Just What is Epoxy Coating?
Epoxy Coating is a resin polymer paint that is applied on concrete garage floors to preserve it. This sort of coating has been available for decades, but it only works well indoors, and it can take up to a week for the epoxy to be ready for cars to park and drive on, less alone foot traffic.
The application of this type of coating typically consists of a primer, a color base coat, and two surface coatings of polyurethane. Moreover, the finish can be chosen from a high gloss or a more matte aesthetic. Also, you can add more color chips to the mixture.
How Do You Even Apply Epoxy Flooring Coating?
Applying any epoxy coating to your garage floor is a heavily manual process, and it requires a lot of equipment. For instance, you would need an extended paint roller, protective breathing gear (like a respirator with acid gear), a squeegee, a grinder, a vacuum, and lets not forget the epoxy itself.
If you were to do it yourself instead of hiring a company to do it for you, this is how you would do it:
Grind surface to open pores of the surface to allow proper adhesion.
Vacuum surface, unless the grinder used happened to collect the dust as it grinded.
Paint around the edges of the space with a bristle brush, and then you fill in the rest with the roller.
Let it dry for a minimum of 16 hours, before applying the second layer unless the manufacturer of the product says otherwise.
Optional: Add non-slip granules to the second coating for extra protection against slipping.
Apply the second coating with the same approach as the first coat.
Optional: Let it dry for a minimum of 16 hours, before applying the top coat polyurethane layer unless the manufacturer of the product says otherwise.
Optional: Apply the top coat polyurethane layer in the same approach as the first and second coat.
Let it dry up to a week before cars can be parked or driven across the surface. It will take about a month for the epoxy to be fully cured. However, accurate drying time estimates will come from the manufacturer as well as the curing time.
Important things to note during this process:
Epoxy is meant to have a lengthy "pot life," or the amount of time it may stay open in a bucket before drying out and curing. That's excellent news because adequately coating a normal two-car garage may take up to an hour.
After 16 hours of the final application, whether it be the second application or the top coat, your garage floor is ready to handle foot traffic.
What are the Positive Aspects of Epoxy Flooring?
Durability: Because epoxy cures quickly, it can resist heavy traffic and other demands in your garage.
Chemical Resistance: Do you have a lot of battery acid and oil spills in your garage? That will not be an issue!
Style Options: Dress up your garage floor with your choice of color, finish, and mix-ins. You actually have the option to personalize your floor.
Long Pot-life: This coating will not dry out in the middle of the job, allowing you to complete manual application without rushing.
Easy to Adhere: The prolonged drying time guarantees that the epoxy establishes a strong connection with the concrete floor. It will not rise up and peel away.
What are the Negative Aspects of Epoxy Flooring?
Temperature-sensitive: Epoxy is difficult to work with in extremely hot or cold conditions. Like Goldilocks, there must be a temperature sweet spot.
Drying Time: If you're in a hurry, the extended drying period will be a pain. It may take a few days to finish the installation, and it may take up to a month to fully cure.
Air Quality: Off-gassing has the potential to degrade air quality. However, other formulae have been developed to overcome this problem.
Discoloring Issues: It is not colorfast: UV exposure may cause it to fade and yellow. While this can be problematic, several formulations incorporate UV protection.
Rigid: When epoxy dries, it not only hardens but also becomes rigid. As a result, it is less robust and more prone to scrapes.
Why Should Tru-Grit Be Trusted With Your Project?
As you know, the process to do epoxy flooring is a time consuming one, and done improperly can lead to complications down the road, which will cause you to spend more on the project in the long-run. At Tru-Grit, it is a lifetime investment protected by an actual lifetime warranty. Also, we know how to work efficiently with the products itself because we also formulated and manufactured them in-house. For more information, contact us today!
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