Our Kemptville equipment dealer floor, epoxy or sealer?

For a Kemptville equipment dealership, a commercial-grade epoxy coating is the more protective choice for a showroom or service bay floor; a sealer alone gives surface protection but far less resistance to the kind of mechanical and chemical loading a dealership floor sees. Published 2025-2026 contractor ranges put commercial and industrial epoxy at about $8 to $15 per square foot installed, with lighter commercial systems from about $5 per square foot. Multiply those figures by your floor area to get a rough budget.

What moves the quote for a dealership floor includes the condition of the slab, how much prep and crack repair is needed, whether old coatings or adhesive residue have to come off, the moisture test results and whether a moisture-tolerant primer is required, the system thickness, any anti-slip aggregate broadcast into the surface, and whether the work has to happen after hours or in phases to keep the service bays running.

A few things worth confirming before the work starts:

• Ask the contractor for the product data sheet and the Safety Data Sheet for every product they plan to use. Section 2 of the SDS covers hazards; Section 9 covers flash point, which matters if any solvent-based primer is going down near equipment with pilot lights or ignition sources. Ontario Fire Code s.4.1.5.2 says open flames, sparks or heat shall not be permitted in an area where flammable or combustible liquids are stored, handled or used, unless controlled in a manner that will not create a fire or explosion hazard.
• R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments) s.11 requires that a floor used by any worker shall not have any finish or protective material used on it that is likely to make the surface slippery. Ask the contractor how the system they are proposing addresses that in your service area, particularly in any wash bay or area where fluids are present.
• Under OHSA s.30, before work begins you as the owner should determine whether any designated substances are present and give a list to the contractor before a binding contract is signed. If the floor has old vinyl tile or black mastic, have it tested before any grinding takes place, as it may contain asbestos.
• Get a WSIB clearance certificate from the contractor before work begins and keep it on file. WSIB policy 14-02-19 says a principal who retains a contractor for construction work must obtain a clearance that remains in effect while the contractor is working; the householder exemption does not apply to a business.
• Under the Construction Act, each payer must retain a holdback of 10 per cent of the price of services or materials as supplied (s.22(1)), and a contractor's lien expires 60 days after the earlier of substantial performance publication or contract completion, abandonment or termination, unless preserved (s.31(2)). Get legal advice on any payment dispute.

For permit questions in Kemptville, check with the Municipality of North Grenville directly, as we have no source for its permit rules.

The request form on this site sends your project details to floor coating contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory who work in the Kemptville area. Before signing, ask the contractor what surface profile they are targeting and how they confirmed the slab is ready to receive the system they are proposing.