Epoxy Coat 2nd Coat (PICS)

[69lkmno]

I just finished the 2nd coat on my floor and it looks so much better. I originally applied single thin coat and wasn't too happy with the result. I ordered another kit and got it yesterday, sanded the floor last night and applied the final coat today.

Jun

 

[sboxs]

looks great

 

[Luckydevil]

That came out really nice.

 

[OBH]

That looks real nice

 

[Hammerdown]

Looks Great! Looks much better than the first photos posted. The color is much more uniform.

 

[REFLEXX]

I just ordered mine! Two kits of grey with black/white flakes. Hope it looks this good!!!

i saw it here somewhere, but what did you do to prep and how old was the concrete?

Mines about 6 months old and the guys said to just sand/grind with 40 grit, sweep and paint. NO rinsing, no etching, no nothing.


REFLEXX

 

[Hammerdown]

"Mines about 6 months old and the guys said to just sand/grind with 40 grit, sweep and paint. NO rinsing, no etching, no nothing."

No etching over raw concrete? No cleaning. The prep is the thing with epoxy coatings, so this sounds a bit unusual. I can see where the sanding will help create a profile for a mechanical bond, but the acid etching usually serves the dual purpose of creating a profile and neutralizing the alkalinity of the concrete. The high alkalinity is a contributing factor for loss of adhesion. Are you applying this over an existing coating or to the raw concrete? I looked at their website but I think this information would demand a closer inspection.

 

[69lkmno]

I
what did you do to prep and how old was the concrete?

REFLEXX

My garage floor is 9 years old. As far as preparation, just like the rest here on this site, it took a lot more time and effort to prep the floor. Here's what I did for preparation:

Swept clean all debris and use a power blower to blow all the dust. Pressure washed it and manually scrubbed some areas that has oil stains using Simple Green and one of those Purple degreaser. I then rented a floor buffer from Home Depot and scrubbed the entire garage with the same degreaser for about 3 hours. I used close to 3 gallons of degreaser. Then rinsed the floor thouroughly. Then etched with muriatic acid and more manual scrubbing. Then rinse thouroughly again. While I was rinsing the acid, I had 2 hoses with just running water on my driveway because I didn't want any streaks on the driveway when I get done with this project. Also as a courtesy to my neighbors where the wash acid will run by their driveway. Then I went to every square inch of the floor to see if I missed any paint or gum and scraped it. I also used a wire wheel brush and attached it to a power drill and used it in areas that has stains that did not come off. I applied acid one more time because it looked like some areas did not come out as rough as some areas. Rinse again and pressure wash thouroughly. I waited 2 days to make sure that the floor is completely dry.

Just give you a background of my garage, I had restored 2 cars and on my 3rd one. I did some minor painting and also used Por 15 that dripped on the floor. That is why I did more work in preparation

 

[GearHead_1]

The prep is the thing with epoxy coatings, so this sounds a bit unusual. I can see where the sanding will help create a profile for a mechanical bond, but the acid etching usually serves the dual purpose of creating a profile and neutralizing the alkalinity of the concrete. The high alkalinity is a contributing factor for loss of adhesion.

Ditto on this comment. If you want the epoxy to stay down for an extended period of time, acid etch the surface. Sweeping alone won't remove all of the dust. I can't believe that painting over loose particles is a good thing.

Spend some time up front or be prepared to do it again sooner than you need to.

 

[gb387]

I agree on the prep.... it is the key to an epoxy floor.

By the way, the floor looks great! May be I missed it, but what epoxy did you use?

 

[69lkmno]

what epoxy did you use?

http://www.epoxy-coat.com/

 

[69lkmno]

Just a few more tips when using this product. Apply them generously and you will get good, even and same gloss result. The other thing that was just a waste of time and effort was mixing it half a gallon at a time. In the instruction, it says mix A and B and must be used within 15 minutes. That's what I did when I applied the first coat.
When I applied the second coat, I mixed all 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket and got done in less than 2 hours and got a really good result.

 

[69lkmno]

One more thing. The paint mixer that comes with the kit is really cheap. It broke off in pieces when I used it the first time. Don't waste your time, get a nice long paint mixer and you will get better result.

 

[REFLEXX]

I agree with the comments on the prep. But I'm quoting the guy from epoxy-coat. i specifically asked about acid etch and wash.

My concrete is about 4 months old and very few (tiny) stains.

He said "sand and vac". Sounds fishy to me too. I even asked about wiping down with a "moist" mop to get the dust up! He gave the same answer!

He also said to use acrylic latex "paintable" caulk on the expansion joints, not crack filler!

Perhaps I'll make a few more calls and get a different answer!

 

[GearHead_1]

Reflexx,

I don't doubt that you have been given the adivice that you have shared. It sounds like you have looked into this project for some time. I would suggest that you ask yourself these two questions. If you go overboard on the prep what's the worst that can happen? If you under prep what's the worst that can happen? If you agree with the any of the advice that has been given then that's the type of prep you should make. After all, any of us that are giving you our opinions (including the products rep) don't have to live with your finished product.

Correct me if I'm wrong here but I believe that new cement is likely the time when the surface has the highest alkaline content. It seems to me that this would be the most important time to neutralize it.

 

[REFLEXX]

Gear,

you're 100% right. I do my homework. Regardless of what an "expert" might tell me, they are only ONE source of info. I'm an "infomaniac" when I latch onto a project, I research the hell out of it. This thing called the internet is very handy.

I'll probably sand (as they suggested) AND THEN etch, wash, let dry and epoxy. This floor will see some heavy duty use and I don't want any surprises!

later,

 

[Hammerdown]

If you etch the floor and let it dry, a thin powdery residue of concrete can be re-deposited on the surface. I would use a "tack" rag to help remove any residue before application of a coating.

 

[Hammerdown]

If you etch the floor and let it dry, a thin powdery residue of concrete can be re-deposited on the surface. I would use a "tack" rag to help remove any residue before application of a coating.

 

[GearHead_1]

Gear, you're 100% right.

I try to remind my wife of this fact with some frequency.

 

[gau17]

what color did you use. Grey?

 

[69lkmno]

That's biege with the flakes.

 

[Piper]

That floor looks fantastic!!

Couple of questions I have too. I'm pouring a new slab in the spring. I understand that the pad has to cure for about a month, but what prep would you suggest on a new surface? Second question, how slippery is the floor when wet? I plan on doing the usual stuff in my garage that everyone else does and water either from dripping cars, snow or washing in inevitable. Is this a real slip concern?

Piper

 

[Woffski]

Looks like I'm going to use this product on my floor. Looks good.