Why Hire a General Contractor to Install Epoxy Floors in New York City Area?
Why hire a general contractor to install epoxy floors in New York City? Epoxy floor coatings are a wonderful idea for high-traffic industrial or commercial spaces thanks to their incredible durability, ease of maintenance, and aesthetic appeal. They are also becoming popular in modern homes due to the glossy finish and opportunity for creative expression. Epoxy is considered to be an extremely cost-effective flooring solution, but proper installation is essential.
It’s tempting to want to save on installation costs by handling the installation yourself or hiring helpers who are not experts. You may have seen DIY garage coating kits, so why not do it yourself?
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The reality is that the epoxy floor coating installation process isn’t as easy as it looks. Any mistakes can lead to problems that will be costly and potentially difficult to fix later. It’s always a better investment to hire an experienced contractor. Here’s why:
1. Timely and Cost-Effective Completion
Expectations often don’t match reality in DIY projects; and, often, this goes for budgets as well as the physical work. Whether it’s a commercial or residential floor, it’s important that installation does not delay the overall project completion.
A qualified epoxy flooring contractor will have the expertise to give an accurate estimate for both cost and a completion date. This estimate will be realistic, based on how much time and labor is required for each unique project and takes into account any potential complications before they occur so that the project can be planned out to optimize your time and budget.
Always choose a flooring contractor who is upfront about potential problems, who considers every detail of the project, and who factors in a time cushion to account for unexpected challenges. Erring on the side of caution leads to a more satisfactory result because the job isn’t rushed.
2. Surface Preparation is Key
If the surface is not prepared to accept the epoxy. A floor that is not cleaned and prepared properly, or if the epoxy is applied outside of the recommended temperature range, the floor coating could fail to bond with the floor or form bubbles or other cosmetic blemishes. Even if you can live with cosmetic blemishes, compromising the adhesion and strength of the epoxy will mean a very short lifespan and an expensive do-over.
An experienced contractor will ensure that the floor is properly prepared and that the epoxy is applied at the optimal temperature for durable and aesthetically-pleasing results.
3. Careful Installation
Aside from cleaning and patching the floor before applying epoxy, many floors must be etched to provide a slightly rough surface for the epoxy to adhere to. This involves acid, which can be dangerous to work with.
While applying the epoxy mixture to the floor is relatively straightforward, consider that any spills or splatters occur during the installation process, they must be removed immediately by grinding and sanding; and if only one person is doing the installation, this could mean a huge challenge since the grinding and sanding creates dust which can destroy the epoxy that has already been applied but hasn’t yet dried.
4. Artistic Skill
Some epoxy flooring applications are done with artistic expression in mind. Here, too, you want to work with an experienced contractor who can spread an even coat that’s free of blisters or bubbles; and who can apply special effects like ripples, metallics, or marbling with an expert’s touch.
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