Coating a garage floor yourself in Fontana comes down to three things: the right weather window, a properly prepped slab and enough material to hit full thickness. Here is how each one plays out locally.
Every kit ships from our shop in Queen Creek, Arizona, and comes with free phone support from the people who mix and pack it. Call 602.600.0781 with questions before, during or after your install.
Fontana at a glance for epoxy work
| Typical July high | About 95°F |
| Typical January low | About 42°F |
| Average yearly snowfall | Little to none |
| Humidity | Low |
| Best pour window | April through June and September through October |
| Kits for a two car garage | 4 kits for 400 sq ft (1 kit = 100 sq ft) |
Temperatures and snowfall are rounded long term averages for the city and are meant for planning. Always check the forecast and measure your actual garage and slab temperature on pour day.
How Fontana weather affects your epoxy pour
Summer afternoons in Fontana average around 95°F, which puts many garages near or above the 90°F upper limit for application. Mid summer pours are possible if you start early and work in small batches, but spring and fall give you the full working time.
Winters are mild, with January lows around 42°F, so cold is rarely the limiting factor here.
The dry air in Fontana works in your favor during cure, though it also means the surface skins over faster in heat, so keep a wet edge as you spread.
Best time of year to pour in Fontana
For most Fontana garages, the most forgiving window is April through June and September through October. In that stretch you can usually count on the slab staying between 60°F and 85°F through the 72 hour cure, which gives you full working time and a consistent finish.
Prepping a Fontana garage slab
Inland Empire heat shortens pot life in summer. Many newer homes are on post tension slabs, so surface grind only.
Before anything else, do the water droplet test. Sprinkle water on the bare concrete. If it soaks in within about 30 seconds, the surface is ready to grind and coat. If it beads up, there is a sealer, paint or contamination that has to come off first.
After grinding to a texture similar to 60 grit sandpaper, vacuum every bit of dust. Leftover dust acts as a barrier layer and is a common cause of peeling.
Our full step by step process is on the installation instructions page.
Which kit fits your Fontana project
Indoor quartz sand epoxy self leveling floor kit. This is the kit for garages, workshops, basements and other interior concrete, in Marble Grey, Desert Grey or Black. The quartz aggregate gives a thicker, more textured and more slip resistant surface than standard garage floor paint or thin water based epoxy. It is made for indoor use and does not have strong UV protection, so keep it out of direct, all day sun.
Outdoor washed stone quartz epoxy floor kit. With as much sun as Fontana gets, patios, walkways and porches should get the outdoor system rather than the indoor kit. It comes in four stone colors and covers up to 100 square feet per kit. The washed stone finish lets water pass through, so it is not a waterproofing membrane. Over a basement or living space, a separate waterproofing layer is needed underneath.
Tools. To spread and finish the coating you need a 22 inch squeegee with pole, a 20 inch defoaming roller and an extension pole for the roller. Our epoxy tool kit adds a tool bag, spiked shoes for walking on the wet coat and five finishing trowels.
How many kits you need
One kit covers 100 square feet at the target thickness of about one eighth inch. No guessing. Measure the length and width of the floor, multiply, divide by 100 and round up. A one car garage is about 200 square feet and takes 2 kits, a two car garage is about 400 square feet and takes 4 kits, and a two and a half car garage is about 500 square feet and takes 5 kits. Do not stretch coverage, since a thin coat will not level properly.
Questions Fontana customers ask
When is the best time to epoxy a garage floor in Fontana?
For most Fontana garages the best window is April through June and September through October. You want the garage between 41°F and 90°F, ideally 68°F to 77°F, with humidity under 65 percent.
How much does a DIY epoxy garage floor cost in Fontana?
One kit covers 100 square feet, so a standard two car garage of 400 square feet takes 4 kits. At current pricing that is $996 in Marble Grey or Desert Grey and $1,200 in Black. If you do not own them, add about $95 for the squeegee, defoaming roller and extension pole, plus primer if your slab needs it. Professional installs are often quoted around $4 to $10 per square foot, which puts the same garage at roughly $1,600 to $4,000.
Can I use the indoor quartz epoxy kit on a patio in Fontana?
The indoor kit is made for garages, shops and interior floors and does not have strong UV protection, so it can yellow in direct sun. For patios, porches and walkways, use our outdoor washed stone kit. It covers up to 100 square feet per kit, and because the washed stone finish lets water pass through, it is not a waterproofing membrane.
How long before I can park on my new floor?
Light foot traffic is fine after 24 hours, the coating reaches full cure around 72 hours, and you can drive and park on it after about 5 days.
What is hot tire pickup, and how do I avoid it in Fontana?
Hot tire pickup is when warm tires soften a coating that is too thin or not fully cured and pull it off the floor. Prep the slab properly, apply at the full coverage rate instead of stretching kits, and wait the full 5 days before driving on it. In Fontana summers, letting tires cool for a few minutes after a long drive also helps.
How long does a DIY epoxy garage floor last?
Prep decides it more than anything else. A floor that was ground, cleaned and primed where needed, then coated at the full 100 square feet per kit, holds up for many years. Most floors that peel in the first year or two were coated over dust, oil, a sealer or old paint.
Will my epoxy garage floor turn yellow?
Bisphenol A epoxy can amber over time with long exposure to direct sunlight. Inside a garage that is rarely an issue, which is why we make an indoor kit for garages and interiors and a separate outdoor washed stone kit for patios and walkways.
Should I fix cracks before I epoxy the garage?
Yes. Fill cracks, pits and holes with a concrete patch compound or a crack filler made for epoxy, and let repairs cure fully before you coat. Do not use silicone based fillers, because epoxy will not stick to them.
Ready to start your Fontana garage floor
Talk to us about square footage, color and prep before you order. We are available Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Arizona time.
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