How to use Shark Grip (or similar) on straight epoxy, no clearcoat?

911eric · Jan 7, 2010

I'm epoxying my floor with straight epoxy (no clear) and after ruling out aluminum oxide anti-slip, I decided the Shark Grip would suit my needs. But it (and similar dust-like poly anti-slip additives) is normally used in the clearcoat, where you mix into the clear then roll on. I'm guessing that if you mixed it into the epoxy it would just disappear into the mix.

I'm leaning toward just broadcasting it once I'm done rolling the epoxy.

thegarageguy · Jan 7, 2010

it'll still disappear or clump on you. Try using a less aggressive grit, like 60.

Joel 67 · Jan 7, 2010

thegarageguy said:
it'll still disappear or clump on you. Try using a less aggressive grit, like 60.

What do you recommend?

TA^Guy · Jan 7, 2010

We painted a kicthen floor in my friends resturant with Por15 and then spread some playsand over it all. After it dried we did another coat of Por15 and it held up far longer than the 'high traffic' floor paints he's used before and had much better traction. Only down side was that mopping twice a day wasn't as easy anymore.

tncatadjuster · Jan 8, 2010

From my experience play sand can have debris in it. The best I have found is to go to a equipment supply house and buy graded, cleaned, sandblasting sand (silica not glass).

If you put on a uniform coat, the sand can be seeded till it looks okay, while back rolling. This will be a very hard to clean floor. If you seed till it is saturated and then sweep off the excess after it has set. You then apply a second coat over the sand and it will be a good floor texture, it uses a lot of material though and needs to be 100% solids epoxy.

bob1234 · Jan 8, 2010

What if we are not going to use 100% solid epoxy? Can't we just sprinkle the sand on the final epoxy coat like 911eric was talking about?

SUPERCOAT · Jan 8, 2010

The SUPERCOAT kits come with a non-slip aggregate (aluminum oxide) that can be mixed into the coating and then rolled on.

https://www.supercoat.us

bob1234 · Jan 8, 2010

Where can we buy aluminum oxide locally?

jeff5295 · Jan 8, 2010

I used Shark Grip with Diamond-Vogel Multipoxy. You can barely tell it's there, but it made all the difference for wet traction. My first shop I used the same epoxy without Shark Grip and it was like a skating rink when the floor was wet. At the new shop, there are no issues when wet. I was skeptical as it seemed to dissapear when I mixed it in, but it worked great. I used two coats of epoxy, with Shark Grip mixed into the final coat. Would definately use it again.

bob1234 · Jan 8, 2010

Why not just sprinkle the shark grip on the final coat for maximum traction?

jeff5295 · Jan 9, 2010

bob1234 said:
Why not just sprinkle the shark grip on the final coat for maximum traction?

I don't think you could get an even broadcast by sprinkling it on, but I guess it would be possible (not easy). I did two 1000 sq ft sections of floor by myself (on two different weekends), so stopping to broadcast shark grip wasn't a good option for me. Maybe in a smaller shop or with an extra person it would be easier to broadcast, but still tough to get it even.

Mixing it in the final coat worked great for me and I have even coverage. I couldn't ask for any better wet traction than I have now, so I don't know if it would be any improvement by putting it on after. Much easier just to mix it in.

If you add it after, you might run the risk of it getting worn off easier as it wouldn't be imbedded in the epoxy as well. With it mixed in, you can't visually tell it's there, but you can feel it. It doesn't feel like it would do much, but it makes a huge difference.

I believe Shark Grips instructions say to mix it in the final coat, so you'd be on your own if you wanted to experiment with adding it after.

I have experience with two shops, same epoxy on both, one with Shark Grip and one without. It was a night and day difference adding Shark Grip. The first shop was so bad that if we drove the car in on a rainy day, my wife would get out of the car outside and walk in the rain instead of trying to walk on the wet epoxy from water being tracked in on the wet car.

In the new shop I have no issues with wet floor. You can walk on it just as if it were dry. If were to do it over, I would mix it in again.

Hope this helps

Jaguar Fan · Jan 9, 2010

bob1234 said:
Why not just sprinkle the shark grip on the final coat for maximum traction?

This stuff is the consistency of talcum powder, not sand, and is designed to be mixed in with a power mixer.

Jaguar Fan · Jan 9, 2010

911eric said:
I'm epoxying my floor with straight epoxy (no clear) and after ruling out aluminum oxide anti-slip, I decided the Shark Grip would suit my needs. But it (and similar dust-like poly anti-slip additives) is normally used in the clearcoat, where you mix into the clear then roll on. I'm guessing that if you mixed it into the epoxy it would just disappear into the mix.

I'm leaning toward just broadcasting it once I'm done rolling the epoxy.

I'll defer to others with more experience, but I can't see a reason you can't just add the shark grip into the liquid epoxy after you've mixed part A and part B together. Then use your power drill to mix in the shark grip & you're done. Roll it on and you'll be fine.

bob1234 · Jan 9, 2010

Thanks Jeff and Jaguar fan for the clarification. Now I feel a lot better using Shark grip mixed in with my epoxy. Does it matter if I will be using a solvent base epoxy?

Also, does anyone have a picture of their floor with the shark grip?

Sorry to be a pain, but I am a newbie when it comes to epoxy garage floors.

AlphaGarage · Jan 9, 2010

Our SuperGrip is similar to SharkGrip, so far I haven't been able to get a good picture of it. I did have a few where you can see the grains, but they were so close up and without any reference to size that they really weren't helpful.

The grains are smaller than table salt, white opaque, and the density is pretty light, so it's just difficult to see, especially if there's any flakes or if the base color is a light shade.

We were spec'ing 0.5 lb per 200 ft2, since that's what is used in a lot of commercial applications, but for residential use I think we're going to go with 0.5 lb per 300 - 400 ft2.

It's good stuff. Although aluminum oxide provides more traction, and is more durable, I think it's definitely overkill for most residential and even most shop applications. A warehouse with heavy forklift traffic, or a floor with constant and heavy grease, sure; but considering that AO is much more of a pain to clean - not worth it. Plus if you ever get down on the floor to work under the car, bare skin to floor contact can result in unpleasant road rash.

I don't see why it wouldn't work in a solvent based coating, but since we deal only with 100% epoxies I haven't had direct experience with it. I do know that it's been used it with our EnduraShield polyurethane clear coat, which had been cut with about 10% solvent.

bob1234 · Jan 9, 2010

I went to Sherwin Williams to feel the Shark Grip. I was surprised how fine the grains were. They also had a small sample with the Shark Grip inside, but the sample did not feel very rough at all.

I went to Lowe's afterwards and found play sand. The sand is cleaner and finer than regular sand. I will probably end up using play sand since I want more traction then what Shark Grip can provide. Family members walk through the garage and I have to have the most traction when the floor is wet.

jeff5295 · Jan 10, 2010

The epxoy I used is solvent based, not 100% solids. Shark Grip is fine and hardly noticible. It wouldn't show up if I tried to take a picture of my floor. You're correct, it doesn't feel like much. That's what it's designed to do, provide traction and not be too agressive as to tear up your skin if you need to be on the floor for some reason. I couldn't slip on my wet floor if I tried.

My neighbor used sand on his floor and I thought it looked terrible. He spread it on after the epoxy was down. It's also very rough to the touch and would probably shread a mop. I wouldn't want to trip and land on his floor, as said before, there'd be some road rash. Maybe if you mixed it in, it wouldn't be quite so harsh, but I don't have experience with it.

I let my 19 month old son run around on my wet floor and he has no issues.

911eric · Jan 13, 2010

FWIW, I finished my job and applied the Shark Grip on my (100% solids) epoxy 2 ways:

1. Spread out my epoxy, approx 13 mils, rolled, waited 10 mins, broadcast the Shark Grip and re-rolled. In a lot of places, the anti-slip simply disappeared into the epoxy like I feared and it's like ice when wet.

2. For the 2nd half of the garage I broadcast the Shark Grip without rolling afterwards. Definitely a better, safer surface, albeit duller in sheen (but so what?). Only time will tell if it will come out and disappear over time.

Perhaps the best solution would be a thin 2nd coat with the Shark Grip thoroughly mixed in, but that would be a PITA.

AlphaGarage · Jan 13, 2010

911eric said:
Perhaps the best solution would be a thin 2nd coat with the Shark Grip thoroughly mixed in, but that would be a PITA.

That's essentially what we recommend, with that grit carrying coat being the final EnduraShield clear coat (usually the 3rd coat after the BondTite primer and LiquaTile top coat).

How to use Shark Grip (or similar) on straight epoxy, no clearcoat?

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