wear; a professionally installed system lasts 10-20 years with proper care. That's reflected in our warranty terms, which only apply to professional-grade installations.
No — peeling almost always means the coating failed to bond, not that the concrete underneath is damaged. Once the old coating is ground off, the slab is usually in fine shape to recoat properly. Book a free consultation and we'll assess the slab before quoting a fix.
No — painting or recoating directly over a peeling surface just traces the same failure into the new layer, since epoxy needs to bond to bare, mechanically profiled concrete, not to another coating. The failed layer has to be ground off first, which our concrete grinding and polishing process handles before any new coating goes down.
No — hardware-store kits are typically thin, single-coat, water-based formulas built for easy DIY application, while professional-grade epoxy is a thicker, solvent- or 100%-solids system applied in multiple coats at a much greater mil thickness. That thickness difference is the main reason professional floors last 10-20 years instead of 1-3.
Bubbling is almost always trapped moisture vapor pushing up through the coating, or air trapped during roller application — both common issues when a slab isn't tested for moisture and properly prepped first. Our polyurethane cement and moisture-tolerant systems are built specifically to prevent this on slabs where it's likely to happen again.
Toronto winters are hard on concrete - freeze-thaw cycles, road salt, and de-icing chemicals all take a toll.
Pricing is the first thing most homeowners ask about - and the hardest to compare between companies.
What's happening under the coating matters as much as the coating itself.
Epoxy isn't one-size-fits-all - the finish you choose affects both the look and how the floor lives day to day.
Commercial and industrial floors have to meet a higher bar - forklift loads, food safety, chemical exposure.
Get a free, no-obligation consultation and we'll walk through your specific project. Serving Toronto, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Oakville & all of GTA.