Epoxy Garage Floors: 6 Things to Expect with a Full Broadcast System

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Whether you’re building a new garage or just need to give your old one an update, epoxy flooring adds value and beauty to your space. It also provides long-lasting protection for a surface that can take a serious beating from the elements — and from your hobbies, chores, and other activities.

But with so many options available, choosing the perfect epoxy garage floor for your home can feel overwhelming. If you’re considering a full broadcast epoxy system, here’s what you can expect.

1. Outstanding Protection

Epoxy garage floors consist of three layers of protection over the concrete foundation: the primer coat, the decorative layer of colorful flakes, and a top coat of epoxy that creates a long-lasting seal. The durable epoxy completely seals the concrete to protect it from oil spills and sharp impacts that can cause unsightly chips and cracks over time.

2. A High-End Finish

In full broadcast flooring, the colored chips are applied in a tightly packed pattern that completely covers the floor, leaving no base layer visible through the chips. Floors finished with a full broadcast system are often compared to granite or stone countertops thanks to the dense layering of color. The intricate pebbled effect provides a more high-end look than random broadcast floors, in which the chips are peppered across the surface as an accent.

3. Customizable Colors

Full broadcast floors are endlessly customizable, so you can create the exact color combination you want to complement your home. We offer select, ready-made chip blends, or you can get creative and design your own special look. There are hundreds of possibilities, and the only limit is your imagination.

4. Improved Safety

A professionally installed epoxy floor provides a bit of traction under foot due to the “orange peel” texture of the dense chip covering. This is ideal for rainy or snow days when water puddles under your car — your epoxy floor offers improved slip resistance over bare concrete.

5. A Cleaner Garage

An epoxy floor is much easier to keep clean than unfinished concrete — just open the garage door and hose off any loose dirt, road salt, or grit. The non-porous topcoat creates a watertight seal that prevents staining, so your garage always looks as good as the day it was installed.

6. A Cleaner House

Unfinished concrete floors tend to break down over time, leaving a layer of concrete dust on your shoes that is easily tracked into the house. You might not notice this fine dust at first, but over time it can work its way into carpets and create micro scratches on hard floors. An epoxy floor seals in that dust to keep you from tracking unwanted particles into your home.

7. Fast Installation

Full broadcast epoxy floors are faster than most people realize! The entire process typically takes two days to complete: one day to install the base coast and chips, and another to apply the top coat. After that, the floor will need an additional 24 to 36 hours of curing time before use.

Want to learn more about installing a full broadcast epoxy floor in your garage? Get in touch with Carolina Custom Garages for a free estimate today.

New Year, New Garage: How To Create the Custom Garage of Your Dreams This Year

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The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but for hobbyists, car junkies, and DIYers, the garage is a close second. It’s a home for your favorite hobbies, it’s where you keep your memories stored away, and it’s where you tinker with your passions and projects.

But for many homeowners, the garage is a source of stress, largely due to clutter. In fact, according to a survey from the National Association of Professional Organizers, 50 percent of homeowners cited the garage as the most disorganized area of the home.

With the arrival of the new year, you may be considering making changes around your home, and perhaps even contemplating some updates to your home’s beloved garage. Whether you’re thinking about adding new garage storage options or updating your garage floors, Carolina Custom Garages is here to help you get started. So you can get back to loving your garage this year, and for many years to come.

Garage Cabinets and Garage Organization

Clutter making you crazy? New garage cabinets may be the solution to your clutter problems. Getting things up off of the garage floor and stored in a neat and organized way can not only cut the clutter but make it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for when you need it, whether it’s a specific tool for a project or your seasonal holiday decorations.

Carolina Custom Garages offers precision-built cabinets that are made from thermal-fused melamine which allows cabinets to withstand heavy loads, extreme temperatures, and protection from spills and stains. Our one-inch-thick adjustable shelves are 25 percent thicker than the industry standard and have a load-bearing capacity of 100 pounds, so you can store more.

For the design-minded, you can rest-assure that our custom garage cabinets will meet all of your needs. We offer a variety of cabinet configurations and 24 laminate colors to choose from, allowing for endless design options specific to your home’s unique style. Plus, we provide a large assortment of handle selections and hardware made from cast stainless steel for the ideal final touch.
In addition to custom cabinets, Carolina Custom Garages has you covered with our multi-purpose garage organization options, ranging from heavy-duty bike racks to baskets for sports equipment. Whether you’ve got wood, metal, drywall, or concrete, our adaptable storage options are compatible with a variety of materials.

Epoxy Garage Flooring

Has your garage flooring seen better days? Skip the lengthy, messy DIY and let us transform your garage floors.

Our epoxy floors are durable and unlike some other floor coating systems, our product will not peel or wear down. Upkeep is easy, our floors are simple to maintain and can be hosed down or sprayed clean. And, you don’t have to worry about discoloration over the years, our floors offer 100 percent UV protection which keeps coatings from oxidizing or yellowing over time.

Our coatings typically cure in just 24 hours, so you can get back to life as usual and not have to worry about a lengthy renovation.

And, Carolina Custom Garages offers a lifetime warranty on all of our epoxy garage floors. That’s not something you’ll get when you do it yourself.

Ready to revamp your garage? We can’t wait to hear what you have in mind. Get your free estimate from Carolina Custom Garages today.

Modern Garage Upgrades to Increase Your Home Value

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It wasn’t too long ago that garages were just a place to keep your car, work tools, and a lawnmower. Times have changed, and many people are rethinking the layout of their home, especially the garage space. Giving your garage a modern upgrade not only makes your life a little easier, but it can add value to your home if done right. Check out a few of these popular garage upgrades, like custom cabinets, storage solutions, and floor coatings. They’ll definitely help you get inspired to revitalize your garage.

Floor Coatings 

A fresh coat of paint on the walls makes any room look bigger, brighter and newer. A garage floor is similar, it just needs a different kind of coat due to all that wear and tear. That’s why most professionals suggest using top-of-the-line epoxy flooring for your garage floor. There are countless benefits to using this type of covering. For starters, it’s durable and impermeable. No matter what type of work you do in your garage, the floor will withstand spills and stains, and hold up to the roughest activities. Because of the chemical properties of epoxy coating, a simple wipe or sweep brings the floor back to life. Some epoxy garage floor coatings have a lifetime warranty, which always brings value to a home.

Besides being functional, slip proof, and easy to clean, epoxy coating has a design element that beautifies any garage floor. Colored chips within the epoxy can be custom blended to create a unique color to match an interior or complement existing cabinets or storage units. Floor coating normally comes in standard stock colors to simplify the process.

Custom Garage Cabinets 

Let’s face it, many cabinets used in garages are poorly made and don’t stand the test of time. Professional installation of custom cabinets is a wise choice because it improves your workspace and storage solutions. It may add value to your home because of the long-lasting quality, craftsmanship, and materials used.  

Store-bought shelving products that use glue and cheap fastening systems may prove to be a waste of money. It doesn’t add value to the garage because they don’t last. Using an installation professional to install precision-built shelving constructed of heavy-duty materials makes more sense. Shelving can withstand heavy loads, making storage and organizing easier.

Most installation companies offer a wide variety of colors and designs of cabinets and storage systems to help you get the right look for your garage.

Storage Solutions

When it comes to organizing a garage, everything should have its place. From the smallest screwdriver to the largest piece of equipment, everything should be easy to reach, but not in the way. Storage hooks, mesh baskets, or slatwall systems add functionality to the modern garage upgrade, so always implement good storage solutions.

A modern garage update may feel like a major home improvement, but with the right installation professional adding new flooring, custom cabinets, and storage may increase the value of your home and make your dream garage a reality. Contact our team today to transform your garage.

 

How Moisture and Humidity Affect Your Garage and Things You Can Do to Protect It

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It is normal for us to wipe moisture from our brows on a hot day, but should it be normal for our garage floor to sweat? The answer is most definitely no. A sweaty floor and high moisture content in your garage ends up creating a slippery surface and damp walls.

How Moisture Builds Up in Your Garage

The most common reason moisture builds up in your garage is a sweaty floor. If you have a concrete floor, when warm air comes into contact with the cool concrete, it will cause the air to cool to below the dew point and result in condensation on the surface. As the moisture in the air condensates in your garage, it increases the humidity dramatically. Not worried about a garage that sweats as much as you do? You probably should be.

How Moisture and Humidity Affect Your Garage

Over time, excess humidity and moisture can negatively impact your garage. Moisture eventually breaks down the foundation of your garage. Mold and mildew are faster foes, however. They can grow in a season and cause rot to set in the wood of the building and health issues for occupants. Moisture also causes your tools, storage units and vehicles to break down much faster.

Things You Can Do to Protect Your Garage

You will often notice that springtime is when your garage starts to build up moisture and continues through the hot summer when the air is warmer. There are multiple things you can do if you want to protect your garage.

Check the Drains

Before you install anything new or run an electronic device to try to rid your garage of extra moisture, you should make sure the problem isn’t internal. Check all your drains and gutters to ensure they are unobstructed and working properly. If they are leaking anywhere or backed up, they can cause the build of excess moisture.

Dehumidifier

Once you make sure everything is functioning properly, you can get a garage dehumidifier. They are great at getting excessive moisture out of a room and preventing mold and rot from going rampant.

Add Ventilation

Ventilating your garage is another one of the best, long-term ways you can protect your garage from extra humidity. Installing an exhaust fan is an easier way to go about this. While it isn’t quite as simple as plugging in a dehumidifier, it is more energy-efficient in the long run.

You can also do this somewhat effectively by installing more windows or passive vents in the walls of your garage. Installing storm windows can help, especially if you can put them on a side facing the sun to have the sunlight evaporate the moisture during the day.

Air Conditioning

For those of you who use your garage as a workshop or a man cave and have it air-conditioned, it is time to put that air conditioner to use. The vast majority of air conditioners work to reduce moisture levels in the air since they evaporate it as they run.

Floor Coating

Finally, one of the best and most permanent ways to cut down on condensation is to apply a floor coating to your garage. You should consider using a coating made for a wet environment to help out the most.

If you need more advice on garage maintenance or want a high-quality floor coating, contact our garage experts at Carolina Custom Garages.