In Upstate New York, your garage floor is up against a lot: snow, salt, freezing temps, and damp spring conditions. And while many homeowners are turning to garage floor coatings for protection, not all systems are built the same. At Garage Floor Coating of New York, we see a common mistake time and again—the use of a polyurea or polyaspartic coating as a base coat.
Here’s why that causes problems—and how garage floor epoxy fixes them.
The Problem: Peeling, Bubbling, and Quick Wear
Garage coatings that look great on install can fail fast in the Northeast climate. Many companies offer “1-day” systems using a quick-curing polyurea or polyaspartic coating for both the direct-to-concrete base coat and clear topcoat to speed up installation. But that shortcut comes at a cost.
- Polyurea and polyaspartic coatings cure quickly…and quicker still in the presence of moisture. When used as direct-to-concrete base coats under medium to high moisture conditions, they cure so fast that they fail to deeply penetrate the concrete slab.
- Polyurea and polyaspartics cannot be applied thickly due to their chemical nature (they simply won’t cure if applied too thickly).
- The thin, poorly-penetrating base coat struggles with moisture vapor (and resulting hydrostatic pressure) wicking up from below the concrete slab.
The result? Peeling, bubbling, and early wear—in some case, even after one tough winter.
The Solution: A Garage Floor Epoxy Base Coat
Garage floor epoxy cures more slowly, giving it time to absorb into the concrete and form a lasting mechanical bond. That’s crucial in Upstate New York, where temperature swings and freeze-thaw cycles can stress weak coatings.
A 100%-solids epoxy acts as a moisture vapor barrier, offering reliable moisture mitigation, helping prevent bubbling and delamination caused by high hydrostatic pressure. And with its thicker application, epoxy creates a stronger, more resilient foundation built to last through snow, salt, and everyday garage use.
What Sets GFC of New York Apart
We don’t do shortcuts. At Garage Floor Coating of New York, we install every system using:
- A thick, slow-curing, moisture-mitigating, 100%-solids epoxy base coat that penetrates the concrete slab, acting as a moisture vapor barrier
- Two 100%-solids polyaspartic topcoats for a clean, UV, stain, chemical and impact-resistant finish
Protect your garage with a system made for Upstate New York weather. Start with the right base—choose garage floor epoxy from Garage Floor Coating of New York.