Need Advice - Epoxy install gone bad

[BTLT]

Hi everyone -
I need some advice on how to correct my problem.
Here is what happened:
I used epoxymasters 100% resin epoxy product from costco, it is very nice product and looks great in the areas where I did it correctly.

I broke down the job into 3 areas to address a three car garage. First, cutting in. Second, the single car garage area then finally the 2 car garage area.

My first problem was I didn't have enough product to complete the single car garage but i got it covered, it just looks thin in certain areas.

Now here is the real problem, when i addressed the 2 car garage area the first half looked great. Nice and thick, glossy even spread. Then we needed to do the 2nd half of the 2 car garage area and we were debating if we had enough product as some was still in the mixing container. This is why they tell you to pout it ALL out onto the floor so that it doesnt begin to cure. "Yeah we have enough, pour it down."

Oh my god when it hit the concrete it was so hard to move. So unfortunately we now have thicker areas of where it was poured and we couldnt get it spread very well. I just muscled through the rolling process and forced as much coverage as I could get. The end result is that much of the 2nd half of the two car garage is very thinly covered and some areas have noticeably more amounts. Its not horrible, but it isn't right either.

Can I buy more product and apply a second layer or coat on top? Will it bond and will it look good?

Now the kicker, the perfect spot which was the 1st half of the 2 car garage looked absolutely perfect. High gloss, thick application, it was a mirrorlike finish. A few minutes later as my wife was walking her mother out to the car I hear screaming "Stop Stop Stop No No No". I go running out to the garage door and my dog, who can open our door out to the garage was standing in the epoxy on the perfect spot of the garage, so it now has dog footprints in it but they aren't too bad.

Then as of a few minutes ago it rained and so now the edge of the garage openings are wet. Is that a problem or will it dry okay? It had about 4 hours of drying before the rain came.

So can I reapply some more product to all these areas and make it look better?

Thanks,
BT

 

[kkaldor]

BT, I just used the same product on Thursday and didn't have enough like you. My garage floor was pretty old and rough so it was pretty "thirsty" and took more epoxy than I thought it would. I talked to Tony at EpoxyMaster and he said I could scuff the light areas with sandpaper and put another coat on. There was about a 3 foot section in front of my garage door that didn't get anything. So, I ordered another half kit and will be finishing it up as soon as it gets here.

Mine also looks great where I coated it thickly.

Fortunately, I didn't have my dog tracking through my garage. I would have been pi$$ed. If I were you, I would sand down those spots until they are smooth and then just recoat when you do the rest.

I think you'll be ok with the rain, too. Theoretically, epoxy should cure even under water since it's totally a chemical reaction and it doesn't "dry".

Another tip, if you call EpoxyMaster to place an order they will usually give you a discount on the product or shipping.

Good luck with the "repair"

 

[tncatadjuster]

Sand and coat it again, simple. Due to such an experience I have only run out of product once on a job...once.

Hope the dog paws are okay.

 

[iceman536]

Sand and coat it again, simple. Due to such an experience I have only run out of product once on a job...once.

Hope the dog paws are okay.

Put on the haz-mat suit when you sand. Take it from me, my minor sanding gave me a major rash!

 

[tncatadjuster]

Put on the haz-mat suit when you sand. Take it from me, my minor sanding gave me a major rash!

you sand the floor or yourself?

 

[Ruddy]

Curious, if you used a squeegee to pull out the product before you rolled it?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Epoxy work is a methodical process and should be done with one application person and one mixer person (could be your wife or girlfriend).

Complete your prep.
Make a mixing station (tarp or plastic covered area adjacent to the work area)
Uncap your all your A containers and B containers
Have a clean mixing bucket and a solid drill and mixer
Tape off your shoes or they will be the color of your floor when done
Have solvent ready and rags, not paper towels for clean up.
Good gloves for hands
Keep track of time, every mix should be timed for 3 minutes, always consistent.

Mix and then begin edging the perimeter.

Make sure you are keeping track of your coverage.

I will mark out the first 10'x 10' area to see what I am getting coverage wise.
Put tape on the walls or ceiling for this.

I go back into the coating after a little time has gone by to apply my flake, depends on the product.

Wait for tack off, sweep flake and then apply urethane top coat.

 

[jake26]

^^^^

Makes me second guess if I should do my own floor or not.

 

[AlphaGarage]

jake26 - Clearly only you can determine whether or not to coat your own floor, but base that decision on a collection of DIY experiences, not just one job that went south.

BTLT ran into a few problems, but from the sounds of it pretty much all of them were easily avoidable.

I'm not familiar with this particular product or project but there were some basic mistakes made. Running out of material, or having too much in one are and not enough in another, is most likely is simple math or measuring mistake. The axiom "measure twice, cut once" is a good place to start here. Next the instructions say to not let the mixed material stand in the mixing container - so for heaven's sake - don't do that!

As for the critter and the climate... we address weather conditions in our instruction, you just need to be mindful of them and take the appropriate action. The dog, like kids and other critters, is one of those things that only you can anticipate. This is no different than any other DIY project or task. I have a cat that thinks my desktop is her personal playground. When I disassemble or otherwise work a watch, firearm, or even the monthly bills I need to consider that my feline freind doesn't know how difficult some of those small parts or paperwork are to replace.

All tasks require a certain measure of situational awareness. There's no doubt that a DIY epoxy floor coating needs an extra portion of that heads up attitude. But as evidenced by the dozens and dozens and dozens of successful jobs shared on this forum alone this is a project that far, far, more often than not turns out great.

If you've successfully tackled other DIY projects in the past there's absolutely no reason to think that you'll have any problems with putting down your own epoxy floor. The key is to follow the instructions.

Good luck in your decision and please consider our products and customer support when you do decide to improve your floor.