Last year I did my garage floor with Rustoleum epoxy. Well, its starting to come up. I complaind to them, and they sent me two new kits. So, I can repair it. My question is this. Parts stayed down, no problem, but where it came up, what can I do to the concrete to make sure the new stuff will adhere and stay down.
Rustoleum-after the fact
- Thread starter MacBass
- Start date
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
Definitely follow their instructions to the letter. But here's what I'd consider...
Don't have a lot experience with your particular product, but a good epoxy should stay down, for a long, long time. It's not designed to fail at some set moment of time. I'm pretty certain you didn't go into the garage one day and notice that overnight chunks of your floor coating came up, and from that point forward the rest stayed down. No, the weakest parts came up first, then the slightly less weaker etc. over a period of time. So the question is: how can you be certain that the stuff that's remaining won't fail after you coat over it?
The answer is you probably can't tell. It's possible that the spots that have failed will be the only parts to lift, but there really is no way to tell. All we can say with certainty is that something went wrong, and the odds are more likely than not more of your coating will continue to fail.
You already put in time and money, only to have to put in more time and money in to it, make sure this time it's the last time. As great as the next application may be, even if you use better technique and products, it's clear the first coat failed, and there's a good chance it will continue to fail, taking the next coat with it.
You should completely remove that first coat. Grind, shot blast, or chemical strip, take it off because it doesn't make sense to let it compromise whatever you decide to recoat with.
And I'd look for a product that has a better track record of adhering to concrete.
Don't have a lot experience with your particular product, but a good epoxy should stay down, for a long, long time. It's not designed to fail at some set moment of time. I'm pretty certain you didn't go into the garage one day and notice that overnight chunks of your floor coating came up, and from that point forward the rest stayed down. No, the weakest parts came up first, then the slightly less weaker etc. over a period of time. So the question is: how can you be certain that the stuff that's remaining won't fail after you coat over it?
The answer is you probably can't tell. It's possible that the spots that have failed will be the only parts to lift, but there really is no way to tell. All we can say with certainty is that something went wrong, and the odds are more likely than not more of your coating will continue to fail.
You already put in time and money, only to have to put in more time and money in to it, make sure this time it's the last time. As great as the next application may be, even if you use better technique and products, it's clear the first coat failed, and there's a good chance it will continue to fail, taking the next coat with it.
You should completely remove that first coat. Grind, shot blast, or chemical strip, take it off because it doesn't make sense to let it compromise whatever you decide to recoat with.
And I'd look for a product that has a better track record of adhering to concrete.
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I really don't want to go through all that work if I don't have to. I have a 3 car garage, and 1 stall is perfect. I would like to repair it if I can. I know when you paint a car, you prime it first, because paint sticks better to primer than it does to bare metal. So, my question is this, is there anything I can put down first over the bare spots so the next coating of epoxy holds better. Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
What was the condition of your floor before you put the epoxy down?
What steps did you take to prep it?
Did you have any large grease/oil spots?
Can you recall any of them being in the areas that are lifting?
What is the surface texture of the areas that are lifting?
What steps did you take to prep it?
Did you have any large grease/oil spots?
Can you recall any of them being in the areas that are lifting?
What is the surface texture of the areas that are lifting?
jerk_chicken
Banned
Cut well around the damaged areas, into the adhered areas, kind of like drilling the ends of a crack to stop them from propagating?
ironroad 9c1
Banned
redo it all. that way you know what you have to start with, otherwise, you can't complain later when the stuff that hasn't peeled yeat starts peeling.
I followed the instructions to a "T". I first removed any grease spots with a degreaser. Then I mixed a good degreaser and with a stiff brush, scrubbed the floor. Three times I did this. After each time, a good rinse. Then etched it, and another couple of rinses. When I was rolling it, in spots where I already rolled it, if I went over it again, the epoxy would stick to the roller and lift off the concrete, not adhereing to it at all. I guess I am going to have to "rough" up the concrete in order to get the new epoxy to stick.
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
Did you perform the water drop test to make certain there weren't any existing sealers? How old was the floor? What shape was it in?
Not too familiar with your particular product.. Does it have a separate primer available? A primer coating and a body, or top, coating are required to perform very different tasks. It's asking a lot of a single formula to do everything.
Automotive coatings, interior paints, exterior paints, floor coatings, they all should be applied over a quality primer.
If you fish around enough someone will post that you can just hose down the floor and coat it over and everything will be sunshine and goodness.
The reality is that the only way you can go to sleep comfortable in the knowledge that your next coating system is not going to flake off is to remove the obviously failing epoxy and correctly apply a quality product.
Not too familiar with your particular product.. Does it have a separate primer available? A primer coating and a body, or top, coating are required to perform very different tasks. It's asking a lot of a single formula to do everything.
Automotive coatings, interior paints, exterior paints, floor coatings, they all should be applied over a quality primer.
If you fish around enough someone will post that you can just hose down the floor and coat it over and everything will be sunshine and goodness.
The reality is that the only way you can go to sleep comfortable in the knowledge that your next coating system is not going to flake off is to remove the obviously failing epoxy and correctly apply a quality product.
Scotto
Well-known member
Did you do any tests to see is your concrete has excessive moisture in it from below?
I want to put down epoxy, but I need to do that first because the area around my house is really damp.
I want to put down epoxy, but I need to do that first because the area around my house is really damp.
dawg
Well-known member
I had my rustoleum floor down for 2 years now and still good as new.
at least they gave ya more product which should tell ya a lot.
the area thats coming up im betting is porous.
you might need to seal that area then rough up the sealer coat a bit then repaint the whole floor.
btw brake cleaner works great at cleaning a floor oil free.
mop up excess with rags
a floor sander will roughen up the exsisting paint enough to promote adhesion.
at least they gave ya more product which should tell ya a lot.
the area thats coming up im betting is porous.
you might need to seal that area then rough up the sealer coat a bit then repaint the whole floor.
btw brake cleaner works great at cleaning a floor oil free.
mop up excess with rags
a floor sander will roughen up the exsisting paint enough to promote adhesion.
