Epoxy Coating Timetable

[timtaylor]

Hi all,

Great site here! Wealth of information.
I am finally getting the nerves to tackle this job. Should've done it when the house was first purchased, but as years go by, more and more junk are added in to the garage. Well I plan to do it this summer.

My area is very windy, gets dusty very fast.
I have 2 dogs that shed a lot (2 labs).
So I'm looking to clean/prep/etch if I can properly do it within 4-5 hours (3 car garage) on a Thursday evening.
How long should I wait to allow it to dry after I clean/etch/pressure wash?
Spring temp (degrees): 70-90's
Summer (degrees): 95+

I purchased 2 boxes of the stuff from the big orange box store about 5 years ago, so I hope it's 1) still good, 2) enough to cover a 3 car garage.
I also have a high gloss clear coat (I believe urethane?) that I used for my backyard stamped concrete that I plan to topcoat the epoxy with.

I'll either look for the muriatic acid from the big box store and dilute it or buy the prediluted etcher by the gallon.
Any thoughts?

 

[timtaylor]

also, because I have a 3 car garage and given my conditions (dusty/windy & dogs), should I just get this over and done with in one fell swoop or split in to separate projects?

 

[Garage Flooring]

First, buy your epoxy from someone who supports it. The information you have asked for is product specific. Look for the guys answering questions even when they have nothing to gain. Those are the guys who will service you.

Second, ask about grinding instead of just etching the floor.

Third look down a couple of threads from yours and almost every day on this forum. You will find a lot of people who did not do items 1 or 2 and they are finding it can be a very expensive mistake.

 

[timtaylor]

First, buy your epoxy from someone who supports it. The information you have asked for is product specific. Look for the guys answering questions even when they have nothing to gain. Those are the guys who will service you.

Second, ask about grinding instead of just etching the floor.

Third look down a couple of threads from yours and almost every day on this forum. You will find a lot of people who did not do items 1 or 2 and they are finding it can be a very expensive mistake.

I understand your point here. I'm working with what I have. I purchased the Rustoleum stuff 5 years ago, LOOOONG before I discovered this forum (today). I thought by coming on here, I was asking for advice from someone that may or may not have something to gain from answering my question? Am I mistaken? I did notice there were a few members on this board that are associated with a particular brand, I didn't have my expectations up for those to answer my question. But doesn't hurt to try, I suppose.

I know there are tons of people that grind their floors, but I also know there is an equal amount, if not more people that have successfully installed an epoxy coating that has lasted for years without grinding. Etching may not be 100% as effective as grinding, but if I'm still able to pull off a successful install by etching, then why not?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I understand your point here. I'm working with what I have. I purchased the Rustoleum stuff 5 years ago, LOOOONG before I discovered this forum (today). I thought by coming on here, I was asking for advice from someone that may or may not have something to gain from answering my question? Am I mistaken? I did notice there were a few members on this board that are associated with a particular brand, I didn't have my expectations up for those to answer my question. But doesn't hurt to try, I suppose.

I know there are tons of people that grind their floors, but I also know there is an equal amount, if not more people that have successfully installed an epoxy coating that has lasted for years without grinding. Etching may not be 100% as effective as grinding, but if I'm still able to pull off a successful install by etching, then why not?

Thanks for your input.

I think if you do your prep right you will be OK --although check the shelf life-- in terms of product. Don't underestimate the epoxy guys on this forum; even if you did not buy from them they still will help. If it was me, I would grind the floor. You have come to the right place. Hang out a bit and you'll come away with a much better floor.

 

[timtaylor]

I think if you do your prep right you will be OK --although check the shelf life-- in terms of product. Don't underestimate the epoxy guys on this forum; even if you did not buy from them they still will help. If it was me, I would grind the floor. You have come to the right place. Hang out a bit and you'll come away with a much better floor.

thanks again for your reply. i stumbled across this forum by accident when i was researching about installing some lighting in the garage.
by what i've gathered so far, there is definitely a wealth of knowledge here. thanks again.

 

[mo2872]

I'd contact Rustoleum and check shelf-life at the very least.....or, open up a can and see what you have. Your local Lowes may carry the Epoxy-Coat product, which I've used multiple times now with great success. Etched all but one project, and had no issues with failure. My most recent project was removing the Rustoleum, to put down Epoxy Coat.

4-5 hours should be plenty of time to etch....multiple times if you wanted. Once cleaned/etched(or ground if you go that route), I'd close it off to all traffic, dogs or otherwise! Dry time....that's going to depend on your temps at the time of doing it. You can get moisture test kits, or do the "plastic" test by taping a square of saran wrap to the floor and seeing if any condensate forms.

I've no experience with the Legacy or Wolverine products, or any of the seemingly endless other brands out there, so, wait around for someone else to chime in!

I'm not a pro, so, hopefully if I'm leading you astray, someone will correct me!!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Tim the Toolman Taylor,
Crack those cans open and make sure you don't have a giant wad of guck.
If this was a 100% solids product it would be solid by now but you could reconstitute it through a double boiler. Your solvent based product will be landfill if it's solid or even semi-solid.

If everything looks good, spoon out a little A & B, do a test, make sure it gets hard.

From there choose a prep method and do it well.

The coating process is relatively easy but it will all be for nothing if the prep is weak.

 

[FlameOut]

If it were me, I wouldn't even think about using that 5 year old product. I don't think it's worth the risk. You are going to put a ton of time in prepping the floor, and it would **** to put down a product that will no longer cure properly. Kind of like spending a ton of time get the body of that classic car just perfect, then throwing some cheap brand of paint on it. The finished product is what everyone will see.

Again, this is just what I would do, and I could be completely wrong. I just finished my 1000 sq ft garage a few months ago, and the hardest part for me was the prep, and I'm glad I used a quality epoxy product to cover it

 

[timtaylor]

Tim the Toolman Taylor.....

you know how he is. thinks he knows it all, but in the end, seems to really screw things up. *knock on wood*
thanks for the advice. i'm going to see what I can do about those kits that i have, it would hurt if i had to just throw them away

 

[rugerlady]

You could also contact the mfg about shelf life. If this is not stated on the box, ask them for replacement material. I know I will replace outdated material.

 

[timtaylor]

You could also contact the mfg about shelf life. If this is not stated on the box, ask them for replacement material. I know I will replace outdated material.

thank you for that suggestion. i'll do that. wish i had found this site when i first purchased the house.