Epoxy garage floors are a great DIY project you can do to spruce up your home. Epoxy will make your floors look nice, clean up easily, and give your garage a finished look. Over the years I've epoxied about 10 garages for friends and family. All of them have turned out great, and the floors have held up extremely well.
Applying an epoxy floor coating to the garage floor is a relatively simple job that can be completed as a DIY project. Even beginner DIYers can tackle this project with time and patience. Just make sure to properly read and follow the directions to avoid complications.
If you're looking to give your garage floor or basement floor a makeover, epoxy flooring is a great option. It's durable, easy to clean, and can resist stains and spills. Plus, it can give your space a whole new look. Creating an epoxy floor is a popular do-it-yourself project.
How much does it cost to epoxy a garage floor? It costs $2–$5 per square foot to epoxy a garage floor yourself. If you hire a professional for the job, the additional labor costs bring the total to $3–$12 per square foot.
Typically, epoxy floors last between 10 and 20 years; much longer than a painted concrete floor, which will chip and wear quickly in high-traffic areas.
Epoxy floors are much more resistant to wear and tear than other types of flooring, so they can withstand heavy foot traffic and even vehicle traffic without showing signs of wear. This makes them an ideal choice for anyone who wants a floor that will last for many years.
If you are applying epoxy to a new garage floor, you will need to clean and prepare the surface before applying the epoxy. This involves removing any dirt, debris, or oil from the surface. You can do this by scrubbing the floor with a degreaser or detergent, and then rinsing it with water.
Can I put another coat of epoxy over cured epoxy? Yes. Since the epoxy has cured a chemical bond is not possible so what is called a mechanical bond is needed. This simply means that the cured epoxy has to be lightly sanded before the next coat is applied: the first coat should have a matt, almost white, surface.
Grinding a garage floor before applying an epoxy coating or paint can help to ensure a smooth, durable finish. It's essential to properly prepare the concrete surface before beginning the grinding process. This will make the epoxy coating or paint adhere properly and lasts for years to come.
If using 100% solids epoxy, your floor will be cured and walkable in about 12 - 18 hours. You can return to full heavy traffic after about 36 - 72 hours. Most epoxies reach full chemical cure within 7 days of application. When using polyaspartic, the cure times are increased – especially with 100% solids products.
The entire floor should be sanded until no gloss remains on the old coating. Then vacuum and wipe up any dust from the sanding process. When you coat over an old coating, you should coat a test patch to make sure the new epoxy is compatible with the old coating.
In a Nutshell: Pros and Cons of Epoxy Floors
The strengths of epoxy flooring are relative affordability, high customizability, and great durability. On the other hand, the weaknesses of this material include long curing time, difficult installation process, and its possible slipperiness when wet or oily.
The Garage Floors 1 Day system lives up to its name with a one-day installation process. That means faster drying times and complete protection from all your bikes, tools, vehicles, and more. Other epoxy floor applications can take days for preparation, coating, and to finish drying.
With a garage epoxy floor, you will want to add at least two coats. Allow at least 12 hours to dry between coats and no more than 48 hours. Although the floor will be touch dry after a few hours, it takes a few days to cure properly.
Do not use Epoxies when temperatures of the air or the substrate will drop below 50 degrees F. Without first consulting with Epoxy.com Tech service for cold installation. Do not forget to allow extra time for epoxy to cure when working at lower temperatures.
Epoxy is your answer. Not only can epoxy systems be very effective at repairing concrete cracks, but there are epoxy coatings available that also create a seamless, brand-new appearance to concrete surfaces as well!
Oil, car chemicals and other chemicals.
Clean up spilled gas immediately, because it will damage the surface of an epoxy floor if allowed to sit for too long. Paint, household cleaners and other abrasive liquids need to be cleaned up immediately.
Polyurea is up to 20 times stronger than epoxy, and its superior strength offers unbeatable protection for your garage floor.
The concrete floor will fail if the coating doesn't bond mechanically to the concrete floor, so the preparation is the most important part before applying any type of epoxy! So it is important that there is a solid bond between the concrete and epoxy coating so as not to end up with a failed epoxy garage floor.
Professional garage floor coating is much thicker, at about 15 to 30 mils or three to six times thicker than a DIY kit. This is because the professional team brings and pours enough epoxy to fill and re-coat the space.
Moisture is one of the factors that cause epoxy flooring to peel. After washing your floor, allow it to dry. Let it sit for at least 24 hours before having a professional apply new resin after washing your concrete flooring.
While epoxy coatings themselves do not crack in extreme heat or cold, concrete does. Epoxy coatings cannot withstand the stresses associated with concrete cracks due to settling, dry shrinkage or other factors.
These typically incorporate various strengthening aggregates or powders, followed by application of select grout coats and topcoats. However, the great majority of professional-grade polymer flooring and epoxy coating systems are installed at thicknesses within the 0.020 to 0.250 inches (20 – 250 mils) range.