Depends entirely on who installs it and how.

A DIY kit or a cheap operator? You might get a few months before it starts peeling, bubbling or lifting. Poor prep and thin materials catch up with you fast — usually right around the time you've forgotten what the floor looked like before.

A Surface Rescue floor is a different story. Our systems come with warranties ranging from 15 years to a lifetime, and that's not marketing fluff — it's because we're confident in the prep, the materials and the installation behind every job we do.

Most epoxy floors in Adelaide aren't built to last for decades. Ours are.

Pretty easy — but it is a little different to cleaning smooth tiles or floorboards, so here's what to know.

Full flake epoxy floors have a bit of texture to them. That's intentional — these floors get wet and the texture is what stops them turning into a slip hazard. So you can't just run a flat mop over it and call it done.

Basic clean: For garages or other indoor spaces, a string mop made for textured floors with some soap and water. For outdoor installations, you can do the same of hose it off.

Deeper clean: Pour a soap and water mix on the floor, work it in with a stiff broom, then squeegee it off with a foam squeegee.

That's it. No special products, nothing complicated — just the right tools for the surface.

There are two parts to this — the installation itself, and the time your floor needs before you can use it again.

Installation: Most floors under 50sqm are completed in 1–2 days. Larger spaces or those requiring additional surface preparation will take longer — we'll always tell you upfront what to expect for your specific job.

Cure time: All of our full flake systems are ready to drive on within 24 hours of completion. That's the fastest return to service in Adelaide.

For the average garage, allow 2–3 days in total from start to back on your floor.

Depends entirely on the product being used.

Solvent-based epoxy — which some installers use — smells pretty rough during and after installation. Think nail polish remover, hanging around for up to two weeks while it fully cures. Not ideal.

We use 100% solid epoxy, which is low odour. We do use a small amount of solvent to help with application, so sensitive noses might notice it for a day or two — but it's nothing like a traditional solvent-based product.

We recommend keeping the area ventilated for the first 24 hours and it should be fine.

Worth asking any installer you're quoting with which type of product they use — it's a question most won't volunteer the answer to.

Depends what "bad shape" means.

Cracks, chips, damage from salt damp? That's pretty standard for us — we fill all of that before any epoxy goes down. We've worked on floors that have been through salt damp, heavy impacts and even fire damage, so don't let that put you off reaching out.

If the issue is an uneven or "wavy" slab (poor finishing by the original concretor) -that's a bit harder to disguise. Grinding will take care of very minor variation, but it won't level out a significantly uneven slab.

The good news is that we only install full flake systems on residential floors, and flake does a much better job of hiding imperfections than a plain single colour finish would.

That said, in certain lighting — particularly directional light — highs and lows in the floor can still show from some angles.

Best thing to do is tell us what you're working with when you get in touch. We'll give you an honest answer about what's achievable before you commit to anything.

A little - but we keep it smooth and efficient.

We use grinders and vacuums to prep the surface, which can be a bit noisy and on occasion can emit a little dust. Once that’s done, the rest is pretty quiet.

You’ll need to stay off the floor for the install and curing period - but we’ll work with you to keep disruptions to a minimum.

Epoxy is only as good as the surface it’s stuck to - so prep is everything.

Most garage, shed, and warehouse floors are smooth to the touch, which is a problem because epoxy doesn’t like sticking to smooth surfaces.

Proper surface prep removes that smoothness and creates a profile the epoxy can reliably grip to.

That’s why we diamond grind and shotblast every single floor. It’s well above what 99% of contractors do - but we do it because we know proper prep prevents the majority of epoxy failures.

- Grinding opens up the concrete and gives the epoxy something to bond to.

- Shotblasting pulls the fine dust out of the pores left behind after grinding - leaving a clean, dust-free surface for maximum adhesion.

We don’t touch acid washing. It’s messy, inconsistent, and risky. One missed patch of residue, and your floor could bubble or peel within days.

Our method is 100% mechanical. No shortcuts. No failures from poor prep.

Honestly, a lot less than you'd expect.

The grinding and shot blasting stages are where dust is generated, and our team use HEPA-rated vacuums attached directly to the tools to capture it as they work. Most of the time the job site stays pretty clean.

That said, we won't pretend it's completely dust-free — occasionally some escapes the shroud of the tool. We do a thorough clean up before we leave, but there may be a small amount of residual dust in the area.

If you've got sensitive items nearby, remove or cover them before we arrive. And a towel rolled up against door which separates the home from the workspace is a simple way to stop any dust creeping through.

When dry, no. When wet, it depends on the finish you choose.

Our standard finish sits in a sweet spot — enough texture to give you grip when the floor gets wet, without making it a pain to clean. For most homeowners in a garage, patio or shed, it's the right call.

Some people prefer the look and feel of a smoother finish which is gained by adding a second topcoat and we can absolutely do that — but we'll always be upfront that a smoother finish will be slippery when wet. Great to look at, just not ideal if the area gets wet regularly.

On the flip side, we can go the other way and add a lot of texture for maximum grip — perfect for safety, but harder to clean with a standard mop.

It's really about where your floor is, how it gets used and what matters most to you. We'll talk through the options at your on-site consult and help you land on the right finish for your situation.

Not much, honestly.

Clear the space so we have full access to the floor — car out, tools and boxes moved, that sort of thing.

For outdoor jobs, trim back any overhanging plants near the area. That's really it.

One tip worth knowing: if you're planning to paint your walls or skirting boards, do it after the epoxy is installed, not before. We're careful, but things can happen. And it's a lot easier to wipe a splash of wall paint off a finished epoxy floor than it is to get epoxy off a freshly painted skirting board (not that we make a habit of splashing epoxy around, but you get the point).