The flooring that you install in your home should last several years before you even have to consider replacement. If your flooring isn't lasting that long, chances are, you aren't choosing the type of flooring that will fit into your lifestyle very well. This blog is all about choosing flooring that will fit into your lifestyle and last you many, many years before you have to rip it up and replace it. You will also find tips for keeping it looking like new as it survives the abuse that your family, friends and pets put it through during the course of the year.
If you want to transform your garage's appearance, adding epoxy to your garage floor is a great way to change its appearance. It will add a hard coating to your floor that is easy to clean and take care of. To apply epoxy to your garage floor, though, especially if the floor is not new, you are going to have to do some intensive prep work.
Make Sure Your Concrete Can Handle Epoxy
First, you need to make sure that your concrete can handle epoxy. Certain conditions are required for the epoxy to bond with your floor, and you need to make sure your floor meets those conditions.
It is easy to tell if your concrete can handle it. You will want to take a plastic bag and tape it to the floor of your garage. Leave the bag there for an entire day. If, when you lift the bag, the ground under it is dry, you can apply an epoxy coating to your floor. If there is moisture under the bag, you should not go forward with applying epoxy to your floor. If dampness is coming up through your floor, epoxy will not properly bond with the garage floor.
You also need to make sure that a concrete sealer has never been used on your concrete; if it has, you will not be able to go forward with the project. If the concrete has been painted, you can apply an epoxy coating; you will need to remove the paint first.
If you have new concrete, you will want to wait a month or two to cure before applying the epoxy coating.
Apply During Nice Weather
Second, you are going to want to apply the epoxy during nice weather. Epoxy is designed to cure best when the temperature is at least sixty degrees Fahrenheit.
This is not the best project to do in the winter because it may not be warm enough for it to cure it correctly. Check the weather and apply it on a warmer day. If you want to use the epoxy in the winter, you will need to purchase a special one designed to cure in colder temperatures.
Get Rid of Oil Stains
If you are applying the epoxy to an older concrete floor, and there are oil stains on the floor, you will want to get rid of those stains.
To do that, you will want to take a scraper to the floor and remove any hardened debris. Then, you will want to take a stiff brush and dip it in a degreasing cleaner and scrub at the stain. Keep repeating until you can't see the grease anymore.
Scrub Down the Floor
Finally, you want the floor to be as clean as possible before applying the epoxy. To achieve this end, rent an electric floor scrubber. You will wet down the floor with a hose and then use the brush or scrubbing pad on the floor scrubber to clean everything all up. Be sure to use a degreasing floor cleaning mixture.
If you want to transform your garage floor with an epoxy coating, you will need to do some prep work first. Putting in the prep work will ensure better results when you apply the coating to your garage.
Contact a supplier of garage floor epoxy to learn more.
Share19 October 2020
