Poor preparation
Coatings need to grip the concrete. If the surface is smooth, dusty, oily or sealed, the coating sits on top instead of bonding, and it lifts under traffic.
Moisture in the slab
Concrete can hold water and push vapor up through the floor. Under a coating, that vapor can form blisters and break the bond.
Old coatings and sealers
Paint, sealer or an old coating left on the floor stops a new one bonding to the concrete.
Rushing the cure
Walking or parking on a floor before it has cured can mark or lift it.
New concrete that hasn't cured
Fresh concrete keeps releasing water for weeks after it is poured; a common rule is to wait about 28 days before coating it. Coating too soon traps that moisture under the floor, where it can blister and lift the coating.
What to ask a contractor
- How will you prepare my concrete?
- What do you check for before you price it?
- When can I walk on it, and when can I park on it?
Signs a coating is failing
- Edges lifting at the garage door or along walls
- Bubbles or blisters that weren't there when it was new
- White or cloudy patches
- Flakes coming up where tires park
- Patches that peel off in sheets rather than wearing down
Why tires lift a coating (hot-tire pickup)
Tires get hot on the road. When a car parks, the hot rubber softens a weak coating and grips it; when the car pulls away, it can pull the coating with it. It happens most on floors that were poorly prepared, coated with a product not made for cars, or driven on before they cured.
Why some floors turn yellow
Many epoxies can yellow in direct sunlight over time. It doesn't mean the floor has failed, but it changes the look, which is why a floor that gets sun usually needs a UV-stable top coat.
Can a peeling floor be fixed?
Usually not by patching. If a coating has lost its bond, the failed coating normally has to come off and the concrete be prepared again before a new floor goes down; a patch over a bad bond tends to fail the same way. Small damage on a well-bonded floor is a different job, and we can tell which you have at a visit.
How to avoid it on a new floor
Ask how the concrete will be prepared and what the installer checks before pricing. Make sure old coatings and sealers are dealt with. Keep off the floor until you're told it's ready, and keep cars off longer. We look at the concrete at the free visit, before we give a price. How we work →
What we do
We look at the concrete at the free visit, before we give you a price. See our garage floor coatings →