Second coat, color or clear?

[rbn14]

I put down a coat of epoxy-coat this morning. Unfortunatly it did not cover the floor imperfections quite well enough for my liking. I did not use flakes and only plan on using them around the border of the garage. I dont want to flake because on of my mai reasons for epoxy coating the floor is to make finding dropped parts easier. So the way I see it I have a few options, clear being the cheaper. I was considering clear with anti-slip. I thought this might help to hide the imperfections but figured it would only hide the ones the light reflection showed off and not the deeper ones that cause slight shadows. I need some informed recommendations!
Thanks

 

[nokkieny]

I am not an expert but here is what I have learned, don't use clear epoxy, it will turn yellow. You can use a clear urethane but tires may leave marks on it. atleast my norkan HPU747 did so they sent me a wax to put on top of that. Also, you have to sand the first coat of epoxy before applying anything else so make sure you have a beast machine to do that, I did with a palm sander and it took forever.

 

[rugerlady]

You could use the clear, we are now offering it with a UV additive. If your very concerned about yellowing at all and get alot of sunlight, we also have a polyurea that will not yellow and is stronger than the epoxy.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Did you use a primer coat?
Why use a primer?
Primer seals the surface, allowing the topcoat to flow evenly over the surface
Primer maximizes topcoat “hide” allowing easier color changes
Primer increases topcoat coverage and adhesion (very important)
Primer promotes a consistent sheen and uniform appearance
Primers seal problems, blocking them from coming through the topcoat
A good clear urethane will do the trick or a poly-urea like Darling Christine mentioned, if you want to walk on it in 2 hours, try a poly-aspartic urethane (cutting edge).

 

[Black Moon]

Go clear. If you roll it on or screed it heavy it will fill alot of your imperfections. If you didn't use flake you may want to use a sand for anti slip. Epoxy floors can be slippery especially when wet.

Just my opinion

 

[AlphaGarage]

It sounds like the issue you're bothered by is uneven dings and divots, etc. that weren't covered by the coatings you've applied so far. Often those imperfections can be masked by flakes, but that's not an option for you.

If you want the final floor to both look smooth and actually be smooth your best move is to put down another coat of the pigmented epoxy. First scuff up the existing coating, wipe it with denatured alcohol, then mix up a bit the pigmented epoxy and literally flood the divots and low spots. Pour out enough to bring those areas up to grade. Allow them to get tack free, and then coat the entire floor with about 4 mils of the epoxy, you don't need than much since you already have a base coat, you're just applying another layer to have a nice seamless finish. Finally apply your optional clear coat with the grit additive.

I'd avoid sand, it's sharp edged and not the strongest grit, it will crush and crumble. Rather use polymer grit, it has rounded edges so it won't shred mops, paper towels, and skin.

Also not a big fan of polyaspartic for DIY, and even our contractors aren't big fans of it. Its big advantage, almost its only advantage compared to good epoxies or polyurethanes, is a quick return to service. On the downside it's not easy to work with, it has a bit of a learning curve, plus it's costly.

But before you do anything you really should consult with your supplier.

 

[Black Moon]

I'd avoid sand, it's sharp edged and not the strongest grit, it will crush and crumble. Rather use polymer grit, it has rounded edges so it won't shred mops, paper towels, and skin.

QUOTE]

Thanks for the clarification. I shouldn't have used the word sand.