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Do you have a garage floor without coating that you would like to upgrade to work better with your hobbies? Or maybe you work with cars and such a lot and are tired of cleaning oils and such from the concrete floor?
If you’re thinking yes, read a bit further as I’m going to go through some benefits of the epoxy floor paint. You don’t have to get the best garage floor epoxy to achieve the benefits as the common ones sold at the hardware store will do well.
Also, if you’re shy of starting an epoxy garage floor DIY project, read on the link more about it. You will get a better picture of it’s a project you would like to do or not.
Epoxy floor paint in general
Many concrete areas of your home, including walkways, patios, and garages, take on a lot of heavy wear and foot traffic. Epoxy coating for floors is an excellent way to help in protecting them from everyday wear and tear, along with chipping or cracking.
Although the end look is quite beautiful, it is also protective, and not as expensive as you might think. When it comes to strength, epoxy is one of the hardest floor coatings in good and bad.
Applying a concrete coating to a garage floor is an economical and relatively easy way to not only protect it but also improve how it looks. Garages are being used for more than just a place for cars and storage these days. They are quite often an extension of a house and used in everyday life.
The best way to save your garage floor is with an epoxy coating. This coating resists oil and grease and is very easy to clean. It is extremely durable and will protect the floor for many years.
Epoxy paint styles
You can find many colors of epoxy coating, as well as ingenious designs that make your concrete pop. You can still find neutral colors like clear, gray, or white. However, many homeowners prefer more colorful coatings. The cost may be dependent on the color, and neutral colors work well on walkways, driveways, and garage floor coatings.
What type of epoxy to use for the garage
Epoxy resins designed for coating concrete may be solid or water-based. Solid epoxy coatings are more durable, and they may last up to 20 years. They handle high foot and tire traffic and exposure to oils and chemicals. They bond with concrete floors using a bonding agent. This resin is counter-indicated in areas where there are extreme temperatures or high moisture.
The size of the area you would like coated may play a large role in your decision to have professional installers use water-based or solid epoxies. Solid epoxies may cost up to double the amount of water-based versions.
This means that if you have a large garage, you will pay a high price to coat your floor if you choose solid epoxy over water-based epoxy. For smaller areas, you may want to spend the extra dollars and get a solid epoxy, since it will protect your floor better, and last longer. It is also more maintenance-free than water-based epoxies.
Water-based epoxies act like a primer or a sealer, with less durability and resistance. They do have a glossy finish, but this finish is not as protective for your concrete, against chemicals, scuff marks, or stains. This type usually costs less than epoxy resins, but it will generally need to be applied more frequently.
Preparing garage floor for painting
Coating new concrete is relatively easy since there are no chips, dips, or cracks yet. If you want to have older concrete coated, though, the crumbling, chipped or cracked areas of your concrete need to be repaired before the coatings can be applied.
The repairs will ensure that your epoxy job will be smooth when it is finished. If you’re not doing this yourself, your professional installer should be able to do the repairs for you, as well as the coatings. If they can’t handle it, I would stay away from such an installer.
Personally, for my own garage, I would use solid epoxy that is made up of two liquids, a resin, and a hardener. When these are mixed together they cure and form a bond that is extremely hard and strong. The reason why I’d do this is that even when it’s more expensive, it will last longer and provide better protection for the garage floor. I know some almost 20-year-old epoxy garage floors myself.
A garage floor suitable for epoxy would be one that does not have a lot of moisture. If the floor is damp or musty the epoxy will probably not stick to it. It is a good idea to test a section of the floor first for moisture, and then with the epoxy. Sealing moisture is after all most of the a time bad idea.
A floor that is already grease or oil contaminated is also not a good candidate. It is important to do your homework and make sure that your garage floor will work with an epoxy concrete coating.
Painting garage floor with epoxy
The application is a project that can be accomplished by almost anyone in just a weekend. Kits can be purchased from various retailers with everything you will need to be included. The key to success is to carefully do all the prep work first.
The floor must be completely clean, free of debris, and any holes and cracks need to be filled, sealed, and completely cured. If not, the epoxy will not adhere to the concrete.
The weather can also play a part in how successful the epoxy adheres. The ideal day would be between 50 and 80 degrees, and not raining or damp. Otherwise, it may bubble and peel.
Once the epoxy has completely hardened it can stand up to almost anything. It will resist grease and other spills. Since epoxy creates a hard protective layer over the concrete, spills won’t seep in as they would to the unprotected floor, and clean up is much easier. This coating will protect the concrete and prevent cracking and other damage, which in turn can add to the value of your home.
Conclusion
You should have some idea now about the benefits of epoxy garage floor paint and also how to do them. Just remember that 2 part epoxy paint for concrete is a lot harder to use than a single part.
Single part epoxy doesn’t have any hardener in it and it has a longer working time. For beginners that is important as you might not realize how fast it starts to set in place.
After you have done a few small floors, you’re ready to use the harder coatings, but many don’t get the chance to learn. No matter what you do, good preparation is always key to success.
