Hot-tyre pickup: what to ask about a garage epoxy system

Pickup is not the same as a tyre mark

Hot-tyre resistance is a stated feature of Epoxy Australia’s garage epoxy flooring. The concern is coating lifting or separating in tyre contact areas, not simply a dark rubber mark on an otherwise intact surface. These are different problems and need different responses.

A visible mark may be transferred rubber or road contamination. A patch exposing a lower layer suggests damage to the coating system. Do not attack either with a strong solvent before identifying what has happened; an aggressive cleaner can create a second problem and obscure the original condition.

Explain how the cars actually use the garage

Tell the installer whether cars arrive after short local trips or long drives, where they park and whether tyres turn while stationary. Repeated loading and turning in one spot can be more demanding than simply driving straight across a floor. Include motorcycles, trailers and any unusually heavy vehicles in the brief.

A display garage with rarely moved cars is not the same exposure as a daily-use family garage. Map the parking positions and the turning area so the proposed coating build can be assessed against the real use. The aim is a suitable installed system, not a claim that all coatings carrying the word epoxy perform alike.

Ask about the whole build and vehicle-release conditions

Ask which primer, base and protective finish are proposed and what evidence supports their use under tyres. Adhesion to the slab, compatibility between layers and correct application all matter. A tough clear coat cannot compensate for a weak bond beneath it.

Obtain the written milestone for vehicle access under the expected site conditions. A surface that accepts light foot traffic may not yet be ready for a warm tyre under sustained load. If the temperature or installation programme changes, ask whether the vehicle-release advice also needs to change rather than relying on the earliest time mentioned during quoting.

• Which complete coating system is proposed for tyre contact?
• When may this floor accept vehicles, not just people?
• Are there restrictions on stationary steering or temporary mats?
• What should I do if a contact area becomes tacky, marked or lifted?

Record symptoms before attempting a repair

If a tyre area changes appearance, photograph it before cleaning and note when the vehicle returned to the floor. Record whether the coating is still intact, whether the issue follows the tyre footprint and whether it occurs at more than one parking position. That information is more useful than assuming every mark is hot-tyre pickup.

Ask the installer for a system-compatible inspection and cleaning response. Resistance is not an unlimited guarantee against every tyre, temperature or misuse condition. Clear handover instructions and a defined reporting path make the garage easier to use confidently without treating the finish as indestructible.