Epoxy Floor - How to Prevent Visible Seams?

hunter12 · Jun 13, 2014

How do you prevent visible overlap marks/seams between epoxy sections? My Epoxy Coat kit calls for 10x12 sections, and my detached garage will have 8 of them (2 full kits).

I did a previous installation and you could tell by the roller marks and flakes where one section stopped and the other started.

Will heavier flake coverage help?

Would it be safe to go with larger sections (20x24 instead of 8x12) -- meaning fewer seams?

Should I do the sections in order back to front -- or spread them out (right side, left side then middle)?

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

Shea · Jun 13, 2014

There are a couple of ways to avoid this. The first is to use your contraction joints as the natural border for your sections. Just mix the appropriate amount of epoxy based on the size of your section.

The second option is to keep a wet edge at all times. This requires a minimum of two people. One person mixes the new batch of epoxy just before it is needed and is also responsible for spreading the color flakes. The second person is the applicator. Just as the applicator is finishing up a section, a new batch of epoxy is spread out on the floor by the person mixing and the applicator continues on with the process.

Depending on the size and shape of the garage, it's best to create just 1 wet edge. If your garage is more wide than deep for example, start on the left (or right) going front to back covering 100sf or 150sf at a time depending on how much epoxy you mix.

Keeping a constant wet edge is the key. If you do this you won't incur any of the overlap marks.

Askme42 · Jun 13, 2014

The flakes will break it up. The first couple days I could see every line and stuff now don't take a second glance at it.

LegacyIndustrial · Jun 13, 2014

Flakes will not hide control joints/cuts. Any deviation in the floor should be pre-filled prior to coating for the "seamless" look.

iibgdi · Jun 14, 2014

I taped off half of my 4 car garage and did one half. Waited a week and then moved everything to the new side and taped it off and did the other half.

It left a nice seem right down the middle that looks good. The best rec I would give you is to leave a wet edge. Don't skimp and try to stretch your material. I ended up doing the first section twice because I didn't like the way it ended up because I was worried about running out. (very glad I did it twice).

I then planned the other side with 2 coats and put them both on heavy. Had no problems keeping a wet edge and it turned out very well.

Yes, it cost me much more than I thought it would but the results were great. I used the higher end Rustoleum stuff.

I do wish I would have put the flakes on a bit heavier. when I was first doing them, I thought it was too heavy but after a while, I've come to realize it would have been better to have more flakes as it will help hide things better.

iibgdi · Jun 14, 2014

I used this stuff

hunter12 · Jun 15, 2014

A couple more questions regarding flakes...

After finishing a section and adding flakes, how do I start a new section without overlapping the flakes that I just threw down?

How long after spreading and rolling a section do I have to add the flakes?

Thanks

iibgdi · Jun 15, 2014

I think you can just add the flakes and then roll over them. I don't think it really matters if you roll over them.

as far as how long can you wait, I think you just don't want to wait until it's too dry. I don't remember being in too big of a rush but you obviously don't want it to be dried out. That's another reason why I think it pays to apply the epoxy pretty thick

iibgdi · Jun 15, 2014

Oh, and I tried not to get the flakes too close to the edge. Mainly so that there weren't too many flakes on the unpainted portions

hunter12 · Jun 16, 2014

Thanks for the replies.

This floor does not have expansion joints, so my sections overlap.

I'm talking about flakes on the wet edge of the previous section, not on the unpainted floor. When rolling the next 10x12 section, how do you avoid rolling over the flakes you just threw down for the previous section?

iibgdi · Jun 16, 2014

You dont avoid it. You just roll over them. However, you dont have to get the flakes that thick on the edges . Come back with more flakes to even out your flake pattern after you move on to next section.

Epoxy Floor - How to Prevent Visible Seams?

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