Calgary & Alberta
Surface Prep
Most homeowners have no idea what a full epoxy floor installation actually looks like from start to finish. Here is how a day unfolds, what the crew is doing at each stage, and what you should know before they arrive.
A lot of homeowners picture an epoxy installation as someone rolling paint on the floor. The reality is a full day of prep work, chemical processes, and sequenced coats that each need to cure before the next goes down. Understanding what is actually happening helps you prepare your space correctly and set realistic expectations for the day.
Clear the garage completely before installation day. This means vehicles, bikes, shelving, storage bins, boxes on the floor, and anything else that might be in the work area. The crew needs unrestricted access to the entire slab, including the perimeter. Items left in the space slow down prep and can get contaminated with grinding dust. If there are wall-mounted shelves or cabinets with footprints on the slab, identify those areas in advance.
If the installation is in winter, the garage needs to have been heated for at least 12 hours before the crew arrives. If you have a propane heater, run it overnight. If you do not, let the crew know in advance so they can plan to bring one and start the heat window themselves the prior day.
Prep is the longest phase of any install. The crew will grind the entire slab with a planetary grinder, making multiple passes to achieve the correct surface profile. Simultaneously a HEPA vacuum system runs attached to the grinder to capture concrete dust at the source. After grinding, the perimeter and corners are worked with an oscillating tool to reach areas the main grinder cannot. The slab is then swept, vacuumed, and inspected for cracks, soft spots, or other issues that need to be addressed before coating.
Once the surface is prepared, moisture probe readings are taken. If the slab passes, the primer coat goes down. Primer is applied by roller in sections, working from the back of the garage toward the door. Primer has a working time of roughly 30 to 45 minutes before it starts to tack up. The crew works quickly and systematically to ensure even coverage before the product begins to set.
Primer cure time before the base coat can go down is typically two to four hours depending on temperature. This is when the crew breaks, cleans equipment, and prepares the base coat materials.
EFC Standard
We test moisture vapour emission on every slab using ASTM F2170-compliant in-slab probes. If the reading exceeds 4.5% relative humidity, we install a moisture vapour barrier before any coating goes down. It adds time and cost. It's also the only way to guarantee the system holds through Calgary winters.
The base coat is a pigmented epoxy that goes down by roller in the same direction as the primer. As each section is coated, Flake is broadcast by hand into the wet base coat. The installer moves steadily across the floor, ensuring even Flake distribution at the target density. Once the entire floor is broadcast, excess loose Flake is swept and collected. The floor then waits for the base coat to cure before topcoat application.
Topcoat goes down in one or two coats depending on the spec. Each coat is applied by roller in thin, even passes. The polyaspartic topcoat cures quickly: a floor coated in the morning is typically ready for foot traffic by evening and light vehicle traffic within 24 hours. The crew does a final walkthrough with the homeowner to inspect coverage, check edges, and identify any spots that need touch-up.
The floor looks finished as soon as the topcoat goes down, but the chemistry continues to cure for 24 to 72 hours depending on temperature. Light foot traffic is fine the same evening. Give it a full 24 hours before driving on it and 72 hours before parking a vehicle and leaving it in place for an extended period.
Get a quote on a properly installed floor — one that holds through Calgary winters.
