Epoxy Coating Gives Garage Floor that New Car Showroom Look
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DIY kit that can revive a tired floor in a single weekend. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2div2CT
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Transcript:
You could say that the most unattractive part of most garages is the floor. Often discolored and stained and frequently blemished with oil spots, it's hard to overlook. But today we're going to change all that with a remarkable garage floor finish.
To begin, I'll sweep away loose debris and use a blower to remove dust and smaller particles. Now, with most jobs that require painting or coating, preparation is the key to getting a really good result. So there are a couple of things that we're going to want to check for before we start.
It appears that some time in the past, this floor had a sealer applied. To make sure the sealer is still well bonded I'll cut an X with a razor blade and press a piece of duct tape over the cut mark. As I peel off the tape, I'll check to make sure the sealer is not coming off with it.
The second test is for excess moisture. Tape, a piece of plastic sheeting or a plastic garbage bag over an area about two feet square and leave it in place overnight. If the concrete is darkened, or there are moisture droplets on the underside of the plastic, then the floor is too damp to coat.
Now, you'll also want to make sure that the floor is sound, that is, free from cracking or chipping concrete and that there is no excessive concrete dust, you can expect to find some small amount of dust like this. Well, we're going to clean this off thoroughly before we begin. Also, check the floor for grease and oil spots. If there are any, first wet them with a garden hose, then apply a degreaser directly to the spots. Scrub with a long handled, stiff bristle brush, then pick up any remaining liquid using paper towels or absorbent rags. Give the entire floor a thorough rinsing and squeegee or sweep out any standing water.
The system I'm using today is called Epoxy Shield from Rust-Oleum. The kit contains an etching compound. Pour the powdered compound into a plastic watering can, add two gallons of water and stir thoroughly. The etching compound will properly prepare the floor for the epoxy coating, ensuring a permanent bond. Pre-wet the entire floor and apply the etching compound in 10 x 10 foot sections. Rinse each section before moving on to the next. Once all sections are completed, rinse the entire floor and remove any excess water with a squeegee.
Well, the floor is thoroughly clean now, but one final test that's a good idea is to take your hand, move it over the surface like this and it should come up dust free.
The epoxy shield coating comes in two parts, an activator “part A” and a base “part B”. Pour part A into Part B and mix until the color is uniform. I'm also going to use an anti skid additive which is poured into the blended base and activator and stirred thoroughly.
I'll be applying most of the coating with a roller but I'll begin by using a brush to trim the edges of the floor, laying down a strip about four inches wide. The roller I'm using has a half inch nap. It's important to work the coating well into the roller using the ribbed portion of the pan. I want to apply the epoxy using straight, even, overlapping strokes. I'll be working in four by four foot sections. Once the material has been applied to the first section, I pause and scatter decorative paint chips (included in the kit) over the freshly applied coating. Then I move on to an adjacent section. To prevent lap marks and variations in gloss, it's important to keep a wet edge. That means laying down each section while the previous section is still wet. Working in small sections also allows me to easily reach the newly applied finish in order to scatter the decorative paint chips evenly. Once I get rolling, the process goes quite quickly and I'm able to complete the entire two car garage in less than an hour.
Once cured, this waterproof sealer is impressively durable, resistant to motor oil, gasoline, antifreeze and salt. It won't peel, will not be picked up by hot tires and stands up to heavy foot traffic.
On top of all that, it gives any garage the look of a new car showroom.