How thick can epoxy be ?

[Thezapper]

I have a small room about 100 sq ft that needs a floor. Its a indoor hobby/shop space I allocated in the basement. The floor that meets this room is tile, it's about 1/2" thick. I wanted to know if I could mix enough epoxy in a garbage can and just flood the room with the epoxy around 3/8 to 1/2 thick?

Is this a pipe dream? What should I use ? And how should I approach this, I tried searching but I didn't hit any pay dirt.

 

[Dirtydan69]

I think you would be better off using a floor leveling compound to float the area where it meets the tile. Then do your coating. Less expensive and more controllable.

 

[e36jon]

I used to work for Hexcel Composites, a manufacturer of aerospace epoxy and carbon fiber. (Not to say that qualifies me to talk about epoxy flooring at all.)

The limiting factor for creating epoxy layups for aerospace work is what's called an 'exotherm'. Basically, the epoxy releases some heat due to the chemical reaction when it cures. If it's too thick, it builds up heat faster than it can dissipate, eventually catching fire. The smoke is caustic, and sticks to everything. And the fire is really difficult to extinguish. It will burn under water, for instance.

The limit when I left was the GE90 turbofan engine fan blades, which were ~3" thick at the root...

Have fun!

 

[rlitman]

The limit when I left was the GE90 turbofan engine fan blades, which were ~3" thick at the root...

That sounds about right. I've seen the same thing with mixing West System epoxy in cups. Under 1/2" thick, you certainly will not have an exothermic issue in 2 part epoxy.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Use an epoxy fortified with a sand aggregate to either ease the transition or build up the entire floor. It is a small area and won't be too bad.

 

[benwah]

^ What Scotty said.

Usually Self leveling epoxies are applied anywhere in the range from 30-120 mils DFT, in most cases; depending on surface preparation and what your needs are. Aggregate filled epoxy IS the way to go. It has many benefits such as, higher build, abrasion resistance and impact resistance. If you decide to go this route you must be sure your surface preparation is on point. I would suggest an ICRI-CSP 3-5. A light shot blast would be your best bet, which shouldn't be too expensive for 100 sq ft.

 

[Thezapper]

ok thanks guys,