Does your epoxy floor SWEAT?

[mhoffm911]

I recently did Rustoleum Epoxy-shield Pro on my garage floor. I followed the instructions thoroughly and did all of the required prep work (grinding, etching, degreasing, rinsing, etc.)

We have had way out of the norm high temps today and it is humid. As a result, my floor is "sweating" with very light moisture on it.

Does anyone else have this problem? Should I be concerned?

Again, the temps today are definitely not normal for this time of year. It's 62 right now and 10pm.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

There are some easy explanations for this that some other guys are going to pop on here and post... like simple condensation... etc...

I'm going to tackle the one that my gut tells me is happenin... it's rare...

I'm going to ask you a few questions... some of them might be 'trick' questions... The first 2 might be more important than the last few... play along... I'll explain later...

So, are you sure that is water on the floor? I'm going to guess that it has evaporated by now... but... if it happens again, wipe your finger on the floor and tell me if it smells like alcohol or solvent.

Did the gloss change or did you get white spots?

Have you ever wanted to beat up a politician?

The same one twice? On the same day?

OK... last question...

Two airplanes leave a starting point traveling in the same direction, one at 550mph, the other at 180mph. If the slower airplane has a 1-hour headstart, at what distance from the starting point will the faster plane overtake the slower one?

Ok... you can skip that last one...

 

[mhoffm911]

I did not notice any odor of alcohol or solvent. I just went out there in my socks and they are definitely damp now. I am going to leave a fan running out there tonight to see if it helps.

I am NOT happy.

 

[mhoffm911]

Just checked our local weather station:

62 degrees
78% humidity (explains a lot - I think?)
dew point 55 degrees

 

[WolverineCoatings]

Too warm for dew...

 

[WolverineCoatings]

I did not notice any odor of alcohol or solvent. I just went out there in my socks and they are definitely damp now. I am going to leave a fan running out there tonight to see if it helps.

I am NOT happy.

Let me get a bit more serious for a moment... I can tell you are worried. I wouldn't fret about this at this point. Even the worst case scenario is fixable... take another look at my questions up there... I'll be back on here tomorrow sometime... This could be a simple condensation based on high humidity and temperature differentials...

 

[mhoffm911]

Only possible gloss change is that it is shinier (based on the moisture). I have noticed no white spots.

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[boiler7904]

I have 2 coats of Rust Oleum Pro with 1 clear coat and I get the same thing all the time in my garage at changes in seasons and when there is water sitting in some areas of the garage (like when it drips off the car).

I wouldn't get too concerned unless you start seeing a difference in the surface when it's dry or little bubbles below the surface.

 

[mpraddict]

Same thing will happen on a sealed concrete floor. When there's a substantial temp. change, the slab will be much cooler than the outdoor air. The surface of the slab is where the different temps. collide....and water condenses on the warm side....
Has nothing at all to do with the epoxy....

 

[cw_racefan]

Happens all the time on my floor in the spring. Slab is still cold, but weather warms up and gets humid, instant condensation. I would think you're seeing the same thing now. Once my slab warms up, I don't notice it again until spring time.

 

[OldCarGuy]

Happens all the time on my floor in the spring. Slab is still cold, but weather warms up and gets humid, instant condensation. I would think you're seeing the same thing now. Once my slab warms up, I don't notice it again until spring time.

He’s right on. It’s high humidity in the air condensing on the cold floor. Running a dehumidifier will solve the problem. All my garages have one running year round. Humidity is the enemy of storing antique cars and machinery…

 

[PAToyota]

Yep - cool floor, warm humid air - condensation...

Another advantage of radiant floor heat - warm the floor up a bit and no condensation problems...

 

[Hammerdown]

Sounds like condenstaion. The temperature differential between the concrete aand the now warm air has caused the moisture to form on the surface of the cooler concrete. This would be typical for the conditions you described. If it were hydrostatic pressure, you would see it coming up from the floor. (If I remember Epoxy Shields stats, that product would resist hydrostatic preesure to about 7-10 psi, after which point the coating would fail. Haven't used this coating in a few years, so I might be just off but I think this is accurate.) If you see water without a flaking coating, I would think you are safe.

 

[mhoffm911]

Thanks for the replies. I feel better now...

I just don't remember this ever happening prior to doing the floor coating, so was concerned. I am probably going to run the dehumidifier out there this spring to be safe.

 

[boiler7904]

It was happening before the coating - you just didn't notice it because the concrete has a more porous surface. Now that the coating is there, the condensation has nowhere to go so it's just sitting on top of the coating where you can notice it.

 

[Lloydthumper]

I just noticed mine doing this the temp went from 29 degrees to 70 the next day and where my skid steer was setting completely condensated. I don't have epoxy coating but my floor is sealed.

 

[cw_racefan]

Yep, always seems worse under the vehicles. I assume since there is less air flow, or less overhead space for it to re-evaporate.

 

[ThumbsUp]

I had the same thing on my floors as well as my anvil. The nights were in the 50's and it was near 80 during the day and high humidity. The thermal mass of the slab and of the anvil couldn't react to the temperature change quickly enough.

 

[QUIKSVT]

Everything in my garage was sweating the other day. Tools to my Lightning , it was all covered. My floor was kinda damp too, concrete that has been semi prepped for some coating.
Josh

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I'll confirm what others have said, all floors will sweat under conditions of a cool/cold slab and warm moist air moving in over it, and that painted floors just show it more. My shop is doing that right now, but shows it mostly in the corners and areas where the sealer is least worn, causing the water to bead up. Used to work in an aircraft hangar with a painted floor, it was dangerous in these conditions.

Charles

 

[Hammerdown]

Charles (in GA) has a point about coated floors becoming slippery when wet and potentially dangerous. If you have this problem or live where it is likely to occur (warm humid days and cool temperate nights) I would recommend using some anti-slip additives in your floor for non slip purposes. These can be broadcast to create a textured non slip coating. If you are in the "snow-belt", I would use the anti slip additives included in your coating kit to help with slipperness as well.

 

[mhoffm911]

Hammerdown,

I used 8 pounds of flakes when putting my epoxy down. There is NO way you are going to slip on it. You may have saw my previous thread on "flakes, flakes and more flakes".

 

[Hammerdown]

With that many flakes it does create an inherently non slip floor, depending on how may coats of clear you put on. That amount of flakes does provide a nice "granite" look.

 

[CT2012]

Very old thread, but relevant to an issue I have (I used the search function and came across this thread). I just wanted to mention that's one of the funniest answers to a question I've read in awhile.

There are some easy explanations for this that some other guys are going to pop on here and post... like simple condensation... etc...

I'm going to tackle the one that my gut tells me is happenin... it's rare...

I'm going to ask you a few questions... some of them might be 'trick' questions... The first 2 might be more important than the last few... play along... I'll explain later...

So, are you sure that is water on the floor? I'm going to guess that it has evaporated by now... but... if it happens again, wipe your finger on the floor and tell me if it smells like alcohol or solvent.

Did the gloss change or did you get white spots?

Have you ever wanted to beat up a politician?

The same one twice? On the same day?

OK... last question...

Two airplanes leave a starting point traveling in the same direction, one at 550mph, the other at 180mph. If the slower airplane has a 1-hour headstart, at what distance from the starting point will the faster plane overtake the slower one?

Ok... you can skip that last one...

 

[pd59]

Wow. This one raised from the dead, but I'll put an answer in.

Epoxy is non-porous. Dew and condensation will sit on the surface, instead of soaking in to the pourous concrete floor, which gives an appearance of "sweating." If the moisture was coming from underneath, the epoxy would be failing and flaking off the floor. "Sweating" is prefectry normal.