Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose an Custom Garages Coating System?
Which Coating is Right for your Garage?
What are the cabinets made of?
What is Melamine?
How are the cabinets installed?
Why do you suspend your cabinets above the floor?
How much will the cabinets hold?
Why do you use particle board?

Why Choose an Custom Garages Coating System?

Custom Garages coating materials have been specifically designed for residential garage use. Our products have been applied on thousands of garage floors and have been featured in model homes and sold as an option by hundreds of new home builders in northern California. You can feel confident that your purchase of an Custom Garages garage floor coating will be installed by a knowledgeable professional and will carry a five year warranty.

Which Coating is Right for your Garage?

Epoxy / Polyurethane Two Coat System:

The Two Coat System is a thin film coating. It consists of one coat of Epoxy Primer and one coat of Polyurethane. Silica sand is added as a non-skid. This system will protect the concrete from staining and dusting, and provide an easy-clean surface. The Two Coat System will not:

Fill cracks, spalls, or expansion joints. (Patching is recommended to correct this.
Fill perimeter cracks or serve as a caulk around the perimeter of the slab.
Hide flaws or deterioration in the garage slab.
Fill pinholes in the concrete surface.
Strengthen the concrete.
Serve as a moisture or vapor barrier for moisture beneath the concrete.

Epoxy / Polyurethane Three Coat System:

The Three Coat System adds one coat of Chip Binder between the base coat of Epoxy Primer and the top coat of Polyurethane. This coat of Chip Binder is a thick coat that helps camouflage imperfections in the concrete surface. This system will hide patching and minor deterioration, while sustaining the benefits of the Two Coat System. Silica sand is also used in this system as a non-skid.

Fill cracks, spalls, or expansion joints. (Patching is recommended to correct this.
Fill perimeter cracks or serve as a caulk around the perimeter of the slab.
Hide excessive deterioration. (Floating is recommended to correct this.)
Fill all pinholes in the concrete surface, but will minimize them.
Strengthen the concrete.
Serve as a moisture or vapor barrier for moisture beneath the concrete slab.

Epoxy / Polyurethane Granite-look Flooring:

Granite-look flooring is a four coat system consisting of one coat of Epoxy Primer, one coat of Chip Binder, one coat of Chip Glaze, and a top coat of Polyurethane. The “granite-look“ is achieved by embedding paint chips between the Chip Binder and the Chip Glaze. Due to the addition of the paint chips and the thickness of the Chip Binder and Chip Glaze, this system will camouflage imperfections in the garage slab to a greater degree than the three coat system. Also, unlike the three coat system, granite-look flooring will eliminate pinholes in most garage slabs. No silica sand is added to this system, as the paint chips act as a natural non-skid.

The Granite-look system will not:
Fill cracks, spalls, or expansion joints. (Patching is recommended to correct this.
Fill perimeter cracks or serve as a caulk around the perimeter of the slab.
Hide excessive deterioration. (Floating is recommended to correct this.)
Strengthen the concrete.
Serve as a moisture or vapor barrier for moisture beneath the concrete.

What are the cabinets made of?

Doors and sides are 3/4 inch thick industrial grade particle board, finished with a thermally fused Melamine laminate. Shelves, tops and bottoms are one inch thick, finished with white vinyl laminate. Half-inch thick backs are finished with a white vinyl laminate. Our work bench tops are one inch thick particle board, laminated with a Formica-type product and edged with a heavy rubber edging to withstand impact.

What is Melamine?

Melamine is a thin laminate, similar in appearance and durability to a Formica-type product. Melamine is not applied to a heavy paper like Formica is, so it must be applied directly to a wood product substrate. Industrial grade particle board is the most common choice because of its density and smooth surface. Thermally Fused Melamine is applied to both sides of a panel under high heat, creating a bond that will never fail. We use Melamine panels because of their resistance to scratching and scuffing, and because it is more economical than a Formica-type of product.

How are the cabinets installed?

They are screwed through the cabinet backs into the wall studs using 3 inch steel screws. They are suspended above the floor about six or seven inches. Because of their superior “Rabbet” joint interlocking construction, they do not need any floor support.

Why do you suspend your cabinets above the floor?

Garages are susceptible to infiltration by insects and sometimes even rodents. Creating a platform for the cabinets to sit on creates a place for pests to hide. Cabinet legs make it difficult to sweep under the cabinets, and are unsightly. Our unique method of construction makes floor support unnecessary. It is easy to sweep floors or hose under the cabinets to keep the garage clean and free of pests.

How much will the cabinets hold?

We recommend 100 pounds per shelf, with the weight evenly distributed.

Why do you use particle board? It falls apart.

The grade of particle board we use is referred to as “industrial grade”. It is an extremely dense material, unlike the flake board and composition board found at the Home Improvement Centers. The cabinets are guaranteed for as long as the homeowner owns their home. We could not offer this kind of guarantee using inferior materials.