Top 5 Questions About Epoxy Garage Flooring

by Nov 16, 202034 comments

Question #1 Aren’t all garage floor coatings the same? Can’t we just get a DIY kit from a big box store?

Answer:

Yes, and No. Some of the big box stores sell kits that are a one-part system. This is really no more than acrylic/latex paint with some epoxy in it (to help it stick). Then they do have 2 part systems in some DIY kits. These will last a bit longer, but no where near as long as a professional floor application. Why? Preparation and tools involved.

These box kits come with an acid etching system to make the concrete porous and ready for the epoxy paint. This will be good enough only for a few years before the paint starts wearing down, or flaking up.

What the professionals do is use a diamond grinder wheel with a buffing machine, which you’d have to rent, if you wanted the epoxy to really stick to the concrete. That’s an added cost, and learning how to use a buffer machine without wrecking your walls is another thing.

Professionally installed epoxy flooring lasts upwards of 20 years.

Question #2 What is epoxy paint vs epoxy flooring?

Answer:

Epoxy “paint” is an acrylic or latex based paint with some epoxy in it to help it stick to the concrete. It usually is just a one-part system paint, meaning you don’t have to mix it with something to activate it.

Epoxy Flooring on the other hand is a 2-part system. There is a the epoxy and pigments, then there is the hardener that is added to it to start the chemical reaction. The temperature in the room can affect how much time you have to work with the flooring to get it applied.

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Question #3 Can I just sweep and mop the floor to get it ready for epoxy?

Answer:

No. Not even in the DIY kits can you just sweep and mop and make it ok. The garage floor must be swept, wet/dry vacuumed, acid etched, washed again, and wet/dry vacuumed again. The you have to wait more than 24 hrs to make sure it’s bone dry. And that just for the DIY kits. What happens if you run into broken concrete, cracks, and cut expansion joints?

Professionals use a diamond cutting wheel on a buffing machine to grind off a top layer of the concrete. This removes grime, high spots, and anything that has accumulated on the surface. Then they fill in all concrete cracks, patch all holes and broken concrete. Then they wash it down, and wet/dry vacuum the whole floor.

This leaves the floor clean of grease, oils, and any other chemicals that would prevent the epoxy from sticking to the concrete.

Question #4 Why do garage floors have to be redone every 1-3 years?

Answer:

They don’t have to be, if they were professionally done. The reason why some flooring needs to be refinished is usually because the preparation work wasn’t done properly.

As described above, preparation work is quite a chore, possibly taking a few days to get right. When something involves this much work, the DIY’er may not be up to it.

If the preparation step is not done properly, the floor will fail in a few years. This is why, in the long run, it’s better to have your epoxy flooring professionally installed.

Question #5 Why are professional garage floors expensive?

Answer:

 

The average cost to install a professional epoxy floor is anywhere from $3 to $12 a square foot. In comparison, a tile floor goes for between $5-$10, and you can’t drive on it or drop heavy things on it or it’ll crack. So, is it really that expensive?

What goes into a professionally installed, epoxy floor? Preparation, application, and finishing are the 3 main phases of any epoxy flooring project.

Preparation: We covered most of this above but, I’ll go over it again. The floors have to be scuffed up with a diamond cutting wheel, so that the epoxy flooring will stick to it better. Then all cracks, and holes must be filled. All broken up concrete must be repaired. Then everything that you don’t want epoxy on, painters tape gets applied to these areas.

Then the entire floor is vacuumed, and wet/dry vacuumed again. The floor must be dust free.

 

Application: So called “Garage Coatings” are just a coating of paint with little epoxy in it. Whereas professional epoxy flooring is applied at the minimum of; 2 millimeters thick. This is the real difference in “garage coatings” and epoxy flooring. The thickness makes the difference.

 

In addition to the thickness, the cost also depends on what you’ve discussed with your contractor. Will the design be a straight solid color? Will there be multiple colors in the floor? Do you want it to have a 3D effect? All of these factor into the price too.

 

Finishing: After the epoxy is allowed to fully cure for a few days, the floor is sanded, and then coated with a layer of urethane.

 

Conclusion

If these are some of your questions about epoxy flooring, we hope you have a better understanding of them. If you have other questions, please ask us anytime.

If you want a DIY painted floor that will last only a year or 2, go for the DIY kits. But, it you want a professional floor with epoxy swirls and designs in it, and you want it to last upwards of 20 years, you have to go for a professionally installed, garage epoxy floor.

Give us a call today: (808) 280-0410

Read More 

Can epoxy floors be repaired?

Can epoxy floors be repaired?

Can epoxy floors be repaired? A question we often get is, “Can epoxy floors be repaired?”. And the answer is: Yes. In this article we cover how to repair a small damaged area of epoxy. We also answer questions like, “Will epoxy floors crack? Are they toxic? And can...

Pros and Cons of Epoxy Flooring

Pros and Cons of Epoxy FlooringWhether it's used in an industrail, commercial, or even residential settings, epoxy floor coatings are one of the leading flooring solutions in 2021. No flooring system is perfect but, epoxy flooring has more benefits than drawbacks. To...

3 Tools For Grinding Concrete Floors

3 Tools For Grinding Concrete Floors

3 Tools For Grinding Concrete Floors The key to long lasting epoxy floors is to remove the "cream" layer of concrete during the preparation stage. To do this right you'll need at least 2 of the 3 machines we discuss in this article. DIY types can get away with a 10 "...

5 Reasons Why Epoxy Floors Fail

5 Reasons Why Epoxy Floors Fail

5 Reasons Why Epoxy Floors Fail When we say "Fail", we mean that the epoxy did not last as long as intended. When properly installed, epoxy floors will last 5-10 years in an industrial environment, 10-15 years in a commercial store, and 20-30 years in a residence....

Leave a comment.

34 Comments

  1. john wick

    I loved your blog article. Much thanks again. Really Cool. Roxie Staford Lionel

  2. porno

    I truly appreciate this post. Really looking forward to read more. Want more. Elfrieda Gianni Sari

  3. sex filmleri

    I got what you mean,saved to my bookmarks, very decent web site. Berti Yanaton Dari

  4. sikis

    I was reading through some of your blog posts on this internet site and I conceive this internet site is really instructive! Keep on putting up. Editha Meredeth Esbenshade

  5. sikis

    I like reading through an article that will make men and women think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment. Melony Herman Clarance

  6. bahis

    Some really wonderful posts on this website , appreciate it for contribution. Courtney Renault Latashia

  7. bahis

    Thanks to my father who stated to me about this webpage, this website is really amazing. Seka Ellery Hallie

  8. sikis

    I am not sure the place you are getting your information, but good topic. Ynez Huberto Wendelin

  9. bahis

    There is noticeably a lot to realize about this. I consider you made some good points in features also. Norina Perice Siblee

  10. bahis

    This post is actually a nice one it helps new internet viewers, who are wishing for blogging. Kassie Addie Gustafsson

  11. bahis

    I like reading through an article that will make people think. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment. Keriann Sheffield Leblanc

  12. bahis

    Disadvantages: Heavier than road and also health and fitness bikes. Emelina Abelard Susie

  13. torrent

    Excellent post. Never knew this, appreciate it for letting me know. Codi Fax Eveleen

  14. bluray

    Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and also the rest of the site is very good. Charlot Ware Grondin

  15. web-dl

    Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am experiencing problems with your RSS. Alane Tammy Os

  16. indir

    Hello Dear, are you actually visiting this site daily, if so then you will definitely obtain pleasant knowledge. Marnia Addison Tonye

  17. download

    You made certain nice points there. I did a search on the subject matter and found a good number of persons will consent with your blog. Kerry Eugenio Loria

  18. torrent

    You should take part in a contest for one of the highest quality blogs online. Jaclyn Feodor Carrington

  19. ucretsiz

    Some genuinely select articles on this internet site , saved to bookmarks . Ashley Land Eaves

  20. indir

    Hello Dear, are you truly visiting this website on a regular basis, if so after that you will definitely obtain nice knowledge. Bernette Aldridge Hirsch

  21. torrent

    Try to increase the excitement of your blog by creating templates for your blogs. Loree Darwin Roose

  22. ucretsiz

    This is SO beautiful, Lane. Thank you so much for posting. I cannot wait to see this in person some day. Ester Weider Tansy

  23. bluray

    Perfectly pent subject material, Really enjoyed examining. Maighdiln Cleavland Goetz

  24. sdt gai goi q12

    What’s up it’s me, I am also visiting this web site daily, this web site is really pleasant and the viewers are actually
    sharing pleasant thoughts.

  25. hindi movie

    Having read this I believed it was very informative. I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it! Chloe Hernando Joselyn

  26. online

    An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers Kippie Stanleigh Zetana

  27. gai gọi go vap

    I think the admin of this website is truly working hard for his website, as here every material is quality based information.

  28. dublaj

    Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this information together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile! Chandal Maje Clifton

  29. altyazili

    Very good post. I am facing many of these issues as well.. La Verne Marv Vilhelmina

  30. Priv8

    Great beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for
    a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable
    deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept

  31. instagram takipçi satın al

    Right here is the right webpage for anybody who
    wants to find out about this topic. You understand a whole lot
    its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need
    to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject that has been written about for decades.
    Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!

  32. instagram takipci satin al

    I truly love your site.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you develop this web site yourself?
    Please reply back as I’m trying to create my own blog and would love to find out
    where you got this from or what the theme is called.
    Cheers!

  33. instagram takipçi satın al

    Thanks for another magnificent article. Where else may just anybody get
    that type of information in such a perfect way of writing?
    I have a presentation next week, and I am at the search for such information.

  34. minecraft premium satın al

    The article is really excellent. Every time I read it, I get information again.