We're looking at epoxy floor coatings for our warehouse in Surrey. How long does it take and can we keep operating during the install?

Epoxy floor coating for a commercial warehouse in Surrey typically takes five to ten working days depending on the size of the space and the coating system selected. A standard 5,000 square foot warehouse floor usually takes about one week from surface preparation through final cure.

The process starts with concrete preparation, which is the most critical step. Industrial diamond grinding or shot blasting removes the existing surface layer and creates a profile for the epoxy to bond to. This generates significant dust even with vacuum systems, so the area being coated must be cleared of inventory and equipment. Then comes the primer coat, one or two coats of epoxy, and optionally a polyurethane topcoat for extra durability and UV resistance.

Can you keep operating during the install? Partially. Most commercial painters in the Lower Mainland will work in sections or zones, coating one half of the floor while you operate from the other half, then switching. This phased approach adds a few days to the timeline but avoids a complete shutdown. You will need to plan forklift and foot traffic routing carefully during the process.

Cure times matter. Foot traffic is usually safe after 24 hours, but heavy equipment and forklift traffic typically needs 48 to 72 hours of cure time per section, longer in cooler weather. Surrey warehouses without climate control can see slower cure times during the fall and winter months.

WorkSafeBC requires adequate ventilation during application, especially in enclosed warehouse spaces. Your contractor should have a ventilation plan as part of their proposal.

A practical next step is to map out your warehouse zones and identify the phasing sequence that causes the least disruption to your operations, then share that with prospective contractors when requesting quotes.

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