For you Epoxy veterans

[skullhead]

How do you handle the cutting in when rolling on the flooring? I notice you guys have it right up to the wall. Do you use a brush? Do you roll with the walls first then fill in the middle?

I ask because I believe you have to work pretty quick with this stuff before it sets up on you.

Any advice for the edging would be helpful.

 

[boiler7904]

My father in law cut in the perimeter with a brush while I rolled the main area with a 9" roller. I could roll 1/4 of the garage about as fast as he could cut it in. Worked out pretty well.

If you're doing a product like Rust Oleum, make sure you get a really good heavy coat where you're brushing. You can avoid the brush work on the second coat and just roll as tight to the wall as possible.

You need to make sure that the areas that are brushed have a wet edge when you get to rolling the material in that section.

Don't use regular blue painter's masking tape if you're trying to mask areas. It won't come off later. I think someone told me after I was done to use regular duct tape for masking - it's supposed stand up to the solvents much better.

If you're concerned about open time with the material, get a 18" roller frame, covers, and tray. Cuts the time in about half. I used one on my clear coat and wished that I had bought it for the color coats - huge time saver.

 

[snorvet]

I also cut in with a brush along the edges. I did my garage in Epoxy-Coat in about 8'x8' sections. First I'd only mix enough to do 8x8. Then I'd cut in any edges on the section, then roll the remaining part of the section. Then move to the next section - mix, cut in and roll. I also did it when it was cool. I had most of the garage done before the first part started to set up, so I had no problem keeping a wet edge.

 

[FL_Javelin]

2 person job for sure, wife brushed edge with heavy coat while I rolled out 4x4 sections, I tried larger areas but 4x4 seemed to work better for me. I cut in edges on both coats, seemed to work good, it allowed chips to stick all the way.

I used the blue painters tape and it did have issues, the epoxy stuck to it about 20%-30% of the time so some was left in floor but I cut it down so its not noticable.

We did it as we went because you want a wet edge to match(much hotter here in FL). zig-zaged from rear of garage to front which gave the cutter person (wife) a small break when I did middle sections.

 

[mike944]

I did the edges with a brush, before i rolled the main floor. Did it myself, and mixed up the whole 1st coat at the same time. I worked pretty quick with the brush though, and the epoxy was starting to get a little stringy by the end of rolling the floor. This was with a single-car garage, and it was fairly cool outside. If i had to do it again, a second person would help alot.

 

[skullhead]

Thanks guys, that's what I was looking for. We always talk about prep and how it looks in the end but it seemed nobody was saying how they did it.

And one other thing. You sprinkle the little flake things on as you get a section done right? Can't see how you could wait until the very end and still cover the entire floor.

 

[snorvet]

yea I did the sprinkles a section at a time. But if I had some of those spike shoes I might have tried to do all sprinkles at the end since my epoxy took so long to set up. Sprinkles work ok in sections - you wont be able to tell where the section edges are when its all done.

 

[boiler7904]

I did my garage in rows that were 10 feet wide x 3 or 4 feet deep. I did the flakes at the end of each row. No problems with them sticking to the floor. You'll overlap each section of epoxy with the next but it's not a big deal - Just use more flakes.

One tip - Toss the flakes straight up in the air and let them fall like snow. Makes for a much more even distribution.

 

[Winmon]

I just rolled up to the wall with my paint roller first and worked my way out from there. Worked out fine. I did my floor by myself and just moved as fast as I could. I also did strips approx. 10' wide by about 4' deep. I found that by going 4' or so deep, it make applying the flecks easy as I could reach to the rear of the last strip. I applyed the flecks after I completed each strip (on the 2nd and final coat).