Epoxy is a durable, high-quality floor coating that makes the floor strong, easy to clean and attractive. It’s quick and easy to install, and comes in numerous colors and textures to match any home décor. An Epoxy floor coating in a garage can add value to your home and a lifetime of strength and beauty for your floor.
Here is a list of some of the most Frequently Asked questions (FAQs) about installing a GarargeCoatings.com Epoxy floor coating product.
IS AN EPOXY FLOOR COATING STRONG?
The number one reason to apply an Epoxy floor coating to your garage is for the industrial-strength durability and longevity it provides your floor. GarageCoatings.com Epoxy is the strongest in the business – more than three times stronger than the standard off-the-shelf Epoxy flooring – making is resistant to scratches, scuffs, cracks and other damage.
The proprietary “wicking” technology in GarageCoatings.com Epoxy base coat makes a floor flexible and almost bullet proof. This is ideal if you use your garage as a work space for cars and building materials.
Since abrasions are an everyday occurrence to garage floors coatings, there is a standardized abrasion resistance test (ASTM D-4060) that compares products. The standard calls for three distinct criteria: abrasion wheels, a weight, and a cycle amount. The abrasion wheels have different types of coarseness ranging from non-resilient wheels to harsh abrasion wheels. This is combined with a set weight applied onto the coating and the coating is allowed to rotate for a certain amount of cycles. For the coatings industry, the standard protocol states a CS-17 wheel, 1000 gram (1kg) load, and 1000 cycles.
| Product | Versatile Building Products/ GarageCoatings.com 5350 CRU | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C | Competitor D |
| Wheel | CS-17 | CS-17 | CS-17 | CS-17 | CS-17 |
| Weight applied | 1000 g | 1000 g | Unknown | 1000 g | Unknown |
| Cycles | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Weight lost | 2 mg | 42.7 mg | 19 mg | 25 mg | 20mg – 30 mg |
Above is a comparison of 2k Chemical Resistant Urethane Coatings with similar solids rates to our 5350 CRU. The Versatile Building Products/GarageCoatings.com product has an average weight loss of only 2mg of material. That is a magnitude of 10 to 21 times more abrasion resistant than the listed competitors.
Is an Epoxy floor coating easy/difficult to install?
GarageCoatings.com offers its Roll on Rock® and Lava Flow® garage floor coating kits to transform unsealed concrete into attractive, tough-as-nails flooring in just one day. These kits feature an exclusive, easy-to-install Direct to Concrete Epoxy system that is more than three times as strong as standard off-the-shelf Epoxy flooring, making it extra durable and long lasting. You can also get the Epoxy Floor Applicator Pack with all the brushes, rollers, and mixing and measuring tools that you’ll need to get the job done quickly and easily.
If you wish to learn how to achieve best results with your Epoxy floor coating, you can sign up for one of the 1-day training workshops offered by Garage Coatings.com.
Can an Epoxy floor coating be installed in hot/cold climates?
All of the GarageCoatings.com Epoxy flooring products can be installed in any temperature if the proper procedures are followed. The key is to work with the environment and the temperature limitations of the epoxy flooring products.
Start by checking the temperature of the concrete to be treated, not the air. Concrete can be a different temperature than the air, especially in areas with walls, doorways and vents. You can check the temperature using an infrared thermometer gun. You can also use it to check the dew point in the garage to reduce the chance of the coating not curing correctly due to moisture. Remember to check the temperature and dew point between each coat since it can change.
After you’ve checked the concrete temperature, be sure to check the application temperature requirements of the Epoxy floor coating. If you are using multiply layers, be sure to check the specifications for each one since they can be different. Garage Coatings recommends using an Epoxy accelerator to help cure the floor coating faster in cold climates. Also, remember that it’s best to always store the Epoxy products themselves in a room temperature environment that is 70 -80 degrees. Keeping the Epoxy at those temperatures for a day before the install will help it to cure faster when applied to the concrete floor.
For wetter climates where traction is a concern, GarageCoatings.com offers Rhino Grip, a clear non-skid aggregate that can be added into the final coat to give the floor a grip-like texture that offers solid footing even when wet.
Can an Epoxy floor coating be installed over cracks or stains?
You should always clean and prepare your floor prior to installing a floor coating to ensure the best results. We recommend using an industrial diamond grinding machine to clean and prepare the concrete to receive the Epoxy floor coatings. We don’t recommend using acids for etching because if used improperly they can damage a concrete foundation, pollute the environment or damage a garden. We do offer Eco Concrete Profiler, an environmentally safe acid alternative that will etch the concrete without risk of damaging it or surrounding areas. Grinding the bare concrete will give your floor the best surface to receive our unique “wicking” Epoxy flooring coating.
If you have any cracks in the concrete, be sure to seal them prior to applying the Epoxy floor coating. Filling a crack with a penetrating sealer rather than just sealing over the top, is always the strongest, longest lasting solution to repairing a crack.
If there are numerous thin cracks or they are difficult to visually detect, the sealer should be done as a flood coat to the entire surface to make the cracks hydrophobic. This is done by mixing the sealer, pouring it onto the concrete and spreading it with a squeegee. They can also be sprayed onto the surface and allowed to dry.
Larger cracks may require several applications before they are completely filled. The sealing material should be mixed and poured directly into the crack. It is critical that the entire crack is filled for it to properly seal.
Once the crack repair has cured, you can grind it flush to create an even surface to apply your Epoxy floor coating. This will prevent the repairs from showing through the coating.
Is the Epoxy floor coating easy to maintain?
An Epoxy floor coating makes the garage floor easy to clean and maintain with water and a mild (non-filming) detergent, and requires no special maintenance or waxing.
Since the Epoxy coating makes the floor durable, you don’t have to worry about stains, spills or cracks in the concrete. It also makes your floor moisture- and freeze-resistant.
Is there a warranty/guarantee?
When you select one of the GarageCoatings.com Epoxy floor coatings, you’ll have the confidence of unparalleled quality, lasting beauty, and trouble-free durability. And, all of the GarageCoatings.com Epoxy flooring solutions come with a lifetime adhesion warranty for your protection and peace of mind.