When you work with a professional contractor, you don't have to learn how to use industrial epoxy floors on site. However, it is always helpful to get more information about the service you may be buying. As you probably know, epoxy is a mixture of hardeners and resins that harden (dry) and form an incredibly durable surface.
This floor coating withstands chemical / oil contamination, moisture, abrasion, falling objects, children and much more! Epoxy is also strong enough to support the weight of rolling / parked cars and is great for basement and garage workplaces. The two-part chemical epoxy mixture is combined immediately before application.
The process of applying an epoxy flooring system
Would you like to learn more about how we install an epoxy flooring system? Continue reading! First, make sure you choose the right epoxy. The more "solids" an epoxy resin has, the more difficult the finished product will be. However, it will also be more difficult to apply the mixture, and one skilled in the art will generally need to use it. Solvent and water based epoxies have 40% to 60% solids, making them easy to apply, but not as strong as an epoxy blend that contains full solids. In addition to applying the actual mixture, the hardest part of applying an epoxy floor can be preparing the surface yourself.
Prepare the surface
You want to prepare the concrete surface by sanding the surface of the concrete floor. While some people use flat shovels or scrapers to remove hardened deposits and other imperfections, a specialist diamond concrete grinder is used by professionals to save time and perform more thorough work. Preparing the surface can also include filling chips or cracks in the concrete, which can be done with an epoxy mix.
Wet, scrub and etch
Moisten and scrub the floor thoroughly to remove any dust that may have accumulated during the concrete preparation step. After that, many contractors and do-it-yourselfers decide to acid-etch the floor to prepare the concrete for the epoxy mix. 15 cups of water and 12 ounces of 32% hydrochloric acid can be applied and then scrubbed. This acid etching increases the retention of the resin sealant and prepares the surface by removing water-soluble contaminants.
Mix the epoxy
Many contractors use a drill and stirrer to properly mix the epoxy. Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines on how to install the epoxy. Read the manual carefully to find out the curing time and other important information. As a rule of thumb, the more solids a mixture contains, the faster the curing time in general.
Apply epoxy resin
If you are working with a room like a garage floor, it is recommended to start with the extent of the area. Use masking tape to tape the area just below the floor, then swipe along the walls of the room you want to apply epoxy on. This step applies to perimeters to which epoxy is applied.
Depending on the thickness of the mix, contractors then use either a roller or trowel to cover the floor with an epoxy mix. Remember to roll back to fill in all roll / trowel marks. If you don't want a shiny floor, apply a second coating and add a non-slip mixture to the product. Epoxy flakes are also very suitable for non-slip applications.
The finished epoxy application
After the floor is finished, painting the bottom 4 inches of a basement or garage wall with epoxy mix creates a coherent look and also provides a strong protective barrier and baseboard for the floor system. To maintain your epoxy floors, we recommend wiping up spilled material immediately and removing rust stains with an abrasive and warm soapy water. To thoroughly clean your epoxy floor, mix half a cup of ammonia into a gallon of water and scrub it. Always remember to clear up dirt and vacuum your floor. This extends the life of your epoxy floor and ensures a safe floor solution for everyone.
If you're not a handyman and prefer a premium finish, check out the Coral Springs epoxy pros.
