FLAKE EPOXY FLOORS

Professional garage floor coating installers utilize high-solids epoxy resins, but the DIY kit is typically an epoxy paint, which is a water-based paint with some epoxy resin added so that the word epoxy may be sold on the label. There is also a significant difference in the amount and quality of prep work that experienced installers can do.

Epoxy is a two-part product made up of an epoxy resin (often referred to as Part A) and a hardener (Part B). Before use, the two components must be combined together. It's crucial to note that, unlike paint, high-quality epoxies are high-solids (often 98-100 percent solids), which means they don't include any water or other elements that will evaporate, and the two components will never dry until they're combined together. When the epoxy and hardener are put together, the epoxy cures and the components begin to cross-link. The strength of epoxy is due to this cross-linking.

Paint is often a water-based acrylic latex substance. When a thin layer of paint is applied to a surface, the water evaporates and the paint dries. This implies that, unlike epoxy, when you apply paint to your floor or a wall, it will be considerably thinner when dried than when it is wet.

Absolutely. Epoxy, like paint, comes in a variety of sorts and brands that vary in price and quality. If you are considering having your garage floor coated, be sure that the contractor you choose uses high-solids, non-water-based materials.

Every garage floor coating operation begins with a concrete grinder, which utilizes metal-bonded diamond tools to open the pores of the concrete, abrade the surface, and remove contaminants such as oil, grime, and grease. Consider this technique to be similar to sanding a piece of wood before painting or staining it. The holes and cracks are then fixed and smoothed. Before coating, the floor is swept, cleaned, and/or washed.

The concrete grinder is linked to a massive, industrial vacuum that is meant to keep concrete dust from being discharged into the air, and it does an excellent job of it. It is conceivable, however, that some dust will escape. If you do not want dust on any of your things, move them out of the garage or cover them with plastic during this procedure.

The amount of levels is determined on the system you select. Our entry-level coating, is made up of one layer of epoxy with a partial spread of colored vinyl flakes and a clear top coat of a high-solids urethane with a traction enhancing ingredient. The Gold System, our most popular coating, is composed of one body layer of epoxy with a full broadcast of colorful vinyl flakes, a clear grout coat of polyaspartic, and a top coat of a high-solids urethane.

Prepping and coating your garage floor might take up to four days depending on the size of the garage, the quality of the original concrete, and the epoxy technique used.

When the process is finished, you should be able to walk on your newly coated floor the next day. Allow 48 hours for the floor to cure before reintroducing heavy goods such as work benches and freezers, and at least 72 hours before parking on it.

Your garage floor coating will be backed by a lifetime warranty that it will never peel. The top coat will gradually lose its gloss over time, but your coating should endure for at least 15-20 years.

If your floor is beginning to wear down and lose some of its luster, it may be renewed by performing a deep clean, abrading the surface, and putting a new top coat. Again, your floor should last at least 15 years before requiring a fresh top coat.