DIY Epoxy Garage Floor Kit vs. Professional Install
By Santa Monica Epoxy Flooring · Updated · 1 min read
See more: Grind & seal ›A DIY kit costs a few hundred dollars, but it is usually a thin, water-based epoxy rolled over acid-etched concrete, and it often lifts where tires turn. A professional flake floor costs $2,600–$4,000 for two cars, with diamond grinding, crack repair and a polyaspartic topcoat. If you plan to keep the house, pro is cheaper per year.
What is in a typical kit
- Etching solution or a cleaner
- A thin epoxy, often water-based
- A small bag of decorative flakes for a light sprinkle
Where DIY floors fail
- No grinder, so the bond is weak
- No moisture testing
- Thin film that wears through
- No UV-stable topcoat, so it yellows
Doing it right yourself
You would need to rent a diamond grinder with a dust collector, buy 100%-solids epoxy, flake by the box and a polyaspartic topcoat, and work fast because polyaspartic cures in minutes. Most people who price that out find the gap with a pro install is smaller than expected.
When DIY makes sense
A rental, a storage space you do not care much about, or a garage you will redo in a few years anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are epoxy garage floor kits any good?
They are better than bare concrete for light use, but most do not last because there is no grinding and the coating is thin.
Can I grind my own garage floor?
Yes, with a rented grinder and a HEPA dust collector. It is heavy, dusty work.
Can a pro coat over my DIY epoxy?
Only after it is ground off. That is priced as coating removal.