Is doing a clear coat on an epoxy floor just a looks thing or does it add durability? I'm really just looking for a decent looking durable easy to clean up floor so would just doing 2 coats then laying the chips down be good enough or does the clear coat add something other than looks?
Clear Coat?
- Thread starter rvogster
- Start date
GearHead_1
Well-known member
Think about it. The more layers of product you have on the floor the more overall protection you have against normal wear. It adds durability, seals the chips in and in UCoatIt's product adds some UV protection also. I know there are some who don't like it but I would tell you it's the way to go.
The main reason I ask is because I don’t care if it looks pretty but I want it to be durable. So I need to decide if I want to do 1 coat of color and 1 coat of clear or just 2 coats of color. I would prefer to do 2 coats of color and 1 coat of clear but I don’t really want to pay for that.
snorvet
Well-known member
The only reason I went wiith clear after 2 coats epoxy was to cover the chips. I wanted the granite look so I applied chips heavily. some chips were sitting on top of the epoxy and were a little loose. Also the floor didnt shine very well with a thick coat of chips, so I added 2 coats of Sherwin Williams clear urethane.
SKINNER
Well-known member
rvogster said:
Let's put it this way, if you are only budgeting for two coats go with two coats of color. One coat will not cover evenly and will look really poor (cleared or not). The floor will be plenty durable with 2 good coats of color.
69cam said:I just finished my floor, One coat of Color (black) and one coat of clear.
Looks great.
The wife thinks the floor is wet all of the time.
69cam, what was your SQF? I am debating about the two coats issue. I want to do single coat Pro Floor Covering and then single coat Premium Clear Coat. You're one of the few I found that posted only doing a single coat.
Thanks!
Kingham
Well-known member
CT Garage said:
Doing a single coat with any product is just a bad idea IMO. It's just not going to last as long.. It may not peal or delaminate in time but you can wear through it. I've seen it and have repaired a lot of floors that people only did one coat.
Trust me on this....... spend a little extra (time and money).Apply a second color coat and a clear coat on top (3 coats total). you will have a floor that will look great and last a long long time.
another thing.. we've applied up to 6 coats of epoxy on some jobs to make it super strong and durable.
boiler7904
Well-known member
Depending on the color you choose, you may not get full coverage with one coat. I used Rust Oleum Pro in Tile Red. After the first coat was dry, I could tell that there were areas that weren't coated as evenly as I wanted. Like any other paint job, you will get the material on thicker or thinner in places. The second color coat really evens things out and adds to the ultimate durability of the floor. The clear makes things easy to clean and gives it a nice shiny finish.
GearHead_1
Well-known member
rvogster said:
You'll be happy that you did.
Hawk231
Well-known member
rvogster said:Now I just need a week of warm weather. I don't think I will get it though so my garage will probably have to wait until spring.
Same here
. I went on vacation for a week and it was fall like brisk when I came back... Temps at night are hitting low 50's. Looks like I'll be waiting until spring too.