Applying The Coating To Your Garage Floor
When it comes to applying an epoxy floor coating in a garage, you need to follow the manufacturers instructions carefully. The following instructions are based on Permagards epoxy floor coating.
In smaller garages, one person can usually apply the epoxy to the perimeter by cutting in with a 3 brush initially and then rolling the internal area with a lint-free short or medium pile roller. You will need to be mindful of the working life of the epoxy though.
In larger and double garages, its best to have two or more installers. This means one person is able to brush apply the coating to the perimeter of the room whilst the other starts from a set point internally and rolls out from there.
All Garage Floors provide this great tip: Before mixing your epoxy, use a strip of painters tape or duct tape and run the roller over it to remove any lint that may be present. You dont want this showing up in your floor.
We highly recommend using the cross-rolling method.
Why Epoxy For Your Garage Floors
Garage floors can get filthy over time, and its typically one of the first places to show signs of wear and tear. Your garage floor will be scratched up eventually, regardless of the type of vehicle you have. The garage is also where materials like paint and other chemicals enter the mix, so unless your flooring is always clean, youll end up with a lot of grimy dirt stuck directly to the surface. Its not just dirt or dust, either many people store combustible materials in their garage, and if they spill even a little bit, you could face some serious problems.
That is why its critical to invest in epoxy flooring for your garage. Epoxy is one of the most robust types of coating available, and it will be able to endure scratches from vehicles and other objects.
Step : Apply The Epoxy Coating
Start applying the mixture as soon as its ready youll have no more than two hours to do this for the epoxy to cure properly.
A good strategy is to work in 10-by-10-foot sections, starting at the corner farthest from the exit. Roll over the edges of the previously applied epoxy to achieve a seamless finish.
If you want to apply two coats, cover the entire floor and let it dry for 12 to 24 hours before recoating following the same procedure.
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Apply And Mix The Epoxy Flooring Paint
Finally, apply the first coat of epoxy flooring paint and make use of an electric mixer to mix it for more than 2 minutes. After that, apply the epoxy coating with a roller. Then, coat again right after 24 hours and let it dry, Lastly, apply the final coat using the same procedure.
Apply the coating giving long, even strokes. Be sure to apply it in one direction only to avoid splice lines. Epoxy should be applied when ambient and surface temperatures are between 50 ° and 90 ° F.
Because concrete varies in texture and porosity, two coats may be required to achieve a uniform color appearance.
If you need more information about epoxy floor coating or require assistance, contact Best Floor Coating now! Our experts are trained and certified to leave your surfaces with an impeccable finish. We work diligently and passionately to ensure your floors last for years to come. Working with our professionals is to guarantee high-quality floor finishes.
How To Install Epoxy Garage Floors
May 18, 2018
Epoxy Coatings are one of the best flooring solutions for residential garages. They are inexpensive to install yourself, provide a super resistant and durable coating, and are fully customizable to your liking. With hundreds of epoxy products and DIY systems, the possibilities are endless. Installing an epoxy coating is not as hard as it may seem. For starters in 2017 64% of United State homeowners who have an epoxy coating in their home installed it themselves. This is not because 64% of homeowners are professional floor installers but because there are many reliable and easy to install DIY products on the market making it cost efficient for virtually anybody to install. Below we will discuss the standard process for installing an epoxy coating and show you how easy it really is to do yourself!
8. Acid Etching Solution 9. 9 in or 18 Roller Frames10. 9 in or 18 Nap Rollers11. 3 in Handled Rollers12. Rolling Stick Pole19. Gorilla or Duct Tape20. Paper Towels22. Red Painter Paper or cardboard23. Plastic Sheeting26. Respirator or Dust Mask27. Instructions from your paint manufacturer28. Mixing buckets
1. Read through the Instructions2. Prepping the floor5. Apply First Coat of Epoxy6. Throwing the Decorative Flakes7. Let the Epoxy Dry8. Mixing the topcoat
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What Is The Best Type Of Epoxy For Concrete Garage Floors
The key considerations for choosing an epoxy product are ensuring that it is 100% solids, not water based, and that it is an Aliphatic type. 100% solids means that there are no additives which will simply evaporate after painting the concrete. 100% of the product is solids that will stay down on the floor as opposed to high solids which means some percentage of the product will not remain after cure. It is okay for primers or top coats to be not be 100% soilds but make sure that the main application is.
Water based epoxy is not as strong as 100% solids but it is usually easier to apply and does not give off as many VOCs or volatile organic compounds. If epoxy is to be applied on a concrete surface inside of a home be sure to consider water based for that application to prevent air pollution. Popular brands sold in big box stores which are marketed to DIY homeowners for their garage floors may be water based.
Roll On The Epoxy Concrete Floor Paint
Paint a big wet W pattern that’s about 3 to 4 ft. square, then backroll to fill in the patternall in 60 seconds. Finish by going over it lightly to remove roller marks.
Coating the floor
If you move at a steady pace, you should finish your two-car garage floor epoxy in less than one hour. The solvent odors are powerful. Be sure to wear a respirator and keep the garage door open at least an hour after coating.
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Prep Your Garage For Epoxy
Once the garage has dried from the etching process, youll want to prepare for the epoxy process itself. This is optional, though a good way to ensure no unwanted damage happensplace tape along with the trim of the wall where it meets the floor. You may also choose to tape paint covers along the walls to prevent any marks from splashing.
Prepare Room For Painting
Use a suitable cement-based patching compound to seal all holes and cracks. Make sure the repair is smooth. Allow plenty of time for the area to dry fully after it has been repaired.
Paint that is peeling should be scraped off and removed. Mildew should be removed using a product safe for use on painted surfaces. To improve adhesion, do not apply to surfaces previously finished with two-component epoxy paints/coatings. Do not etch over painted surfaces.
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Guide To Apply An Epoxy Coating To A Garage Floor
Most people think that epoxy paint is one thing. But the reality is both products are different. Both of these products have unique chemical compositions. Epoxy floor coating is more brutal and trickier to apply, which is why you must hire flooring professionals for the best results. However, if youre planning to do it yourself, careful preparation and an organized approach are the keys to success.
Epoxy Coating Your Stem Walls
Many times questions come up about coating the stem walls of a garage. These are the raised concrete or block supporting structure that runs the perimeter of the garage floor. You can easily coat these as well just remember to account for the additional epoxy required. Many times they dont require much prep because they do not have a smooth surface like the floor.
Just pour the mixed epoxy out on the top of the stem wall and apply with a chip brush or small paint roller.
Always do the stem walls first with each coat you apply to the floor. If you plan on applying color flakes to the wall, you will have to toss them at the wall fairly aggressively in order to get them to stick properly. The trick is to use much smaller handfuls if you are doing a partial coverage floor.
As a tip, if you dont feel the need to apply color flakes to the stem wall, some people elect to color match their epoxy with a simple 1-Part epoxy paint or concrete floor paint. They then use that for the stem wall without a clear coat. These are less expensive than epoxy and very easy to apply. Plus, you are not walking on your stem walls so you do not have to worry about durability.
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Choose A Professional Installer
If you want the best results for your garage floor epoxy coating project, youll never go wrong with a professional epoxy installer. They use high-quality products along with their refined technical skills to get the job done right and give you the best return on your investment!
At The Driveway Company, we specialize in solutions that protect and prolong the lifespan of your concrete floors. Contact us today to learn more about our professional epoxy coating services. Wed love to give your old, worn-out surfaces an elevated makeover!
Applying The First Coat
Getting ready for the color base coat after the epoxy primer was applied Photo courtesy of SupremeCrete
Depending on which epoxy coating system you are installing, your first coat will be a primer coat or the color base coat. Contingent on the manufacturer, you will have approximately a 40 minute working window during ideal conditions.
This window will shorten if the temperatures are warmer than ideal and lengthen if its cooler. Pay close attention to this window.
If you are applying polyurea, then you have plenty of time to get the product applied. In most cases, you will be working out of a paint tray.
Make sure your chip brushes, rollers, and epoxy are staged and ready to go. If this is your color coat and you are applying vinyl color flakes, make sure they are staged and ready as well.
After the epoxy is mixed, immediately start pouring it out in a 1-2 ribbon along the back border of its designated section. Continue working the ribbon back and forth across the entire section until its all poured out.
Once poured out on the floor, start in the back corner and begin rolling it out. Be sure to preload your roller with a ribbon of epoxy first. This will remove air in the roller and alleviate the chances of rolling air bubbles into the coating. Take care to keep the roller loaded at all times. Its OK to roll rather quickly.
Tip:Note:Tip:
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Use An Electric Floor Scrubber
Wet the entire floor with a hose, then scrub back and forth using an electric floor scrubber with a brush attachment . Pour cleaner/degreaser mixture onto the floor as you go to keep suds going on your epoxy garage floors paint task.
Once spots are cleaned, power-scrub the entire floor. To clean a two-car garage floor, plan on scrubbing for 20 to 30 minutes . Make sure you scrub with a stiff-bristle hand brush along the walls and in the corners where the machine cannot reach.
Application Of The Epoxy To Your Garage Floor
First and foremost always unpack and inspect all garage floor coating kits and supplies that you order well before you plan to start. More than one person has gone through the process of prepping their garage floor only to open up kits and packages on the day that they plan to apply it and find something was wrong with the order. Dont let that person be you.
One note we want to make you aware of when it comes to the application of epoxy. Many of the videos that you can watch online showing the epoxy application process do not use 100% solids epoxy. They are using a thinner water or solvent-based epoxy that can be rolled out of a paint tray like you are painting a wall. The video shown below is an example of this, but it still does a good job of giving you an idea of what is required.
High solids and 100% solids commercial quality epoxy is much thicker and requires that you pour the epoxy out onto the floor immediately after mixing. It is then rolled out and back rolled as the final process. That is the method that we discuss here.
Floor prep and application of a base color coat, full color flake, and epoxy top coat
Once the floor is properly prepared, now is the time to double check your materials list, required tools, check the weather, insure that you have a proper work station for mixing, and go over your game plan.
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How To Seal Epoxy Garage Floors
Once you decide on the perfect garage floor epoxy coating, its time to apply it to your concrete floors. While we recommend hiring a professional, you can also opt for a do-it-yourself epoxy floor if youre very experienced with home renovations.
How To Clean Epoxy Flooring After
Epoxy garage floors are a bit more delicate than typical concrete. You will want to opt for soft-bristled brushes or mops and gentle cleaning solutions. Diluted mixtures of ammonia and simple green are good options for your epoxy garage floors, but you need to be careful with ratios as too much of the chemicals can strip your epoxys shine. As you go about your day-to-day living you can of course spot-clean any issues, but as for in-depth cleanings, every few months will suffice.
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Mix And Apply The Epoxy Coating
Before applying the first coat, make sure you adhere to these guidelines:
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Make sure the temperature is 50 or above.
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For optimum results, wait for a dry period when there is no rain in the forecast. Do not thin the product.
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Using a three-eighths-inch nap roller or nylon polyester brush, apply an even coat.
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Never apply paint to a hot surface area.
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Provide adequate ventilation for normal drying. Wait a minimum of four hours before applying the second coat. Drying times may be longer in high humidity and cool conditions.
Improve Your Garage With Epoxy
Our residential epoxy garage floor service in Richmond Hill is perfect for homeowners looking for a long-lasting garage floor that can withstand a wide range of spills. We have provided epoxy garage flooring services to many customers in the Richmond Hill area.
Many homeowners avail of our services in Richmond Hill because:
- We provide professional and reliable services
- Were seasoned epoxy experts
- We offer services for all garages
- We offer competitive prices
- We also offer flake epoxy services for garages
- Our floors not only look great, but they are also durable and easy to maintain
Call today for an estimate:
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Cons Of Garage Floor Epoxy Paint
There are also several negatives to be aware of before answering, what is the best garage floor paint? and making a purchasing decision. Epoxy garage floor paint:
- Is very slippery when covered with oil, increasing the chance of falls
- Can take several days to dry properly, lengthening the application process
- Will eventually need to be refreshed/repainted to maintain its appearance
- Is subject to staining depending on conditions
- Doesnt completely seal the floor like an epoxy coating
- Is incompatible with most clear topcoats
- Can be expensive and time-consuming to alter or remove entirely
How To Maintain Epoxy Floors
To maintain and protect your epoxy floors, vacuum or sweep up debris, immediately wipe away spills with a soft cloth, and deep-clean soiled floors by mopping with a mixture of ½ cup ammonia to a gallon of water. Lift rust stains by gently scrubbing with a kitchen scrubbing pad and hot water never use an abrasive cleaner, acids, or chemicals on epoxy-coated floors. The easiest way to clean epoxy floors is to hose them down and dry them with a squeegee on a pole.
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