Garage Floor & Storage FAQs

Garage floor coatings and garage storage. For floors we install epoxy, flake, metallic and polyaspartic systems. For storage we put in overhead racks, slatwall, wall storage, cabinets and workbenches.

We also do concrete refinishing and sealing, and lighting. Garages are our focus, and we take on showrooms, warehouses, driveways, patios and man caves too.

We're based in Oceanside and work across San Diego County. The cities listed on our contact page are Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, San Diego, Escondido, Vista, San Marcos, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Fallbrook, Ramona, Valley Center, Bonsall, Camp Pendleton and Cardiff.

Our service areas page has a page each for Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido and Encinitas.

If you're somewhere else in the county, call or text and ask.

Epoxy and polyaspartic are the coatings. Flake and metallic describe the finish.

A solid epoxy floor is smooth and glossy. It reflects light and makes the garage brighter. A flake floor has decorative vinyl flakes broadcast into a base coat and sealed under a clear topcoat, so it has texture for grip and a pattern that hides dirt. A metallic floor is epoxy with metallic pigments worked through it while it's wet, which gives it a three-dimensional look like marble, flowing lava or liquid metal. No two come out the same.

Polyaspartic cures faster than epoxy and is UV-stable, so it resists yellowing in the sun. You can have it with flakes, quartz or a solid color, under a matte, satin or gloss topcoat. We'll help you choose when we come out for the estimate.

Polyaspartic. It's UV-stable, so it resists yellowing, even where direct sunlight hits the floor. Standard epoxy can turn amber over time in UV light.

If you like the look of a flake floor, polyaspartic can be the clear topcoat over the flakes. When we come out for the estimate, tell us how much sun the garage gets and we'll take it into account.

Flake. The flakes give the surface a light texture that helps your footing and is less slick than smooth gloss. If you'd rather have a solid epoxy color, we can add a textured finish for traction.

Metallic floors are smooth and high-gloss, so they can be slippery when wet. If water gets tracked in from the driveway, ask us about adding texture to the topcoat.

Because a coating is only as good as its bond to the concrete. Before any color goes down, we grind and clean the slab so the coating can grip it. On epoxy and polyaspartic floors a primer goes on first to secure that bond, and the coating is built up in more than one layer.

That's the main difference from many store-bought kits, which are thin coats rolled onto concrete that has been cleaned and acid-etched rather than ground. Those tend to lift where tires sit and turn.

It can, but they have to be dealt with first. A new coating is only as sound as the surface under it, so repairs and any failing coating are handled during surface preparation, before anything new goes down.

What that takes depends on your slab. We look at it when we come out for the estimate and tell you what it needs before you commit to anything. You can see repair work in the Repairs section of our gallery.

Overhead racks mount to the ceiling joists and use the empty space up there for seasonal things and gear you rarely need. They're placed so they don't interfere with the garage door.

Slatwall panels take hooks, baskets, shelves and specialty holders, and you can rearrange them whenever your needs change.

Wall storage is laid out for your walls and what you keep, and puts tools and equipment at eye level, off the floor.

Workbenches are heavy-duty, with built-in drawers and cabinets and a work surface that resists scratches and stains.

Everything is measured to fit your garage. If you're redoing the floor too, we can take on the whole garage.

Call or text us at (760) 712-6561, email garagelabusa@gmail.com, or send a message through our contact page. We'll set a time to come to your garage, look at the concrete, and talk through the finish and any storage you have in mind. After that you get a detailed quote.

The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.

Yes. We coat the whole slab, so cars, shelves, bins and anything else on the floor need to be out before installation day.

Nothing goes back until the floor is ready for it. A new coating needs time to cure before you can walk on it, and longer before you can park on it. How long depends on the system and on the temperature and humidity, and polyaspartic cures faster than epoxy. We'll tell you when your floor is ready for each.

Sweep it, then mop with a mild detergent. The surface is sealed, so oil and spills sit on top instead of soaking in, and they wipe up. It doesn't need waxing or resealing.

On a flake floor, the pattern also hides dust and small scratches between cleanings.