How to Choose a Commercial Epoxy Contractor

If you are considering an epoxy floor for your home, you may decide that you want to do it yourself. You probably think all epoxy floor coatings come in a single container, and if you mix and pour the right amounts, voilà – your new floor is installed.

The truth about commercial epoxy floors is that not only does the type of epoxy matter, but so does the contractor who installs your new floor. There are different schemes for mixing and pouring epoxy as well as different types of installation equipment such as grinders, cutters, and sealers. A great deal hinges on having the proper tools and knowing how to use them properly.

To find a commercial epoxy contractor who can give your home a look you desire at a price you can afford, contact several contractors and ask these basic questions:

What is your experience with commercial epoxy?

What are the different types of coatings, the pros and cons of each, and any additional services you might offer?

How will your installation process affect my appliances (i.e., dishwasher, oven)? How will it affect my floors underneath the epoxy?

What type of warranty do you offer on your workmanship? Do I get a warranty on the product too? Can I see examples of previous work that you have done in this area? What makes your company different from all others in my area who offer this service?

If you hire a contractor with extensive experience doing commercial epoxy installations, they should be able to answer these questions easily. If they can’t or won’t answer them, consider this a red flag and go with another company.

Why You Should Choose a Professional Contractor

Epoxy coatings are not like paint; they do not hide imperfections (take a close look at the epoxy floor at your local gym or playground). Epoxy is an industrial material that should only be handled by professionals with extensive experience doing commercial epoxies.

Some concerns of hiring the wrong contractor include:

• The contractor may not know how to properly use the tools needed for installation (grinder, sealers, etc.).
• You could end up with sub-par results without even realizing it until months later.
• The product warranty may become null and void if you hire someone who doesn’t understand what they’re doing.
• Your home could be more susceptible to damage due to improper use of installation equipment.

There is nothing worse than spending money you don’t have on a new floor that completely fails. The best way to avoid this problem is to hire professional contractors with the right experience and equipment for the job, not friends who are doing it themselves.

Why You Should Avoid DIY Kits

Firstly, epoxy kits often include a single container of the mix instead of premixed epoxy. Unless you’re planning on using the first coat as a sealer and not a base for other layers, don’t even bother with DIY kits.

Secondly, if you hire someone who doesn’t have extensive experience with commercial epoxies to do additional coats or resurfacing work over your DIY-kit installation, the results could be disastrous. There are simply too many variables that go into doing a proper commercial epoxy flooring job – from choosing the right product to getting the right mix ratio to applying the layer correctly – to trust it all to an amateur just because they have a bucket of material and plan on spraying it on somewhere.

Don’t take the risk. Trust a professional contractor to give your home the look you want at an affordable price with minimal inconvenience.

The Benefits of Choosing a Professional Epoxy Contractor

The best reason to hire a professional contractor is that you can expect an expert installation of your commercial epoxy floor for less than the cost of purchasing DIY kits and doing it yourself.

Their experience with different types of epoxies, proper sealers and coatings, and any additives that may be needed means they’ll get the results you want while protecting your home from damage like scratches and discolorations during installation.

Most importantly, hiring a professional contractor also ensures that all product warranties remain valid (i.e., if anything goes wrong for any reason after the install, you know exactly who to call).

When You Should Hire a Professional Contractor

Professional contractors are more qualified than most when it comes to installing commercial epoxy coatings. If you’re installing the coating in your home, restaurant, mechanic’s garage, car dealership service bay, or any other commercial space (including outdoor areas), hire a professional contractor for your commercial epoxy installation.

The equipment used on large-scale projects cannot be operated on a residential property without special precautions to avoid damage to furniture and floors. You can expect quality work with no surprises if you hire an experienced company that truly specializes in commercial applications of epoxy flooring materials.

Who Should I Hire?

When hiring anyone for a job as important as painting your house, it is always best to get referrals from people who have had similar work done recently. Ask friends or family members that you trust who they would recommend for the job.

If you’re not sure who to hire, get multiple quotes from different companies. Compare the quotes carefully along with what is included in each quote and the price for each before deciding. Remember that prices can vary greatly depending on the market in your area, so don’t always go by cost alone when selecting a contractor for your project.

During the bidding process, the best way to ensure you are hiring someone with sufficient knowledge is to ask them questions about their experience level, what type of epoxy they will use, how long they have been in business, etc. The last thing you want is to find out later that they didn’t know much more than you do about commercial epoxies or that they used an inferior product because their price was lower.

If you’re not sure if your contractor is the right choice, the epoxy flooring manufacturer they use should be able to help you verify their qualifications and experience level. They may even have contractors in your area.

Please don’t take any chances on a DIY installation for your commercial space or an unqualified professional who doesn’t know what they are doing. Get proper commercial epoxy installation from a qualified contractor for top-of-the-line results without any hassle.