Epoxy Coating Procedures & End Results

[biljohns]

*Disclaimer - Please let me know if this information is in a sticky elsewhere.*

Hello all,
First-time home buyer here looking to epoxy my garage floor. The property is a new build located in Dallas, TX. Construction should be complete by the end of February. The garage concrete will have been down for at least 2.5 months before the epoxy job takes place. I plan to do the job at the beginning of March. I still need moisture test before I proceed.

Garage Size: 19x20 (380 sqft)
After lurking here on the forums for a few weeks, this is the procedure I devised:

Day 1
1. Sweep
2. Vacuum
3. Diamond Grind
4. Vacuum
5. Diamond Grind
6. Vacuum
7. Concrete Fill

Day 2
1. Denatured Alcohol Wipe Down
2. Vacuum
3. Denatured Alcohol Wipe Down
4. Vacuum
5. Denatured Alcohol Wipe Down
6. Primer Coat (50% - 70% Solids)
7. Epoxy Base Coat (100% Solids)
8. Flakes (Full Refusal Broadcast)

Day 3
1. Urethane Top Coat
2. Urethane Top Coat
3. Urethane Top Coat

I am not sure I need 3 top clear coats. My assumption is the top clear coat works like automotive clear coat (the more you apply, the shinier the final product).

final results I would like to achieve (still looks wet):

Also, I am not exactly sure what to do about the brick step that leads into the dwelling. It to me is an "eye sore". The bricks support the door threshold, so I was considering tiling or slating the bricks? I would honestly like them gone. Is a shorter threshold possible?

Once again, I apologize if this information exist elsewhere on the site. All insight and experiences greatly appreciated.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi,
A better choice than three urethanes is on top of the flecks (make sure you lightly sand them and vacuum well since the often go down crooked and can be irregular) to put on a coat of non yellowing 100% solids clear and then a final coat of urethane. This would give a super thick durable surface and is the method our Install Div uses. We carry these products.

 

[wagspe208]

New concrete not stained, etc...
Grind, vacuum, epoxy.
First coat of epoxy is JUST A PRIMER COAT.... NOT a BUILD COAT. With many brands.
Second coat is the build coat.
Urethane is more UV and chemical resistant than epoxy.
Wags

http://www.tennantco.com/am-en/coatings/epoxy-floor-coatings

Manufacturer, tech info, and resources.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Go two coats of polyaspartic for your your topper .

Clear epoxy is sure to Amber and urethane is very thin.


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[biljohns]

Thanks for the speedy feedback everyone. Regarding the top coat(s)...

@ Armorpoxy
1. Would going with the topper you stated give me the final reflective finish as seen in the video in my initial post?

2. How do you go about lightly sanding a full refusal broadcast flake layer without showing the layer below it or getting uneven spots?

3. How many mils thick would the top coat solution you suggested be?



@ LegacyIndustrial
1. Would going two coats polyaspartic clear give me the final reflective finish as seen in the video in my initial post? If not, would going 3 coats give me the reflective finish?

2. What issues may I run into laying down the polyaspartic instead of urethane top coats? This will be a one man job, so I am not sure I want the drying characteristics and pot-life of polyaspartic.

3. How many mils thick would the top coat solution you suggested be?

 

[dodgepolara500]

I would prime and paint the walls before you do the floors as the work to cover the floors later is a pain and once you get stuff in the garage you will never get to the walls. Ask me how i know!
I think you could bust out the entire garage in 8 hours primer and finish split among two days.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

DodgePolara, Great idea. Paint ahead of time, touch-up post coating as needed.

Biljohns: (2) coats of the Polyaspartic will produce a nice gloss, I have on my very own floor and we love it. Buried the flakes well with only a slight amount of texture and has nice gloss. After 5 years, still very glossy.

It's a (2) part coating, ratio is 1:1. My favorite is the Xtreme-80 Slow Cure. Easy to work with and great results. You can expect 5-8 mils per coat vs. 1-2 for urethane.
Best part is only 3-4 hour between coats, fast ending to your project!!

http://www.legacyindustrial.net/products/polyaspartic-polyurea-coatings/xtreme-polyaspartic-80.html

 

[biljohns]

Regarding the bricks under the door threshold.
Could I not just grind those as well and coat them with the rest of the floor?
Are there any issues coating and full broadcasting bricks?

@ LegacyIndustrial
You have a PM regarding your product line.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Biljohns: Message returned!

 

[biljohns]

So how do you prep bricks for epoxy floor system? Acid etching?

@ LegacyIndustrial, Thanks!
@ Armorpoxy, you have a PM.

 

[Radical540]

Call me a pragmatist, but having used and completed my floor with ArmorPoxy, I think a lot of suggestions by MFG's and others are simply CYA for legal reasons.
All the obsession about "grinding" is borderline comical and mostly completely unnecessary!!
Do a few washes with Muriatic acid and you're good. Blow the menial dust out with a leaf blower and you're good. Be sure to purchase the PRIMER and you're good.
Don't get stuck in analysis paralysis; sometimes we get so far into the woods, we don't even see the trees around us. And lastly, please don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill.
Regardless of what you hear, I'm here to to tell ya.....It's not rocket science!
Cheers!

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

We recommend grinding to help eliminate risk. The odds are that etching may cut the mustard but there is without a doubt more risk with an etch.

Etching will not identify or remove thin surface weakness which can be a failure point.

Ever see a mason dip his trowel in water as puts the last licks on a slab? That little trick creates surface weakness.


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