From Peeling DIY Epoxy to a Polished Floor in West Lake Hills

A homeowner in West Lake Hills called us about her garage floor. The original installer had used a DIY epoxy kit. Within two summers it was peeling at the edges, bubbling near the door, and pulling up wherever the car parked. She was tired of looking at it.

The slab itself was actually in great shape — original 1990s pour, structurally sound, well-cured concrete. The peeling coating was the only problem. We talked through options and she picked something different than another epoxy: polished concrete.

Why polished was the right call here

The case for polished was clear once we saw the slab. Three reasons:

• Original concrete was sound. Salt-and-pepper aggregate showing in the grind tests promised a beautiful finish.
• She didn’t want to deal with another coating. Polished concrete is the slab itself — there’s no coating to peel later.
• The look she wanted was understated and modern, not garage-shop. A satin polish fit perfectly.

The grind-out and polish

Day one was grinding off the failed epoxy. The whole floor came back to bare concrete through diamond grinding with HEPA dust containment. By end of day, no trace of the DIY coating remained.

Days two and three were the polish progression: 100 grit, 200 grit, lithium-silicate densifier soak, 400 grit, 800 grit, final polish to a soft satin sheen. We sealed with a penetrating stain-guard rated for residential use.

The aggregate exposure came out beautifully — light salt-and-pepper, perfect for the modern aesthetic she wanted.

Two summers later

It’s been two Austin summers now and the floor looks the day we left it. No yellow, no peel, no hot-tire damage — because there’s no coating to fail. She mops it once every couple weeks with a neutral cleaner and that’s it.

Cost-wise, the polished install was modestly more than another mid-tier epoxy job. But factoring in that she won’t need to recoat in 5-10 years (which she’d have needed with epoxy), the polish wins clearly on long-term cost.

If your garage has failed DIY epoxy — or you’re staring at a tired slab thinking about coating options — polished concrete may be a better answer than going back to epoxy. We’re happy to evaluate yours. Free quote, same day for most projects.

Thinking about polished concrete for your garage? — See our polished concrete service