A garage floor coating is a great way to brighten up a dreary garage. Garage Floor Coatings like any type of coating is dependant on the surface it's being applied to, the coating materials, and the application of the product.
Concrete must be at least 30 days (45 is better) old in order to apply a resinous floor coating. Remove all materials from the surface. it will take 3 days to install your Floor Coating. Floor coating systems are only as good as the concrete they are applied to. All unsound concrete should be repaired or replaced prior to resinous flooring applications. Seal all cracks prior to applying coating products.
If the surface is painted, or has been sealed, it must be removed first. A chemical stripper is the recommended method, or mechanical removal if a chemical stripper cannot be used.
If the surface is painted, or has been sealed, it must be removed first. A chemical stripper is the recommended method, or mechanical removal if a chemical stripper cannot be used.
The first step of the preparation is to clean the surface. Clean all dirt, debris, oils, and their residue. This is accomplished by first pressure washing, and the use of commercial degreasing compounds and solvents. When clean, the surface is ready for etching. Resinous Epoxy flooring materials need a rough sand paper like surface to bond to. This surface finish can be achieved by 2 methods. Acid etching or Mechanical etching. Acid is the easiest method and the one specifically recommended for the application of Polyester and Vinyl Ester floor coatings.
Acid Etching, Surface Preparation Method: Using muriatic acid mix 1 part acid to 3 parts water by volume. Wear all recommended safety gear to include Splash proof Safety goggles, elbow length rubber gloves, and boots. Mix in a plastic container. It can be a bucket or a plastic garden sprayer. Use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the solution into the concrete. Acid solution will bubble and foam slightly. When the solution has stopped bubbling approx 15 minutes, rinse the floor thoroughly. Do not allow the floor to dry, as the salts formed by the acid reaction can cause adhesion problems later on. Rinse thoroughly. Mop or sponge up any standing water after rinsing. Some areas may be better etched than others, if needed complete this step again. For areas that have not been sufficiently cleaned by the second you may require mechanical etching.
Mechanical Surface Preparation Method: Vacuum shot blasting is the best method for achieving a good profile for bonding and is recommended here. It provides the cleanest environmentally safe area during the cleaning. Other mechanical methods are acceptable, sand blasting, scarification, grinding, and sanding. Clean by pressure washing after this method of Surface Preparation.
Applying the Coatings: Different coating require different methods. Some require a primer and some do not. If there are any problems with the floor at all we strongly recommend the primer. Every Application calls for at least 1 base Coat and 1 top coat. The base coat will be the color and the top coat will be the Gloss Protective coating. Their are two bases - solvent and water. We find the solvent base is slightly better than the water based. If you are using more than one gallon to cover your area, always mix all the base coat color together, same as boxing your other paints in order to achieve a uniform color. Add in the Non Slip additive. Add in the activator. After you add the can of activator, some products have an induction time of approx. 10 minutes. Some do not. If your product does have this induction time, it should not vary from batch to batch. It should be exactly the same time, every time. This helps in achieving a uniform appearance. After the induction time, some products recommend pouring the product out on the floor and spreading it that way. Others recommend working out of the can or paint pan. Brush the edges first, then roll the product on. Always work in small areas, and spread flakes according to directions. We throw all brushes and rollers in the trash when complete. It is a waste of time to clean Epoxy from these.
This can be a homeowner job, but if you are not experienced with coatings, or do not have experience with concrrete, or your concrete has problems, then you should call Brilliant Coatings. 812-604-3651.
Use of Additives:
Non Skid, or Non Slip Additive: Is usually a silica sand. It is used to provide a non - slip surface. Most of these garage surfaces are slippery without them. Putting this into your floor system will cut down on the shine If you do not want this in your floor you may want to have rubber matting for well traveled areas to present slipping and sliding.
Flakes: Always use them.
Problems :
Tire Pick Up: This is where spots are removed by hot car tires parking on the surface. This is almost never due to the product itself but due to the Surface Preparation. Although it is most often blamed on the product.
Color Variation: This due to not mixing all cans of the base color together. Always use the flakes!
Tips and Cautions:
It can take up to a week for a floor coating to fully cure, depending on the product. Always follow the manufactures recommendations.
Epoxy Coat!
http://www.garagefloorpaint.com/index.php
Applying the Coatings: Different coating require different methods. Some require a primer and some do not. If there are any problems with the floor at all we strongly recommend the primer. Every Application calls for at least 1 base Coat and 1 top coat. The base coat will be the color and the top coat will be the Gloss Protective coating. Their are two bases - solvent and water. We find the solvent base is slightly better than the water based. If you are using more than one gallon to cover your area, always mix all the base coat color together, same as boxing your other paints in order to achieve a uniform color. Add in the Non Slip additive. Add in the activator. After you add the can of activator, some products have an induction time of approx. 10 minutes. Some do not. If your product does have this induction time, it should not vary from batch to batch. It should be exactly the same time, every time. This helps in achieving a uniform appearance. After the induction time, some products recommend pouring the product out on the floor and spreading it that way. Others recommend working out of the can or paint pan. Brush the edges first, then roll the product on. Always work in small areas, and spread flakes according to directions. We throw all brushes and rollers in the trash when complete. It is a waste of time to clean Epoxy from these.
This can be a homeowner job, but if you are not experienced with coatings, or do not have experience with concrrete, or your concrete has problems, then you should call Brilliant Coatings. 812-604-3651.
Use of Additives:
Non Skid, or Non Slip Additive: Is usually a silica sand. It is used to provide a non - slip surface. Most of these garage surfaces are slippery without them. Putting this into your floor system will cut down on the shine If you do not want this in your floor you may want to have rubber matting for well traveled areas to present slipping and sliding.
Flakes: Always use them.
Problems :
Tire Pick Up: This is where spots are removed by hot car tires parking on the surface. This is almost never due to the product itself but due to the Surface Preparation. Although it is most often blamed on the product.
Color Variation: This due to not mixing all cans of the base color together. Always use the flakes!
Tips and Cautions:
It can take up to a week for a floor coating to fully cure, depending on the product. Always follow the manufactures recommendations.
Epoxy Coat!
http://www.garagefloorpaint.com/index.php