The ultimate garage: It's not just a place to park anymore

By Ken McEntee

Rome, the adage says, wasn’t built in a day.

Nor should be a rugged, non-porous, stain-resistant polyaspartic garage floor, argues Chad Gleske, who, with his dad, Scott, founded Ohio Garage Interiors 13 years ago.

“Floor coatings are more popular than ever because of their stunning appearance and restorative quality,” Chad says. “Growing demand will always bring opportunists into the market, and they often tout gimmicks—like one-day floors—to take the place of experience and expertise.”

Chad and Scott say they stand by the two-day process they have utilized in the installation of about 3,000 spectacular garage floors throughout Northern Ohio.

“Rushing the job might help a contractor increase volume, but cutting corners doesn’t help the customer,” Chad says.

“For our proven material to properly bond to the concrete floor, we let it cure slowly overnight. On the second day, we add on a faster drying top layer. We don’t see the point of rushing a process that will protect your garage floor for decades, and nobody has ever complained that we took too long.”

Ohio Garage Interiors is a local, family-owned business that specializes in garage enhancement, which includes the installation of high-end polymer floor coatings, cabinets and organizational systems that eliminate clutter and create a warm, inviting atmosphere for family and guests, Chad says.

“The garage is becoming not only the new front door through which everybody enters your home, but also usually the largest and most versatile room in your house,” he observes.

“That’s why more people are beginning to look at their garage from an aesthetic perspective. It’s a first impression, but it’s too often the last frontier of home improvement. It’s a space that people think about upgrading after the kitchen and baths are remodeled, the basement is finished and a new patio is built. A garage is truly something that people can take pride in.”

The first step in restoring a garage, Chad says, usually begins on the floor, where cracks, pits, crumbles and oil stains can create an embarrassing first impression.

Ohio Garage Interiors’ polyaspartic floor coating is a high-quality, stain-resistant, easy-to-maintain surface, he explains.

“It is not an epoxy and stone floor,” he clarifies.

“Our product is a colored vinyl flake that is broadcast into a clear coat. The big difference is that unlike a stone epoxy product, our coating is not porous, so salty slush, oil and other liquids can’t seep in and settle between the coating and the concrete. When our floors get wet, all you have to do is wipe them down or squeegee them off. That’s why we install this product in a lot of animal hospitals. When dogs have accidents on the floor, it doesn’t penetrate through to the wooded floorboards.”

The floor coating—which is available in an unlimited variety of color blends and custom designs—is installed in three steps.

First, the concrete is prepped using a diamond-tooling machine that etches it to a white color. That, Chad says, helps to create a tight bond for the epoxy base coat that is applied next. Once that coat is applied, it cures overnight. The next day, a topcoat of polyaspartic polyurea is added.

“Our top coat is four times more durable than epoxy,” Chad says. “You won’t have to reseal the floor for at least 15 years and our polyaspartic is UV stable, so it will never turn yellow. That’s why we’re able to back our floors with a 10-year warranty.”

With a brilliant floor in place, installation of cabinets and organizational systems are a clever way to keep the garage pristine and orderly. Uniquely, Ohio Garage Interiors custom designs and manufactures all of their own garage cabinets. That means all of the cabinets they install will be a perfect fit.

“We made a big investment in a high-end CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machine and expanded our production facility so we can make our own cabinets in-house,” Chad says.

“The stock cabinets we had been installing were rugged and beautiful, but we were a little limited in what we could customize. We can now feature more colors, designs and unique styles, perfectly measured and built to exactly fit your space.”

Unlike cabinets you might find in a home improvement store, Ohio Garage Interiors’ cabinets are extra wide—up to 48 inches—to more conveniently store tools, toys and yard amenities, and are constructed from a tough, thermally-fused melamine, Chad emphasizes.

“They have a high-end decorative appearance,” he says. “We are also introducing a new stainless steel wrapped outside door.”

In preparation for a summer of parties and entertainment, it’s simple to get your garage restoration started. Scott and Chad offer a no-cost, on-site consultation. Or, they will invite you to their model garage to see their floor coatings and cabinetry in a real-life setting.

You can simply call 330-835-8111 or 440-520-9370 to make your appointment. You can get more information at OhioGarageInteriors.com.