Quikrete Epoxy "Showroom Gloss"

[csanford]

Okay, I've been prepping this floor for what seems like weeks-- from scraping the floor with a carbide-tipped scraper to several thorough acid-washes, I felt it was time. I went with the light-gray Quikrete floor epoxy... after application, I was EXTREMELY happy with the results. Unlike others' experiences with Quikrete, I had a professional-looking finish with no dull spots. After about a week of drying, it was time to apply the showroom glossy finish... which I did last night.

Believe me when I say that I followed the directions verbatim-- as I did with the initial epoxy coating. Additionally, I applied the showroom finish using the same technique as the epoxy... Well, it's been about 24 hours since the application... The first thing I noted about the high-gloss finish is that it is NOT clear... it has a slight yellow hue. Also, there is one small area of the floor that looks a bit "cloudy." I can live with the yellow tint, but am perplexed by the clouds.

After seeing these "oddities," I recalled that none of the how-to DVDs included with either the epoxy or gloss-coat kits show the light-grey epoxy application, rather, they only show the beige. I'm beginning to wonder if this is coincidence, or if they purposely don't show the grey because it's painfully obvious of the yellow hue.

Anyone else have similar results?

 

[Hammerdown]

Just my .02$
Clear coats that turn cloudy are typically exposed to high humidity during curing. This excess moisture is trapped in the coating as it cures, making it dull or cloud up. Yellowing is typically caused by UV exposure. The sun has a tendancy to yellow clear coats if they do not contain a UV stabilizer. I have not used the particular product you have, but have experience with epoxies and this is typically the case. Did you apply the clear coat within the recommended time? You said you waited a week to apply the clear, which seems long to me. Was this recommended?

 

[csanford]

Sorry for the late reply, I was finishing up coating the rest of the garage... will post pics soon. The cloudiness occurred only in one small area near the garage door, and is so subtle, that you can barely see it. It may have been attributed to the temperature drop later that evening... As for the yellow tint, UV may be a culprit, but not in my case. I started coating the floor around 1:00, which means that my garage had no direct sunlight during / after the application. However, there are dimly lit areas (corners) that do not receive direct sunlight, but exhibit the yellow hue. So... maybe I applied it a little too thick... who knows.

FYI: The part B hardener for the clearcoat is yellow / amber. I still think it may be the product, but either way, the clearcoat is just added protection, which I'm happy about.