Frequently asked questions

Multi-unit and commercial properties need more than a good floor: they need notice to residents, phased access, documentation and a single point of contact. We work to the engineer's or manager's specification, provide certificates of insurance and product data, and plan the work so the building keeps functioning.

Parking structure repairs and membranes are typically done in warmer weather, so planning needs to start months earlier. Condominium corporations work from reserve fund studies and engineering condition assessments that identify what the structure needs. Repairs to the concrete come first, then protection. We work to the engineer's specification and can price and schedule once the scope is defined.

A traffic membrane is a layered system: a waterproof membrane bonded to the prepared deck, followed by wear layers with embedded aggregate for traction, and a topcoat. It's designed to flex with the structure and resist vehicle wear. Its job is to keep salt-laden water out of the concrete, which is why detailing at cracks, joints and drains matters as much as the main coating.

Every car entering a parking structure in winter brings in snow and slush loaded with de-icing salt. That water sits on the deck and soaks in. Over years, chlorides move through the concrete and can reach the reinforcing steel, where they contribute to corrosion. Corroding steel expands and can crack and spall the concrete around it. Protecting the deck surface limits how much reaches the steel.

A metallic system typically involves preparation, a primer or base coat, the metallic layer and a topcoat, each with its own cure time. Preparation and repair needs vary from slab to slab. We give you a written schedule with the quote, including when the space can be used and when furniture or vehicles can return.

The metallic effect is created by hand during installation, so the pattern, depth and distribution can't be reproduced exactly from a photo. Lighting in your space also changes how it reads. We show physical samples and photos of our own past floors, agree the colour and general movement you're after, and explain where variation will come from.

Metallic finishes are high-gloss and smooth, which makes scratches, grit and salt residue more visible than on a textured flake floor. In a garage that sees daily winter traffic, that can mean more maintenance. For show garages and less-used spaces, they're a strong choice. A UV-stable topcoat matters where sunlight reaches the floor.

Metallic floors use pigments suspended in a resin layer that are worked by hand while wet, creating swirls, depth and a stone-like or liquid appearance. They're usually sealed with a clear topcoat. Because the effect is made during installation, no two floors are identical, and the final look depends on the installer's technique as much as the colour choice.

Cottage garages and boathouses near Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe tend to sit cold and damp through winter and get heavy use in summer. Moisture and condensation are bigger factors than in a heated home, so testing matters. We schedule installation in the months when conditions allow and specify a system for the humidity and use, including traction where floors are often wet.

Outdoor surfaces face freeze-thaw, snow clearing, de-icers and UV. Systems designed for exterior use, installed on a properly prepared slab that drains, perform far better than interior coatings applied outside. Snow-clearing methods matter too — metal shovel edges and some de-icers are harder on a surface. We'll tell you what the product is designed to resist, what maintenance it needs, and where the limits are.

A membrane system is built in layers: a flexible waterproofing membrane that can stretch with the concrete's movement, then a textured wear course, then a UV-stable topcoat. It's used where water getting into or through the slab matters — over living space, on porches and landings, or where a surface needs to stay walkable through changing seasons. Joint and crack detailing is part of the system, not an afterthought.

Outdoor concrete in Ontario goes through repeated freeze-thaw cycles and snow. A rigid coating over a slab that moves or holds water can crack or delaminate. Flexible membrane systems designed for exterior traffic are better suited, and drainage matters as much as the product. We assess slope, cracking and the slab's condition first, and in some cases sealing or leaving it bare is the better recommendation.