Why is my garage flooring failing—even though it was just installed a year ago?
In Colorado Springs, dramatic temperature swings and snowmelt can wreak havoc on garage floors, so moisture protection is critical. When a coating starts bubbling, peeling, or cracking shortly after installation, the issue is often moisture-vapor transmission (MVT)—not surface wear. MVT happens when water vapor rises from the soil beneath your concrete slab. That vapor travels upward through the pores in the concrete, creating pressure just beneath the surface. If your garage flooring system doesn’t block it, the coating can fail—even in a short time.
Moisture Protection: What makes MVT such a serious issue in the Front Range?
Colorado Springs has a unique climate:
- Snow and ice lead to saturated ground during melt cycles
- Freeze-thaw stress causes expanding vapor in slabs
- High elevation and dry air can cause quick vapor movement from the ground up
These conditions increase MVT pressure, which leads to damage if the coating system isn’t equipped to stop it. Moisture protection is critical.
How does GFC’s 2-day system provide moisture protection?
Garage Floor Coating of the Front Range uses a 2-day installation garage flooring system, which includes a moisture-blocking, 100%-solids epoxy base coat. This thick, moisture-mitigating epoxy penetrates deep into the concrete and cures into a dense barrier that halts moisture movement. We then broadcast your selected flake blend into the “wet” base coat in a thick, full-flake spread.
After curing overnight, we apply two 100%-solids polyaspartic topcoats, which protect the surface from UV damage, impacts, and chemicals.
Together, the four-layer system:
- Blocks moisture-vapor transmission at the base
- Prevents surface delamination and blistering
- Withstands freeze-thaw cycles that cause cracking in unprotected floors
Why don’t 1-day systems provide moisture protection?
“1-day” coating systems skip the slower-curing, moisture-mitigating epoxy base coat and use a quick-curing polyurea or polyaspartic for both the base coat and single top coat (to get the job done in one day!). While a quick-curing polyurea or polyaspartic is a superb topcoat, it’s makes for a poor base coat. In the presence of moisture, these coatings cure so quickly that that they don’t have time to deeply penetrate and bond with the concrete slab. In Colorado Springs, these thin, poorly-penetrating base coats leads to increased risk of peeling over time.
How do I get garage flooring that actually lasts in Colorado?
Call Garage Floor Coating of the Front Range today for your free quote. We install garage flooring that provides moisture protection, built for the Rockies—strong enough to handle your weather, moisture, and every season in between.