Smarter Choices For Stronger Floors: How Educated Homeowners Choose Better Coatings

How Have Clients' Education And Awareness About Coatings And Paint Changed Over The Years?

What happens when homeowners show up armed with research, buzzwords, and big renovation goals? We lean into the shift and show how better questions lead to better floors—if you pair information with real-world evaluation. From garages and basements to patios and commercial spaces across Colorado’s Front Range, we break down the chemistry, the prep, and the price factors that separate a floor that only looks good on day one from a floor that performs for years.

We start by tackling the gap between online advice and on-site reality. A video can’t read moisture, spot weak concrete, or price-in crack repair, but a quick visit can. We explain why phone quotes fall short, how concrete condition drives cost, and where small choices—flake size, topcoat type, cure window—change timelines and durability. Then we get practical with the essentials: epoxy as a versatile base, urethanes for abrasion and UV protection, and polyaspartic for fast return to service and strong color stability. No hype, just clear use-cases and trade-offs.

You’ll hear how we translate goals into systems that work: heavy chemical zones might earn a novolac epoxy layer, while sun-soaked entries benefit from an aliphatic topcoat. We also unpack decision-making styles, from “seen it, want it, book it” to “research rabbit hole,” and share a simple framework—options, pros, cons, and fit to budget—that speeds choices without regret. If you want a garage or patio that stands up to snow, salt, hot tires, and weekend projects, this guide gives you the clarity to invest once and enjoy the results.

If the conversation helped you cut through coating confusion, follow the show, share it with a friend planning a makeover, and leave a quick review so more homeowners can find trustworthy guidance. Ready for a free quote? Visit online or call 970-314-1023.

To learn more about Mile High Coatings visit:
https://www.MileHighCoatings.com
Mile High Coatings
970-314-1023 

Transcript

Welcome & Show Focus

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the Mile High Coatings Podcast, where we elevate your spaces to a new peak in quality. Hosted by David Naniga, president of Mile High Coatings, this podcast explores how expert residential painting, concrete coatings, and epoxy flooring can transform garages, basements, patios, and commercial spaces across Colorado's front range. So grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and dive into the world of high-quality coatings.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Homeowners today aren't just choosing colors, they're asking smarter questions that shape better results. Welcome back. I'm Julie Schwenzer, co-host and producer in the studio with David Nanaga, president of Mile High Coatings. David, it's great to be back with you. Thanks for your time.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

Absolutely. Good to see you.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

So, David, how have clients' education and awareness about coatings, paint, home improvement, things like that? How has that changed over the years for you?

The Information Age Advantage

Why Prices Need Site Visits

Variables In House Painting

Too Much Research, Mixed Results

Epoxy, Urethanes, Polyaspartic 101

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Uh yeah, that's a good question. So I think obviously we're still in the information age and it's only uh you're you're only able to get more information about seemingly anything these days. So, so uh first and foremost, I I think that um you know it's easy to um to have access uh to to more detailed information, you know, whether it's watching a video or about it, you know, on various websites. A lot of manufacturers do a do a good job of of having decent information on their website. And then of course um you know, various contractors, installation companies like ours, you know, the the the information that it's contained on their websites varies quite a bit. Um so with that said, I would say certainly a higher amount of people or a higher percentage of people contact us with you know further, maybe maybe not necessarily further along in the process, but they but their awareness, they they understand to a better degree what they're what they're looking for, what they're asking for from us, um, you know, with respect to you know their project. And so so that's you know, I mean I think back when we first started, you know, in you know, 2008. A lot of times, uh, I mean, let's you know, speaking from or for the um you know, flooring, flo floor coatings, garage floor sort of coating perspective, a lot of times the only sort of information that you you know might might get would be from like a a box retailer, you know, Home Depot or Lowe's, you know, somewhere like that that sells the like the DIY kits. And and obviously depending on, you know, if if someone starts asking questions from you know a clerk at at one of those places, you know, that they can get a wide variety, uh, variety of information, depending on their own knowledge of it. And so that's definitely evolved. You there's a lot more information out there, uh, again, uh, with being able to watch videos and stuff. So on one hand, it it's it's nice because people, you know, you don't have to necessarily explain in a lot of detail um or or maybe get too technical with some things because people already have kind of an innate understanding. But on the other hand, with that said, you know, researching too much can cause you know, there not that there's misinformation, but you know, they they might they might apply what they read about, you know, to their project and and it may not directly fit, you know. So what what they think they want may not be the right application for their project. And that's why it's still important to to have an on-site consultation and and and and go over the scope, you know, even if it is something as simple and you know, uh, you know, we get calls all the time, you know, how much does an average two-car garage cost, or how much does an average three-car garage garage cost, or you know, a patio or a basement. And and while it may seem simple on the surface, at the end of the day, you know, there's still enough variables that that ballpark range can can or you know, can range quite a bit. And so it it can be difficult to just give them a price over the phone. And and and again, that's why we like to come out and you know, look at the project and and really try to get an idea of what the customers' goals are um, you know, for their for their project. And and and you know, and that's the same, you know, if you're talking about house painting too, which obviously we do house painting. I mean, trying to pull apart a how a house cost by someone over the phone, or even even sometimes with just a cup, maybe a photo of like the exterior can be pretty difficult because you know, there's a lot again, and a lot of variables when it comes to uh you know and the cost of the paint. And so um anyways, yeah. So so back to how's the information changed, there's a lot more of it. Uh, and some of it can can cause some confusion and can be a little bit convoluted. And uh, and so at the end of the day, it's still best, you know, to consult someone that is familiar with the the the the ins and outs of coding and installing projects, and you know, so I think that's still the best way to go at this point.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

And are there common questions that you get asked now by clients that you did not um you know, you didn't hear that much in the beginning of your career with this company?

Choosing Systems For Real Needs

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Probably questions about the different types of coatings. So, you know, sort of the popular term, you know, is epoxy. You know, everyone just thinks, oh, epoxy floors. Well, you know, that that that's a type of you know, epoxy is a type of resin, um, and there's different types of epoxies, uh, just like there's, you know, you could say, you know, urethanes, well, there's kind of different levels of urethanes. Um, and then polyaspartic is fairly straightforward, but but even polyaspartic and polyuria get a little bit of you know confusion. Uh people kind of mix them up or maybe don't quite understand. I think a lot of it is because polyaspartic is an unusual word and and it even gets mispronounced a lot. And so um so I think, you know, with those sort of three main types of codings and then there being different things, you know, and you know, differ you know, some contractors may push a different type of system, you know, one that they're familiar with. So I see that every now and then. And uh, you know, the nice thing about uh the fact that we've been doing this for 18 plus years is that uh we've pretty much installed all the various types of coatings over the years. Um, you know, whether it's a very specific uh Novalac epoxy uh product for for uh you know that that has enhanced chemical resistance, you know, in a manufacturing facility or or or even uh you know chemical detail uh type of type of application. So that's a very specific, you wouldn't necessarily use, you know, you can't just use anything. And so um anyway, forget where I was going with that, but um but regardless.

Do Informed Clients Decide Faster

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Yeah, that was really helpful. Um, I guess the last question for you would be do you find that educated clients make decisions faster and what they want to do for the project, or does that like plethora of information sometimes maybe slow them down in trying to decide what to do?

Options, Pros And Cons

Decision Styles And Budgets

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Yeah, I mean, certainly um I I think that's probably a case by case, you know, depending on the individual. If if people feel like they know what they want and they have a good understanding of what they're getting, or maybe they're familiar with it, you know, from a relative or they've had it before or a neighbor, they've seen it, they've seen it done. If they have a good understanding and it kind of all just boils down to does it fit in their budget and are they are they actually ready to to have it done, then that decision process is could be instant, you know. I mean, and so the other, you know, s I guess side of the coin is that uh, you know, certainly people can get paralysis by analysis, and you know, they can maybe they do talk to multiple people and with varying opinions and you know, or you know, they might get sold on a particular uh application and and think that that's the right them for them, and then they get uh maybe uh you know conflicting information from from another contractor. I mean, you kind of see that every now and then. And so so it just depends on yeah, it it it's kind of individual, uh, you know, when it comes to how how that decision, you know, that process is made. And so so we, you know, we kind of approach it as, you know, here's what we can do, here's what we think is the best application, um, even if it may initially conflict with what with what you know a customer thinks they want. But I I I will typically, unless I really think it's a bad idea, I I will still give them an option, you know, okay, this is what you what you think you want or what you're after initially. So here's here's this option, here's the pros and cons to this application, and here's maybe what our recommended application might be. So they still they still can, you know, at the end of the day, we can most likely do the project and and and and achieve satisfactory results. Um, it just may depend on, you know, maybe our perspective of what what the best type of application could be. And so there's uh just so many ways um, you know, that that different, you know, that people make decision um and sometimes sometimes people are just like ready to go. They sometimes people don't even really care what you're what you're doing or what the process is for the application. They just they want it to look like their neighbors or they want it to be like their last one, and they're just they just give me the number and let's catch up. So it's it it really varies quite a bit.

Closing & How To Get A Quote

SPEAKER_01 11:13

Okay. Well, thank you for sharing that. Um it's always always interesting to see how it changes from the provider side, you know, the one um doing the service scene when it comes to like all that information on the internet and how many more people are researching. So it was interesting to get your take on this.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Thanks for tuning in to the Mile High Coatings Podcast. Ready to give your space a fresh, durable finish? Visit MileHighCodings.com for a free price quote or call 970-314-1023. At Mile High Coatings, we're not just painting walls, we're setting a new peak in quality. Until next time, keep your standards high and your coatings higher.