A 1-day garage floor coating sounds like a dream come true. Pull the car out in the morning, and by evening you’re parking on a brand-new surface. But what those quick-turn ads rarely mention is how those floors get done so fast. Many 1-day installers skip a critical step to save time and increase profits: moisture mitigation.
It’s a shortcut that leads to early failure, especially in Tucson’s unique conditions. Between our dry heat, sudden monsoon humidity, and wide temperature swings, the concrete beneath your garage floor coating needs to be properly sealed against moisture vapor. When it’s not, the results are predictable and costly.
How Skipping the Primer Fails Homeowners
Most 1-day companies cut corners by applying a quick-curing polyaspartic or polyurea coating directly to bare concrete without first using a moisture-mitigating epoxy primer. While this saves a few hours, it weakens the entire system. These fast-curing coatings don’t penetrate deeply enough (especially in the presence of moisture) into the concrete to form a reliable bond.
As moisture vapor pushes up through the slab, it gets trapped under the surface, creating an upward hydrostatic pressure. The wafer-thin, poorly-penetrating polyurea-polyaspartic base coat is susceptible; this can lead to bubbling, peeling, and full delamination, sometimes within months of installation.
What Experts and Industry Standards Say
Respected coating manufacturers like Sherwin-Williams (General Polymers), Benjamin Moore (Corotech), Sika, BASF, Tnemec, Euclid Chemical, Stonhard, and Eco-CorFlex all recommend testing for moisture and applying a 100% solids epoxy vapor barrier before adding any polyaspartic or polyurea topcoat.
These guidelines align with the standards set by ASTM International, the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI), and AMPP. ASTM F3010 is the recognized benchmark for controlling moisture vapor beneath resinous flooring systems. Skipping the primer step doesn’t just risk coating failure, it can void warranties altogether.
Why Moisture Mitigation Still Matters in Tucson
Even in our desert climate, concrete can hold and release more moisture than most homeowners realize. Polyaspartic and polyurea coatings alone can only tolerate around 3-4 lbs of MVER or roughly 75-80% relative humidity. Tucson garages often exceed those levels, especially after summer rains. Without a proper epoxy vapor barrier, coating failure is inevitable.
The GarageFloorCoating.com (Tucson) Difference
At GarageFloorCoating.com (Tucson), we know that quality takes time. That’s why we’re a 2-day company, not a 1-day installer.
Every floor is moisture-tested before installation, and when moisture is present, we apply a true moisture vapor barrier (a thick, 100%-solids, moisture-mitigating epoxy primer). We follow manufacturer standards, use the right materials, and back our systems with warranties that include moisture protection.
When it comes to your garage floor coating, speed should never come before science. Choose the Tucson team that builds floors to last decades.
Don’t Pay the Price for a Fast Job
A fast garage floor coating may look good at first, but skipping the primer guarantees long-term failure. When it comes to protecting your investment, choose expertise over speed.
GarageFloorCoating.com follows industry standards, uses manufacturer-approved systems, and delivers coatings backed by science—not shortcuts. Choose the company that does it right the first time, so your floor looks incredible and stays that way for decades.