Serving Des Moines & 18 metro cities · Monday – Friday 7:30 AM – 6:00 PMLicensed & insured in Iowa · Family-owned
Colin Coatings Des Moines
Call nowFree estimate

Des Moines, Iowa · Free Estimates · Most Garages Done in 1 Day

Garage Floor Coating Des Moines

Peeling epoxy, salt-pitted concrete, oil stains that won't come out — we fix all of it. Colin Coatings installs polyaspartic and epoxy garage floor coatings across the Des Moines metro that stand up to Iowa road salt, hot tires, and 100+ freeze-thaw cycles a year.

  • 20+ Years Concrete & Coating Experience
  • Local Des Moines Crew
  • 19 Metro Cities Served
  • Free Estimates

The Problem

Garage Floor Problems in Des Moines

Most Des Moines garage floors have the same three problems. The surface is pitted and dusty from years of magnesium-chloride road salt dripping off the car. There's a peeling coat of hardware-store epoxy that lifted the second summer after it went on. And there's a network of cracks and a sunken apron from Iowa's 42-inch frost depth working on the slab every winter.

None of these are fixed by another coat of paint. They're fixed by grinding the floor down to sound concrete, repairing what's damaged, and installing a coating system that's actually rated for this climate.

Colin Coatings Des Moines has been pouring and coating garage slabs in Central Iowa for more than 20 years. We know why your floor looks the way it does, and we know what it takes to make it last.

What We Do

Professional Garage Floor Coatings

A professional garage floor coating is a multi-layer system, not a paint. Our standard Des Moines garage floor is a 100% solids epoxy or polyurea base coat, a full broadcast of vinyl flake, and a UV-stable polyaspartic topcoat, for a total dry-film thickness of 20 to 30 mils. A DIY kit is 3 to 4 mils.

Every job follows the same sequence: diamond grind the slab to a CSP 2–3 profile, test for moisture, repair cracks and pitting with polyurea, prime, base coat, flake, scrape, topcoat. Start in the morning, walk on it that evening, park on it in 24 to 48 hours.

Polyaspartic Full-Flake Floors

Our most popular garage system. One-day install, dozens of flake blends, hides slab imperfections, adds traction.

Solid-Color Epoxy & Polyaspartic

Clean single-color floors for a showroom look, with an anti-slip additive in the topcoat.

Metallic Garage Floors

Pearlescent designer finishes for the garage that doubles as a car showcase or entertaining space.

Failed Coating Removal & Recoat

We grind off peeling epoxy, repair the slab, and install a system that stays down.

Tuxedo flake polyaspartic garage floor coating in Des Moines, Iowa
Diamond grinding a garage floor before coating in West Des Moines

When To Call

When You Need a Garage Floor Coating

The concrete is pitting, dusting, or flaking

Salt and de-icers tracked in from Des Moines roads eat into bare concrete. Once the surface starts scaling, it gets worse every winter. A ground-and-coated floor stops the damage and seals out future salt.

A DIY epoxy kit is peeling

The most common call we get. Kits are thin, they're applied over acid-etched or unprepped concrete, and hot tires pull them up in one Iowa summer. The fix is full removal and a proper system, not another kit.

Oil, coolant, and rust stains won't clean

Bare concrete is porous. A coated floor is not. Spills wipe up, and the floor can be hosed out in spring.

You're finishing a new home or a new build garage

New-construction slabs in Ankeny, Waukee, Grimes, and Bondurant should cure at least 28 days and be moisture-tested before coating. We coordinate with your builder on timing.

You want the garage to be usable space

A coated floor is brighter, cleaner, and easier to keep, which is why so many Des Moines homeowners turn the garage into a gym, workshop, or hangout after we're done.

Your Options

Polyaspartic, Epoxy, or Both?

Polyaspartic full-flake system (recommended for most garages)

UV-stable, fast-curing, flexible at -20°F, and highly resistant to hot-tire pickup and road salt. Installed in one day. Costs more per square foot than epoxy, but it's the system we'd put in our own garage. → See polyaspartic floor coatings.

Epoxy base + polyaspartic topcoat (best value hybrid)

A thick 100% solids epoxy base for build and adhesion, with a polyaspartic topcoat for UV stability and fast return to service. Two-day install. Good for heavily pitted floors that need more fill. → See epoxy flooring.

Solid epoxy system (budget option, indoor-only garages)

All-epoxy floors are durable and cost-effective, but they amber under UV. We only recommend them for garages that get little direct sun through the door. Cure time is 3 to 7 days before parking.

Not sure which fits? Call (515) 320-8883 and describe your floor; we'll tell you in two minutes.

Pricing

Garage Floor Coating Cost in Des Moines

Price moves with slab condition (pitting and crack repair), existing coating removal, moisture mitigation, and finish (solid color is slightly less, metallic is more). Every estimate is itemized so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Why Colin Coatings

Why Des Moines Homeowners Choose Us

We grind. We never etch.

Every garage floor is diamond-ground. This is the single biggest reason our floors stay down.

We test for moisture.

Calcium-chloride or in-slab RH test on every floor, every time.

Concrete people.

20+ years pouring slabs means we fix the concrete problem, not just cover it.

One day, done.

Polyaspartic systems mean you're parking in the garage the next day, not next week.

Written warranty.

5-year written workmanship warranty against peeling and hot-tire pickup.

Before and after garage floor coating in Urbandale, Iowa
Charcoal flake garage floor in Ankeny, Iowa by Colin Coatings

Where We Work

Garage Floor Coating Service Areas

Not on the list? Call (515) 320-8883. We work throughout Central Iowa.

Frequently Asked

Garage Floor Coating Questions, Answered

How long does a garage floor coating last in Iowa?
A professionally installed polyaspartic flake system lasts 15 to 20+ years in Iowa with basic care. The failures you see at 2 to 3 years are almost always thin DIY kits or floors that were acid-etched instead of ground. Prep, thickness, and a UV-stable topcoat are what decide lifespan here.
How much does a garage floor coating cost in Des Moines?
Slab repair, removal of an old coating, and moisture mitigation add to that. We give an itemized written price after a free on-site inspection.
Polyaspartic vs. epoxy — which is better for a garage?
Polyaspartic for almost every Des Moines garage. It's UV-stable, so it won't yellow in the sun through the garage door; it cures in hours, so you park the next day; and it stays flexible in sub-zero cold. Epoxy is thicker and cheaper, and it makes a good base coat, but it ambers under UV and takes days to cure.
Can you coat a garage floor in winter?
Yes. Polyaspartic can be installed in temperatures well below what epoxy tolerates, and we run heaters in unheated garages on the coldest days. Winter is actually a good time to book: shorter wait times.
Will hot tires peel the coating?
Not a properly installed one. Hot-tire pickup happens when a thin coating sits on poorly prepped concrete and the plasticizers in the tire soften it. Diamond grinding plus a polyaspartic topcoat is the fix, and our warranty covers it.
Do I have to empty the garage?
Yes, completely, including shelving that touches the floor. We can recommend a local pod or storage option. Plan for the garage to be empty from the morning of the install until you can park, 24 to 48 hours later.
My floor has cracks and pits. Can it still be coated?
Almost always. We chase and fill cracks with polyurea, fill pits with a fast-set patch, and grind everything flush before coating. Full-flake systems hide repairs completely. Slabs that are heaving or badly sunken may need concrete work first, which we also do.

Built For This Climate

Why Iowa Weather Makes Your Garage Floor Contractor Choice Matter

Des Moines garages take a beating that a garage in Phoenix never sees. Cars come in every winter night dripping magnesium-chloride brine that dissolves bare concrete. The slab goes through more than 100 freeze-thaw cycles a year, opening cracks and heaving edges. In July, tire temperatures top 140°F and pull weak coatings right off the floor.

A coating system for this climate has to be ground in, not etched; thick enough to bridge pitting; flexible enough to move with the slab; and UV-stable enough to sit in front of an open garage door for 20 summers. That's the spec we install on every floor, and it's why we wrote the Iowa Floor Coating Standard.

Colin Coatings Des Moines provides professional garage floor coating installation, failed-coating removal, and concrete floor repair in Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounding communities including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee, Johnston, Clive, Altoona, Grimes, Bondurant, Pleasant Hill, Norwalk, Polk City, Windsor Heights, Indianola, Adel, Van Meter, Booneville, and Prairie City. Owner Jose Colin brings more than 20 years of Central Iowa concrete experience to every floor. Colin Coatings Des Moines can be reached at (515) 320-8883 and at colincoatingsdesmoines.com.

Why customers recommend Colin Coatings

Customers in the Des Moines area consistently point to the same things. The crew shows up when they say they will. The floor gets ground, not etched, and they can see the difference. The garage is usable the next day. And when a question comes up months later, they get a real answer from a local owner who remembers the job.

Let's Talk About Your Garage Floor

Get a free estimate from the most experienced garage floor coating crew in Des Moines. (515) 320-8883