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Epoxy flooring is now becoming a popular choice for home or business owners who wants to enhance the look of their outdoor or indoor spaces. Epoxy coatings are often installed in garages, basement, driveways, and other areas of your home and business.

 

For you to properly install the material on your concrete spaces, we have created a step by step guide on how to install epoxy on your flooring.    

 

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Check the status of your flooring

To know if your flooring is suitable for epoxy coating, make sure to follow these helpful steps. 

Test the floor moisture accumulation

To test your floor’s moisture accumulation, cut a piece of a garbage bag and place it over your flooring with duck tape on the four sides. After 24 hours, lift the garbage bag to check if moisture has accumulated; if it does, it only means that your floor is not suitable for epoxy coating. The surface should be dry to proceed in the epoxy flooring installation. 

Test the floor for concrete sealers

Check if your flooring has concrete sealers by pouring water on the surface. If the water quickly beads up, it means that the flooring has concrete sealers. Flooring with concrete sealers will make the epoxy project difficult since these two products are no compatible. Ask professional advice for other flooring enhancement options.

Allow at least 30 to 40 days leeway for newly installed concrete.

If your concrete is newly installed, allow at least 30-40 days leeway for the concrete to cure and dry thoroughly before fully applying the epoxy coating. 

Get rid of floor paint.

The epoxy coating does not work properly if it’s applied over latex or polyurethane flooring paints. It is essential to get rid of floor paint for smooth epoxy coating application. To properly remove floor paint, you can try soda blasting.  



Clean and Prime the flooring

Preparing the flooring before the installation is a necessary step to ensure proper adhesion between the epoxy coating and the substrate.

Get rid of grease stains using a degreaser.

Spot clean any grease or oil stains using a degreaser. Thoroughly scrub the stains with a brush then rinse the entire area with water once done.   

Use sandpaper to remove rubber deposits

Driveways and garage surfaces usually have rubber deposits that need to be taken off through the use of 180-grit sandpaper. After rubbing the surface with sandpaper, rinse the surface with water.  

Use a vacuum to suck up the remaining debris.

To make sure the surface is thoroughly clean without any debris or cleaning residue, using a vacuum will surely help to properly prep the surface.  

Deep clean the surface through a pressure washer.

Most contractors have the necessary material to prep the surface. However, if you choose to do it your self, you can rent the machine from your trusted home improvement company in your area. Using a pressure washer completely wash out the remaining impurities on the surface.

Coat the surface

Coat the flooring with muriatic acid or also known as hydrochloric acid, 950 ml is needed per 70 square feet. Make sure to follow the application guidelines listed on the bottle.

Neutralize the floor

To neutralize the surface, a 240 ml baking soda is needed to be mixed with a gallon of water. After this, the application can now be applied on the surface.   

Rinse the surface with water

After neutralizing the surface, it is necessary to pour water to wash out the remaining acid and neutralizer products. Leave the surface to dry, then patch some surface that has cracks using epoxy filler, allow 4-6 hours to dry. 

Choosing the right epoxy product

There are several epoxy coatings to choose from its but that all depends on your desired design and results. The two types of epoxy coating include: 

  • Solvent-based epoxy coating
  • Water-based epoxy coating

 

Solvent-based epoxy coatings come with many color choices. However, it releases hazardous fumes. Water-based is clear and safe to use. It is also important to consider the solid percentage of the coating. A higher percentage means harder flooring finishes. A ventilator is needed during the application process if you choose a solvent-based epoxy coating.    

Applying Epoxy Flooring

Once the epoxy coating is ready, you can now proceed to the application process. It usually takes 1-2 days to complete the installation process. The materials needed include:

 

  •  1.9 cm nap roller
  •  Drill
  • Stirring bit

 

Make sure to do the necessary steps during the application process to achieve the quality results: 

 

  • Use a 1.9 cm nap roller to evenly apply the epoxy coating on the flooring. You can start spreading the epoxy primer at the back part of the surface towards the exit. Remember not to leave the roller too dry; it is also essential to keep the door open and wear a respirator during the application. 
  • Once the epoxy primer is evenly applied on the surface, let it dry for 12-24 hours. 
  • Using the drill and stirring a bit to combine the epoxy primer and coating before the application. 
  • Apply the first epoxy coating evenly, always make sure to keep the coating thin. It is also advisable to keep the roller wet during the entire application process because the material dries immediately. During the application process, it is advisable to move quickly to be able to spread the coating evenly. 
  • Wait for 24 hours for the first coating to dry before applying the second coating. Curing time depends on the type of product you use, make sure to read and follow the directions of the manufacturer. 
  • Once the first coating is dried, check for any cracks or uneven areas, if there’s any, seal it using epoxy crack fillers or use sandpaper to sand down uneven areas. Wait for 16 hours for the crack filler to dry; for sanded down areas, you need a vacuum to get rid of any debris. 
  • Apply the second coating and mix it with a non-skid material using a drill and a stirring bit. Let the coating dry for 24 hours before use.   
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