These are the questions we hear most often from Atlanta homeowners, builders and facility managers: what floors cost, how long the work takes, how each system holds up and how to look after it. If your question is not answered below, call us on (404) 480-0962 and we will give you a straight answer.
It depends on the system, the size of the area and how much prep the existing floor needs. As a working guide, polished concrete and epoxy usually fall between $4 and $12 per square foot, and hardwood between $8 and $16 per square foot installed. Surface preparation is the biggest single variable, which is why we price every job after seeing the floor rather than over the phone.
No. Site visits and written quotes are free anywhere in Metro Atlanta, and the quote covers the full scope so there are no surprises once work starts.
Atlanta and the surrounding metro, including Alpharetta, Marietta, Norcross, Duluth, Buford, Suwanee, Cumming, Gainesville, Dacula and Sugar Hill. You can find your city on our flooring services by city page.
A single residential room in vinyl plank or laminate is usually one day. Hardwood installation and finishing runs three to five days. Polished concrete and epoxy depend heavily on the slab, but most jobs are two to four days including cure time. We give you a day-by-day schedule with the quote.
Yes. We section off work areas, use dust containment on grinding and sanding, and schedule around your hours. For retail, restaurants and warehouses we regularly work nights and weekends so you do not lose trading days.
Yes, we are fully licensed and carry liability and workers compensation insurance. We are happy to send certificates before work begins, and property managers can have them issued directly.
Every installation carries a workmanship warranty, and the materials we use carry their own manufacturer warranties on top of that. The exact terms depend on the system, and they are written into your quote rather than left vague.
If the boards are structurally sound and have enough thickness left above the tongue, refinishing is usually the better value and keeps the character of the original floor. Replacement makes sense when boards are cupped, water damaged, or have already been sanded several times. We check thickness on site and tell you honestly which way to go.
Solid hardwood can be refinished more times and suits above-grade rooms over a wood subfloor. Engineered hardwood is more stable against humidity swings and is the safer choice over a concrete slab or in a basement. Georgia summers make that stability worth having, so engineered goes into more of our jobs than people expect.
Far less than it used to be. We use dust-containment sanders that capture the great majority of airborne dust at the source, and we seal off adjoining rooms. You should still expect a light film to settle, so we advise covering or removing soft furnishings.
With modern waterborne finishes you can usually walk on them in socks after about 24 hours. Move furniture back after three to four days, and wait a full week before laying rugs so the finish can finish curing.
Yes, but the slab has to be tested for moisture first and usually needs a vapor barrier. Engineered hardwood is the appropriate product here. Solid hardwood laid straight onto a slab without those steps is the most common cause of the cupping and gapping we get called out to fix.
Laminate has a fiberboard core with a printed wear layer, so it is hard-wearing but vulnerable to standing water. Luxury vinyl plank has a waterproof polymer core, handles spills and humidity far better, and feels softer underfoot. For kitchens, bathrooms and basements we recommend vinyl plank almost every time.
The planks themselves are, so spills and mopping are no problem. Water can still reach the subfloor through the seams if it is left standing for a long period, as with a burst pipe. Treat it as highly water resistant rather than a sealed surface.
Often yes. Vinyl plank and laminate can go over sound, flat, well-bonded existing floors such as tile or sheet vinyl, which saves demolition cost. If the existing floor is loose, uneven or hollow-sounding it has to come up, because anything wrong underneath will telegraph through the new floor within months.
Real hardwood still carries the strongest premium with buyers in most Atlanta neighborhoods. Good quality vinyl plank is well accepted in basements, laundry rooms, rentals and anywhere moisture is a factor, and it performs better there than hardwood would. The sensible approach is hardwood in the main living areas and vinyl plank where water is a risk.
Most can, but not all. The slab needs to be structurally sound and hard enough to take a polish, and heavily damaged or very soft concrete may need a topping first. Slabs with old adhesive, coatings or deep staining can still be polished once they are ground back. We test a small area before committing to a finish.
They are different levels of grinding and polishing. Matte gives a low sheen that hides dust and scuffs well, satin sits in the middle and is the most popular for homes and offices, and high gloss produces a mirror-like reflection that suits showrooms and retail. All three are equally durable; the difference is appearance and how much light they bounce around the room.
Dry polished concrete has similar slip resistance to most hard flooring, and often better than polished tile. Like any hard surface it is slick when wet. Where water is expected, such as entrances, kitchens or wash-down areas, we add a slip-resistant treatment that raises traction without dulling the finish.
Dust mop regularly and damp mop with a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid acidic or ammonia-based products, which dull the surface over time. Commercial floors benefit from an occasional burnish to bring the sheen back. There is no stripping, waxing or resealing in the normal cycle, which is where the running-cost savings come from.
Polishing works the concrete itself to a progressively finer finish, so the shine is mechanical and extremely long-lived. Grind and seal levels the surface then applies a protective topcoat, which costs less up front and can be tinted or made non-slip more easily, but the coating will eventually need renewing. Poorer quality slabs are frequently better suited to grind and seal.
You can usually walk on it after 12 to 24 hours, put light furniture back after two days, and drive on it after five to seven days. Cure times stretch in cold weather and shorten in heat. Driving or dragging heavy items onto a floor that has not fully cured is the fastest way to damage a new coating.
Properly installed epoxy does not peel. Almost every failure we are called to repair comes down to preparation: coating applied over a slab that was not diamond ground, or over trapped moisture. We mechanically grind every slab and moisture test before coating, which is what makes the bond permanent.
Flake is the everyday workhorse, hiding dirt well and giving good grip, which suits garages and utility spaces. Quartz uses graded sand for a heavier, more slip-resistant surface built for commercial kitchens and wash-down areas. Metallic produces a decorative, marbled finish for showrooms, retail and feature spaces where appearance leads.
Yes, provided the moisture is measured first and the right system is specified. Slabs with high vapor transmission need a moisture-mitigating primer before the build coats go down. Skipping that step traps water under the coating and causes bubbling and delamination, usually within the first year.
A smooth epoxy topcoat is slick when wet, so we add an anti-slip aggregate wherever water, oil or grease is likely. Flake and quartz systems already have useful texture built in. Tell us how the space is used and we will specify the traction level to match.
Epoxy is harder and more economical, and it performs very well in a typical home garage. Polyurea cures faster, stays flexible in temperature swings, and resists UV yellowing and hot tires better, so it costs more but lasts longer in demanding conditions. Many of our garage floors use an epoxy base with a polyurea or polyaspartic topcoat to get both.
Tires heat up while driving and soften, and when a car is parked on a weakly bonded coating the warm rubber can lift it straight off the slab. It is the classic failure of DIY garage kits. Diamond grinding the slab and using a coating rated for hot tires prevents it entirely.
Yes, the floor needs to be completely clear so we can grind and coat wall to wall. Move vehicles and belongings out the day before. If you need a hand with shelving or heavy cabinets, tell us at quote stage and we will factor it in.
In most cases yes. Cracks are cut out and filled, pitting and spalling are patched, and the whole slab is ground flat before coating. Older slabs across Cobb and DeKalb often need this work, and it is far cheaper than replacing the concrete. Only badly heaved or structurally failing slabs are beyond repair.
Microcement is a thin, seamless cement-based coating applied over existing floors, walls or stairs, usually only an eighth of an inch thick. It gives a smooth modern surface with no grout lines and can go over tile or concrete without demolition. It suits bathrooms, kitchens and feature walls where a continuous finish is the goal.
Usually, and it is a fraction of the cost of a tear-out. Resurfacing works when the slab is structurally sound but the surface is worn, stained, spalled or dated. If the slab is heaving, sinking or badly cracked from movement, the underlying problem has to be dealt with first.
Yes, and it is one of our most requested jobs. A textured overlay covers the tired surface, adds slip resistance where people walk with wet feet, and lets you change color and pattern at the same time.
Far less than dark pavers or plain gray concrete. We use light, heat-reflective colors and textured finishes that stay noticeably cooler in an Atlanta July. Color choice makes the biggest difference, so it is worth discussing before you decide.
Yes. Industrial scrubbing and pressure systems lift most oil, rubber and traffic staining. Where the staining has penetrated deep into the slab, light diamond grinding removes the top layer and takes the discoloration with it, which also gives you a fresh surface to coat or seal.
Floor leveling uses a self-leveling compound to correct dips, humps and slopes in a subfloor before the finished floor goes down. You need it when the substrate is out of tolerance for the product being installed. Skipping it causes hollow spots, clicking planks and failed joints, and it is much cheaper to correct before the floor goes on than after.
Common signs are rocking furniture, gaps under baseboards, floors that bounce or creak in the same spot, and a marble that rolls on its own. A straightedge laid across the floor will show the deviation. We check levels as part of every quote, so you will know before committing to a product.
Basements sit below grade and carry moisture through the slab, so the safe options are polished concrete, epoxy, luxury vinyl plank or engineered hardwood over a proper vapor barrier. Solid hardwood and laminate are the two products most likely to cause you trouble down there.
Polished concrete for most distribution and storage space, because it takes forklift traffic, needs very little maintenance and reflects light well enough to cut lighting costs. Choose epoxy instead where chemical resistance, wash-down or color-coded safety zones matter, such as food processing or manufacturing.
Luxury vinyl plank handles kids, pets and spills better than anything else at its price, and engineered hardwood gives you the look of real timber with more stability. Many families run hardwood through the main living areas and vinyl plank in the kitchen, laundry and basement.
Call us, tell us the space and roughly what you have in mind, and we will arrange a free site visit. We measure, check the slab or subfloor, talk through the options that genuinely suit the room, and send a written quote with a schedule.
If your question is not covered above, we would rather you asked than guessed. Call ACC Facility Services on (404) 480-0962 or send us a message through our contact page and we will get back to you with a straight answer. Quotes and site visits across Metro Atlanta are free.
If you want to restore your hardwood floors, install new vinyl, laminate, epoxy flooring, or polish your concrete, please call or fill out our free quote form.
