Common Questions About Epoxy Floor Installation
An epoxy floor installer gets many questions from customers before installing an epoxy floor. This is natural since not everyone knows that goes into installation. Epoxy is an easy and effective floor solution that is more cost effective than purchasing a whole new floor for an area.
A proper epoxy floor job is a big investment in time and money. It is important that people know as much as possible before buying an epoxy floor kit. Even if people do not want to do the job themselves and want to hire a professional installer, the knowledge from epoxy research will allow them to properly question professionals about their installation.
Sometimes professional installers are not that professional and cannot tell people the abrasion rating of the topcoat or other performance specifications. Being able to question installers will help people choose the perfect installer for their floor. Installers who cannot answer basic questions are buying epoxy off the shelf that will not do the job.
Performance specifications are the indicator of what an epoxy can and cannot do. Low quality epoxies have little or no performance data. There is more technical information out there so people know exactly what they or their installer are buying.
For new or old concrete floors, all of the dirt and residues need to be washed off of the surface. For the best results, choose power washing. The floor needs to be etched with an acid safe etching solution provided in kits. This will remove deep dirt and open the concrete pores so the epoxy has a rough surface to adhere to.
Etching does not remove grease and oil stains. An oil or grease remover is needed for these kinds of stains. All oil and grease stains need to be removed or the epoxy will not adhere to the floor properly. The floor should dry for 24 to 48 hours depending on the ambient conditions. Then the floor needs to be coated with an epoxy kit.
New floors need to be cured for a minimum of 30 days before epoxy coating can be applied. The new floors will also need an extra strong etching, or second etching, since there are many curing residues on the surface that need to be burned out. If using an instant crack repair compound, then the cracks or dicots need to be patched after the etching.
Essentially, people want a floor that is dry, rough to the touch, and as clean as new concrete with no cracks or divots visible. This is the best way to ensure the epoxy bond properly and create a beautiful final finish.
When applying epoxy to floors that are sealed, all of the sealers need to be removed entirely. A buffing machine or sander with an aggressive grit should be run over the surface of the sealer as much as possible. A strong Muratic Acid solution is needed, made of 2 parts water to 1 part acid, to remove the sealer. epoxy flooring installation Test to make sure the floor is ready for treatment by sprinkling water on the floor. If it bead, then the floor needs to be resanded, reetched, and retested. The floor then will be neutralized with TSP powder after etching has fully removed the sealer.
Depending on the sealer grade, a diamond might be needed to grind it off. Do not attempt to apply epoxy paint over a floor that still has sealer on it, because it would be a waste of time and money.
Wood floors can even be coated with epoxy. The floors need to be sanded to remove dirt and factory coating. The floor then needs to be primed with a special primer and coated with an epoxy kit. These can be tricky, so it is best to call a professional installer for this kind of job.