In Nashville, the mix of hot, humid summers and mild winters creates a unique challenge for garage floors. Moisture can be a silent threat, leading to issues like delamination (peeling) of floor coatings, if not properly addressed. Many homeowners and one-day polyurea contractors often skip the critical step of assessing moisture content in concrete before application. We hear those regrets loud and clear all the time when we get called to fix it.
Here’s how moisture can do serious damage to your garage floor:
Water vapor trapped beneath the concrete can create hydrostatic pressure, pushing the coating away from the concrete surface. This problem often becomes evident within six to twelve months of the coating’s installation, requiring costly repairs. Professional installers in Nashville take moisture assessment seriously. They inspect for visible signs, such as efflorescence and dark spots, and use calibrated moisture vapor transmission meters for accurate readings.
Detecting medium to high moisture levels prompts a professional contractor to use of a moisture-mitigating epoxy as the direct-to-concrete primer coat. This slower-curing, deep-penetrating epoxy primer lays a solid foundation for the subsequent flake broadcast and dual polyaspartic clear topcoats. Using a fast-curing polyurea direct-to-concrete under these conditions (as “1-day polyurea” contractors do) would be a serious mistake. Why? Because fast-curing polyureas cure even faster in the presence of moisture (well under 1 hour), so there’s insufficient time to properly penetrate and bond to the concrete substrate.
Using a moisture-mitigating epoxy primer is the solution. It’s how you get your garage floors to handle the diverse weather conditions in Nashville for years to come. So avoid the temptation to go the “1-day” route!
Although one-day polyurea systems seem attractive, they overlook critical moisture issues all the time, and that results in early failures (usually in under a year!). Choosing a professional installation with thorough moisture assessment guarantees a durable garage floor that withstands local conditions.