Should You Apply A Garage Floor Epoxy Coating?

For the homeowner who values a clean and organized garage, applying a garage floor epoxy coating is usually the final step in finishing off your entire garage. An epoxy provides a professional look and feel to your floor. It also helps to resist oil stains and it wipes up easily. Any water spilled on the floor will bead up and wipe off easily as well. If you want to hide any imperfections in floor, you can add color chips and custom paint colors to the coating. An antiskid additive will increase the grip on the floor as well.

There is a lot of preparation work required before applying a garage floor epoxy coating. After all the prep work is done, the actual application will seem quite easy. The reason the preparation is difficult and time consuming is that an epoxy will not adhere properly to a surface that is not clean and slightly rough as well. Cracks and holes need to be patched and allowed to set fully before proceeding any further.

Another tip to note is that the concrete floor should be at least two months old and not sealed in order for the epoxy to adhere to the concrete. If you are uncertain whether your floor has, a seal on it then pour a little water on it and it beads then it is sealed. Removing a sealer is done with a chemical stripper, which just adds more work to the job. After the floor is stripped then you can clean it. This is performed with an industrial type cleaner and a machine called a floor maintainer, which you will most likely have to rent. The chemicals can be quite harsh so protective clothing is highly recommended. They are also not particularly environmentally friendly.

As you can see, the preparation of the floor is quite a job. Once all this work is complete, you can begin your application of the epoxy garage floor coating. It is important to choose a day that is dry and between fifty and eighty degrees. Without the perfect conditions, the epoxy can bubble and peel. Once the epoxy and hardener is mixed, you have approximately two hours to apply it. After all this is complete, you still must wait three days before parking your car on it or bringing everything back into the garage.

Most home improvement centers will carry some form of epoxy garage floor coating. Speak to an experienced staff member to find out what is the best product they sell that meets your particular needs. Follow the instructions that come with the product. Failure to follow the instructions could result in the coating not sticking or it could peel as well. Before beginning your project, you should speak to a professional and get some tips on preparing your floor and applying the epoxy. Even though applying some form of coating to your floor will make it look much better, there are many factors involved that could cause problems with the coating. Good luck with applying your epoxy or floor paint.