What is a Parking Garage Traffic Coating?
Traffic coatings are protective waterproofing layers applied to concrete surfaces to shield the concrete from moisture, salt, chemicals, and environmental damage; while adding an aesthetically pleasing element to the structure. Traffic coatings protect reinforced concrete slabs reducing maintenance, and extending the lifespan of the structure.
Traffic coatings are typically, urethane based, but additional options such as epoxy, PMMAs (Polymethyl Methacrylates), Polyurea, and Polyaspartic are also available. Restoration East is a certified applicator of all traffic coating types. Please reach out for project references!
Traffic Coatings are typically made up of a primer, base layer, an intermediate layer and a top layer. The top layer is sacrificial and will wear down over time, but by reinstalling a new top layer, Restoration East can extend the life of your traffic coating indefinitely.
Please Checkout This Gallery of Restoration East’s Past Coating Projects.
How Long Does a Traffic Coating Last?
Urethane based traffic coatings are the most common and most economical, the industry standard warranty for Urethane based coatings is 5 years. However, with proper maintenance, Restoration East can re-coat your existing traffic coating with a new top layer every 5 years, Restoration East, can provide a new 5 year warranty.
Please note, for re-coating after 5 years to extend your warranty, it is typical for there to be a few isolated patches within drive-lanes, which have experienced more wear, and require full removal and replacement, but the vast majority of the garage will only need a top layer re-coat after 5 years if installed by Restoration East.
Traffic markings (parking stall lines, handicap symbols, arrows, etc.) also typically last 5 years before needing to be reapplied, which coincides nicely with the traffic coating maintenance schedule.
How Much Money Will a Coating Save You?
If properly protected, a concrete slab can last indefinitely without the need for repair. For an unprotected slab, you would need to repair/replace the slab and reinforcing in patches equating to roughly 1% of the square footage per year. After about 100 years you would have replaced the entire garage slab.
Concrete repairs typically cost about 10-20 times more than a full traffic coating installation, and concrete repairs typically cost about 20-40 times more than a re-coat.
After 100 Years, a garage which has always had a well maintained traffic coating by Restoration East will have spent approximately 30% less on their garage maintenance contractor, compared to their uncoated equivalent. Traffic coatings are also much quicker to install compared to concrete repairs, which impacts downtime for profitable parking spaces. Traffic coatings also do not require permitting and the hiring of an engineer, which further reduces costs.
What are the Risks of Installing a Traffic Coating?
The biggest risk in traffic coatings, is hiring the wrong contractor. Restoration East is routinely called in to fix the mistakes of lesser contractors who’s membrane is poorly adhered, peeling, bubbling, slippery, and generally not the correct product for the Owner’s needs.
Restoration East has over 25 years of traffic coating experience, with hundreds of satisfied customers, and is considered the top Washington DC & Maryland Installer by the biggest Traffic Coating Manufacturers.
Please Checkout This Gallery of Restoration East’s Past Coating Projects.