Garage, basement, commercial and industrial floors, with the moisture test, product line and finished thickness written into every proposal.
Gary Epoxy Flooring has spent 20+ years coating concrete in Gary, IN, putting epoxy flooring, polyaspartic coatings and polished concrete on garage, basement, commercial and industrial slabs across Northwest Indiana. Every job starts with the bare slab: we grind it, test it for moisture and map its cracks before anyone talks about color.
That order matters because a coating is only as good as the concrete it bonds to. Most floors that peel were never opened properly or were sealed over moisture nobody measured, so our written proposals name the surface prep method, the moisture test and the number it has to pass, the product line, the coat count and the finished thickness.
We coat two-car garages, finished basements, auto repair bays, warehouse aisles, plant maintenance shops and commercial kitchens. Homeowners and facility managers get the same thing from us: a floor system matched to the slab underneath it, installed on a cure schedule set by temperature rather than by the calendar.
What we do
Ground, tested and coated epoxy floors for Gary and Northwest Indiana
Ground, moisture-tested epoxy garage floors with flake broadcast and polyaspartic topcoats, built for Gary winters, salt and hot tires.
Diamond-ground, densified polished concrete for warehouses, retail, offices and basements in Gary and nearby Northwest Indiana towns.
Fast-curing, UV-stable polyaspartic floor coatings for garages, shops and businesses in Gary, laid over a ground and moisture-tested slab.
Moisture-tested basement floor epoxy for older Gary homes, with mitigation primers where readings run high and honest advice when they fail.
Marbled metallic epoxy floors for basements, showrooms, offices and garages in Gary, poured over a ground slab and sealed with a UV-stable topcoat.
Diamond grinding and shot blasting in Gary to strip old coatings and adhesive and open slabs to the profile a new floor system needs.
Crack, spall, joint and salt-scaling repair for garage, basement and commercial slabs in Gary, done right before any new coating goes on.
Seamless commercial epoxy floors for stores, offices, repair shops, clinics and back-of-house areas in Gary, installed around your hours.
High-build industrial epoxy and urethane floors for plants, maintenance shops and warehouses in Gary, installed around production schedules.
Static-dissipative and conductive ESD epoxy floors for electronics work, labs, data and control rooms in Gary, tested after installation.
Full-broadcast vinyl flake epoxy floors for garages, basements and shops in Gary, built thick and topcoated for salt, tires and daily use.
Seamless urethane cement kitchen floors with integral cove base for restaurants, bakeries and food service in Gary, installed overnight.
Our crew has been grinding, repairing and coating concrete for more than 20 years. That time on slabs is where the habits on this page come from, from refusing to acid etch to telling an owner when a cracked garage floor should be replaced rather than coated.
Every slab is opened with a diamond grinder or a shot blaster to a measured concrete surface profile, so the epoxy coating has real tooth to grip, rather than the acid wash and garden hose that leave a smooth, damp surface for a kit to peel off.
No price is final until the slab has been tested, and the proposal names the ASTM method and the reading it must pass. Older Gary slabs often sit over sand and a high water table with no vapor barrier, so the test prevents a coating from blistering rather than leaving it to luck.
Garage systems are chosen for the rock salt and calcium chloride brine that ride in on tires through a lakeshore winter, so the finish keeps its bond and color, rather than a thin single coat that lets salt water work under the edges by March.
The City of Gary licenses flooring subcontractors and requires a surety bond recorded with the Lake County Recorder, and each ring town has its own rules. Those are confirmed before booking, so a job is never stopped mid-grind by a missing license, rather than discovered at the permit counter.
Our proposals list the product line, the number of coats and the finished thickness, so the floor in your garage or plant can be measured against the quote, rather than a vague promise of an industrial-grade epoxy finish that no one can verify afterward.
Indiana’s 326 IAC 8-14 caps floor coatings at 250 g/L and industrial maintenance coatings at 340 g/L for whoever applies them, anywhere in the state. Products are picked inside those limits and never thinned past them on site, rather than reduced in a bucket to make them roll easier.
A garage job starts with a walk-through, a moisture test and a crack map, followed by a written proposal. On install days we grind the slab, vacuum it, fill cracks and spalls, then lay the base coat, broadcast and topcoat. You get a cure window for foot traffic and a later one for parking.
An attached garage shares a door and often ductwork with the house, so dust and odor control matter. Our grinders run tied to industrial vacuums that capture dust at the machine, we seal the house door, and we choose low-odor systems where the family is staying home during the work.
A detached garage near the lake can sit cold for months, and its slab swings with the weather. We pick coatings rated for that movement and for freeze cycles, and we schedule the install when the slab itself, not just the afternoon air, is warm enough for the resin to cure properly.
The residential code lets a garage slab skip the vapor retarder required under living space, so many garages have nothing below them to stop vapor. We test with ASTM F1869 calcium chloride kits or ASTM F2170 relative humidity probes, and an ASTM D4263 plastic sheet check where a quick read helps.
Hairline cracks, pitting and popped spalls are mapped before pricing, and most are ground out and filled with a rigid repair material before coating. When a slab has heaved, settled in sections or crumbled across large areas, we say so plainly, because no coating will hold a broken floor together.
Rock salt and calcium chloride dissolve into a brine that soaks into bare concrete, refreezes and flakes the surface away in scaling patches. A sealed, coated garage floor keeps that brine on top where it can be squeegeed out, which protects the slab as much as it improves the look.
Epoxy cures by chemical reaction, and a cold slab slows that reaction until the coating stays soft, clouds over or develops amine blush. We read slab temperature and the dew point spread at the surface, and when an unheated garage cannot hold a safe cure temperature, we recommend waiting for spring.
A tire coming off a warm drive softens a thin coating, and when it cools on the floor it can bond and lift the film as the car pulls away. A ground slab, a 100% solids base coat and a hard polyaspartic topcoat give the bond and hardness that keep the coating in place.
Most hardware store kits are water-based epoxy rolled thin over an acid-etched slab, with a few decorative chips. A professional floor is ground first, built in multiple coats of high-solids resin, broadcast fully and topcoated, which is why it lasts years under tires instead of peeling at the first hot tire.
The price moves mostly with prep, repair and system build: crack filling, old coating removal, moisture mitigation and full flake broadcast all add to it. Published ranges in the south Chicago suburbs run about $3 to $15 a square foot, and our proposal shows which line items set your number.
Nearly every coating warranty excludes failures caused by moisture vapor coming up through the slab, and many exclude hydrostatic pressure, chemical spills and impact damage. We explain those exclusions before the job is sold, starting with moisture, so the warranty you sign matches what it actually covers.
A basement slab sits below grade against damp soil, so moisture testing comes before any color choice. If readings pass, a standard basement epoxy system goes down; if they run high, the system changes to include a moisture-mitigation primer, and if water is entering, the coating waits for drainage work.
More than three quarters of Gary’s housing units predate 1970, and their basements and garages often carry layers of paint, sealer, adhesive and patching. We grind all of it back to sound concrete, because a new coating bonded to old paint is only as strong as that old paint.
Much of Gary sits on dune sand and muck soils with groundwater close to the surface, and many older slabs were poured with no vapor retarder underneath. That combination can push vapor through the floor year round, which is why we treat the moisture reading as the deciding number, not a formality.
Sump pits, perimeter drain tile and floor drains stay working after a coating goes down. We grind and coat right to the rim, protect the basin, and slope the finish so water still reaches the drain, rather than coating over an opening or leaving a lip that traps water.
When water has come in, cleanup and drying come first: mud and residue are removed, the slab is dried, and the moisture test is run again once readings settle. Coating a slab that is still wet underneath traps that water and lifts the floor within months.
White powder on a basement floor is efflorescence, mineral salts carried up by water moving through the concrete. It tells us moisture is active, so we grind it away, test the slab and specify a primer or mitigation system rather than coating over a warning sign.
Where ASTM F1869 or F2170 readings exceed what a standard epoxy is rated for, a moisture-mitigation primer goes down first as a vapor-resistant layer the rest of the system bonds to. It costs more, but it is far cheaper than grinding off a failed floor two winters later.
A coated basement floor handles washer leaks, dropped tools and rubber gym mats better than bare concrete or carpet. We adjust the texture for each room, adding grip in laundry areas, a tougher topcoat in workshops and a cushion-friendly surface under gym equipment.
Gary has a high share of long-vacant houses, and their slabs often hold years of stains, standing water marks and damaged patches. Before a rehab or rental turnover, we grind, repair and coat garage and basement floors so they are clean, sealed and easy to maintain for the next occupant.
Lake County, Indiana sits in EPA radon Zone 2, and a floor coating is sometimes pitched as a radon fix. It is not, nor is it waterproofing or flood protection, and radon work in Indiana requires a state license. We coat floors and refer radon and drainage work to the right specialists.
A vinyl flake floor broadcasts colored chips into the wet base coat until it is fully covered, then seals them under a clear topcoat. Blend and chip size change the look, with larger chips reading bolder and smaller ones hiding dust, and full broadcast adds texture underfoot.
Metallic epoxy uses pearlescent pigments in a clear resin that are moved by hand to create a marbled, flowing finish. It needs a smooth, perfectly prepped slab and an installer who works the pattern while the resin is open, which is why we use it most in basements, showrooms and offices.
Polished concrete is ground in stages with progressively finer diamonds, treated with a lithium silicate densifier and buffed to a sheen. How deep the first grind goes decides how much aggregate shows, from a cream finish with little stone to a full exposure of the slab’s aggregate.
High gloss looks sharp and is easy to clean, but it shows dust, footprints and tire marks. Satin and matte topcoats hide those better and scatter light from shop fixtures, so we often recommend them for garages and workspaces where the floor is used hard every day.
A quartz aggregate broadcast spreads colored sand into the resin to bring color and grip in a single layer. It is denser and more textured than flake, which makes it a strong choice for locker rooms, ramps, wash areas and commercial spaces where traction matters more than a decorative pattern.
A solid color epoxy coating with no broadcast gives a clean, uniform floor that is simple to sweep and mark. It suits workshops, utility rooms and plant areas where striping and visibility matter more than pattern, and it usually costs less than a full flake system.
Epoxy yellows, or ambers, when exposed to ultraviolet light, which shows quickly near open garage doors and windows. A polyaspartic or polyurea topcoat is ultraviolet stable, so we use one wherever sunlight reaches the floor to keep colors and clear coats true.
Decorative saw cuts, contrasting borders and inlaid logos can be built into a coated or polished floor. We plan them on the slab layout before grinding, so lines meet control joints cleanly and a logo sits where it reads best rather than being squeezed in after.
Commercial and industrial epoxy flooring jobs involve larger slabs, heavier loads, chemicals and schedules built around operations. We start with a site walk, a load and exposure review and moisture testing across the floor, then specify thicker systems, phased installation and written cure times for each area.
Maintenance shops around heavy industry take steel-wheeled carts, dropped parts, oil and hot slag. We specify thick, impact-resistant epoxy or urethane systems over a shot-blasted profile, and we plan for spark and slag exposure so the floor holds up to the work rather than chipping in the first month.
Forklift and pallet jack wheel loads grind at joints and turning lanes until a thin coating wears through. We fill and armor joints, specify high-build industrial epoxy in traffic lanes, and choose topcoats for abrasion so the warehouse floor stays sealed and marked under constant wheel traffic.
Repair bays see hot tires, fluid drips, solvents and winter brine tracked in from the road. We use chemical-resistant epoxy with a polyaspartic or urethane topcoat, add texture where floors get wet, and slope finishes to trench drains so fluids move off the floor.
Aisle lines, forklift lanes, pedestrian walkways and hazard zones can be coated into the floor instead of taped on top. Coated striping wears with the floor rather than peeling at the edges, and it keeps a facility’s traffic plan visible for years.
Casino, hotel and event venue back-of-house areas such as loading docks, service corridors and kitchens run around the clock. We phase those floors in sections, work overnight windows, and choose fast-return systems so service routes reopen quickly instead of closing a whole wing.
Kitchen floors face hot water, grease and daily sanitizing, and a health inspector looks for a smooth, cleanable floor with coved floor and wall junctures. We install seamless coatings with an integral cove base and texture that meets the FDA Food Code allowance for antislip floors in wet areas.
Urethane cement handles hot water, steam cleaning, fats and harsh cleaners that would soften a standard epoxy. It also tolerates more slab moisture, which makes it our usual choice for commercial kitchens, food processing rooms and washdown areas around grease interceptors.
Hospital and clinic floors are cleaned all day with disinfectants that dull and stain weaker finishes. We specify seamless, chemical-resistant coatings with coved bases and easy-clean topcoats, and we phase work around patient areas so care continues while each section cures.
Under 326 IAC 8-14, floor coatings in Indiana are capped at 250 g/L and industrial maintenance coatings at 340 g/L, and the rule applies to whoever applies them, not just the manufacturer. Gary’s Calumet Township also sits inside the Chicago ozone nonattainment area, so we keep every product compliant.
Businesses that cannot close get work scheduled at night, over weekends or in phased sections. We pick fast-cure systems where the timeline is tight, coordinate with shift changes and keep each area closed only as long as its cure schedule requires.
Gary Epoxy Flooring provides epoxy-flooring throughout the greater Gary area, with the same crews and the same standards on every job.
Good to know
Published ranges for concrete coatings in the south Chicago suburbs run from about $3 to $15 a square foot, and the spread is mostly prep, repair and system thickness. We price after we have walked the slab, mapped the cracks and run the moisture test, so the number on the proposal reflects the floor you actually have.
A typical two-car garage is ground, repaired and coated over one to three working days, depending on the system and the cure schedule. Slab temperature and the dew point decide when each coat can go down and when you can drive on it, so we give you a window rather than a promise tied to the calendar.
No. Every slab is opened mechanically with a diamond grinder or a shot blaster to an ICRI concrete surface profile the coating is rated for. Acid etching leaves residue, uneven profile and moisture in the pores, which is exactly what makes a coating lift.
Indiana issues no state flooring license, but the City of Gary licenses flooring as a subcontractor trade and requires liability insurance, a surety bond recorded with the Lake County Recorder and a city business license. Neighboring towns set their own rules, so we check each job's municipality before it is booked.
Most of our garage systems use a 100% solids epoxy base for build and adhesion with a polyaspartic topcoat for abrasion, ultraviolet stability and a faster return to service. A full polyaspartic system cures quicker but leaves less working time, so the choice depends on the slab, the season and how soon you need the space.
A smooth gloss coating can be, which is why slip resistance is specified by the broadcast and the topcoat rather than promised. Vinyl flake, quartz aggregate or a fine grit additive in the final coat all add texture, and we match the level of grip to garages, ramps, kitchens or wash bays.
Often, but only after the source is dealt with and the slab has dried and passed a moisture test. Where vapor readings run high, a moisture-mitigation primer may be specified under the coating, and where water is still entering, the floor needs drainage work rather than a coating.
Yes. Commercial and industrial floors are phased around production, with night and weekend windows and sections closed one at a time. Fast-return systems such as polyaspartic topcoats and urethane cement help a space reopen sooner than a standard epoxy would allow.
We walk through the written warranty before the job is sold, starting with what it leaves out. Moisture vapor coming up through the slab is the first exclusion on nearly every coating warranty, which is why the moisture test and its passing number are part of the proposal.
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