Bubbles on New Epoxy Floor

[Shuskan3]

Hi all,

New to the forum but have lurked here for a long time prior to deciding to have my garage floor epoxied.

The installer had the floor finished on Tuesday and I was able to walk on it for the first time today. When walking on it I noticed a few areas with indentions as the picture shows below. I called my floor guy and he told me that this was common with 100% solids epoxy and that it is just the floor breathing.

Is this anything to be concerned about?

Thanks!

 

[Garage Flooring]

Hi all,

New to the forum but have lurked here for a long time prior to deciding to have my garage floor epoxied.

The installer had the floor finished on Tuesday and I was able to walk on it for the first time today. When walking on it I noticed a few areas with indentions as the picture shows below. I called my floor guy and he told me that this was common with 100% solids epoxy and that it is just the floor breathing.

Is this anything to be concerned about?

Thanks!

What kind of prep? Did he prime first? YES. I would be concerned. good prep and a primer should have helped avoid this. Some oil spots on the floor perhaps?

 

[Elwood765]

This is called outgassing. When the temperature of the concrete is rising it out gasses. These bubbles can be prevented by applying the material when the temperature of the substrate is in a neutral state or cooling. Once a primer is on it and applied correctly outgassing would not be very likely on subsequent coats. A classic scenario of outgassing occurs when the sunlight shines on a coated floor during initial cure. some other cases have been cause by heating ducts over the affected area etc. Justin has good points, primer, prep, etc. Oil is not likely due to the type of blister, oil contamination would "fisheye" not blister and pop.
From the pic you have provided, you have outgassing, it happens even to good contractors - they just come back and fix it Generally there is nothing to worry about. It could be carefully sanded and a syringe with the clear topcoat could place the perfect dot to fix and seal the pinhole in the coating.

 

[mnavillus]

Shuskan-----did you and your contractor discuss your concrete floor moisture level?

looks like out gassing to me because it looks like it's "bubble that popped and fell back down" with a small pin hole in the center! very common issue.

Is it everywhere or just a few spots here and there?

depending on your area and environment....this can be minimized by applying the floor system during the correct part of the day (typically early morning) and not after the concrete delta shifts to a heating or warming period in which gases are "blowing" out of the concrete.

If it is very small isolated spots...i would not worry about it to much your contractor can take of it.

However if the problem is occurring everywhere throughout your new floor and you utilized 100% epoxy.....I might have some concerns about coating interference/failure down the road!

How did they prep the concrete?

 

[Shuskan3]

Thank you for all of the feedback.

The contractor prepped the floor with a diami (sp?) brush and the floor looked great. He then applied a moisture barrier which he let sit on the floor for three days and crystallize before applying the base coat. On the 4th day he applied the base coat and then applied the top coat the next day. Everything was done in the 65-80 temperature range.

These bubbles aren't everywhere just sporadic throughout the floor. The contractor said this was normal and that it didn't affect the integrity of the floor (i.e., no repairs were needed).

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Shea]

These bubbles aren't everywhere just sporadic throughout the floor. The contractor said this was normal and that it didn't affect the integrity of the floor (i.e., no repairs were needed).

Is he going to come back a repair the bubbles? Most quality flooring contractors stand by their work and return to repair something like that.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Bubbles like this in the urethane are generally NOT from lack of a primer as there is already substantial coating beneath it. This is likely over-mixing (common with MCU ), sunlight baking on the floor or wind/fan blowing on the coating while drying.


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[Shuskan3]

Is he going to come back a repair the bubbles? Most quality flooring contractors stand by their work and return to repair something like that.

He told me that it was a common thing and that there was nothing to fix.

What would be the proper procedure for fixing this?

Thanks!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Screening the floor. Apply coating again.


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[shaun oriold1]

He told me that it was a common thing and that there was nothing to fix.

What would be the proper procedure for fixing this?

Thanks!

You can sand the few areas flat, then take a little bit of top coat, and drop a teeny tiny bit into the crater.

The crater might not have any top coat in the bottom, so the floor could get damaged, the top coat might start to fail in those areas. Its an easy fix. IT should be addressed. As mentioned already, it happens from time to time.

 

[JamesTreeby]

Get him to come and repair them. As mentioned above, its just a quick fix (a bit of sanding, and dripping some of the clear urethane topcoat into patch. Otherwise it may well damage the integrity of the floor, especially if any moisture gets under then coatings...

 

[CHEBANSE]

I had the same issue although over 100 spots. My contractor ground them down with a dremel tool and refilled and sealed.. I still find one every now and them not filled. My contractor did not wait long enough after self-leveling to put on seamless top-coat.

 

[Shea]

Bubbles like this in the urethane are generally NOT from lack of a primer as there is already substantial coating beneath it. This is likely over-mixing (common with MCU ), sunlight baking on the floor or wind/fan blowing on the coating while drying.

Bingo! This is why I was asking if he was going to come back and take care of the bubbles.

 

[Shuskan3]

So I walked out to the garage this afternoon and now noticed a ton of indentions. I will call him tomorrow and have him come back and fix.

Thank you again for all of the great information!

 

[shaun oriold1]

So I walked out to the garage this afternoon and now noticed a ton of indentions. I will call him tomorrow and have him come back and fix.

Thank you again for all of the great information!

IF you dont mind getting personal. But what was your reasoning for going with this guy? Referral, price, schedule? Did you see other floors he did ( Either in pictures of his actual work, or in person)

 

[thegarageguy]

if it's a few here and there, we just sand, patch then seal. If it's excessive, we do the same but repour the floor, then seal. Sometimes we can dot every i and cross every T but when working with chemicals and a breathing organic compound such as concrete, strange things can happen.

A good honest contractor would take it in the chin and redo as a matter of pride in workmanship

 

[Jaguar Fan]

...this can be minimized by applying the floor system during the correct part of the day (typically early morning) and not after the concrete delta shifts to a heating or warming period in which gases are "blowing" out of the concrete...

Did you really mean early morning?

I would have thought the worst time to apply the primer would be early morning, as the slab warms up from there. I would have thought the best to to apply primer would be in the evening.

 

[shaun oriold1]

Did you really mean early morning?

I would have thought the worst time to apply the primer would be early morning, as the slab warms up from there. I would have thought the best to to apply primer would be in the evening.

I try to time my floors depending on the direction of the house. You dont want the sun beating down on your floors adding additional heat.

 

[mnavillus]

To some degree, it can depend on when your local "concrete delta" will typically occur.....when I say delta...I mean the shift from a cooling slab to a warming slab or vice versa .........

Residentially speaking, most home owner do not want you at there house at midnight or etc...however if we find we have a issue with vapor movement on a residential project we' ll generally prep on 1 day and start the application "early" no later than 7 am......

this allows the coating to "set up or skin over" prior to the concrete delta shift.....locally for us this will occur in the late after noon in the winter and around noon in the summer months. It can also be effected by direct light and ect...

However, if you have heavy vapor transfer rates....we might also use a "breathable floor system" to help minimize this issue!

hope this helps to clarify!