Solutions for Slippery Epoxy Floor?

[lyonkster]

I had my garage floor coated with a 3-coat solid color epoxy last week. The floor looks great, no complaints there.

This morning I nearly killed myself when I walked outside to get the paper and stepped into some sprinkler runoff water, then walked inside. My feet totally flew out from under me, I was surprised that I did not hit the deck. I can only imagine what would have happened if I was carrying something, reaching for something, or if this was one of my elderly parents rather than me.

Question is, before I contact the installer, what can be done after the fact to add some skid resistance? Will it involve adding another coat with some anti-skid material in it? Something else? I don't see any sign of any anti-skid in the coating now.

Thanks in advance.

 

[thegarageguy]

You'll need another coat with non slip added to it. There is no other way

 

[lyonkster]

You'll need another coat with non slip added to it. There is no other way

That's what I suspected, thanks. What should I ask for regarding the anti-slip, aluminum oxide or polymer grit? I am wondering how effective each one of these is, and what other considerations might there be, so as to avoid having yet another revisit by the installer?

 

[Falcon67]

The $20 solution is to buy a big rubber backed entry mat from Sams and put just inside the door.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

Epoxy floors are a safety hazard ...i'll never have one......i knew that the first day working in an epoxied hanger..

 

[lyonkster]

The $20 solution is to buy a big rubber backed entry mat from Sams and put just inside the door.

True, but that will not help me when I walk in from the outside on a rainy day, or when a car drives in with wet tires and leaves some water on the floor...

I'd prefer a more robust solution .

 

[kywildcat]

Epoxy floors are a safety hazard ...i'll never have one......i knew that the first day working in an epoxied hanger..

That's not true at all!!

 

[rugerlady]

Unfortunately, a clear coat with nonskid in it is the best solution!

 

[lyonkster]

Unfortunately, a clear coat with nonskid in it is the best solution!

Can you explain why a clear with nonskid is better than a color with nonskid?

 

[rugerlady]

The clear coat (in our case) is a less expensive fix. You can definitely put the non-skid into another colored coat.

 

[lyonkster]

The clear coat (in our case) is a less expensive fix. You can definitely put the non-skid into another colored coat.

Ah, thanks for explaining, Christine. What non-skid would you recommend, aluminum oxide or polymer grit? Would one clear coat be enough? Would your clear coat work with the color coat that I now have (he wouldn't tell me what brand it was, I just know that it's 100% solids epoxy)?

 

[Vicegrip]

Epoxy floors are a safety hazard ...i'll never have one......i knew that the first day working in an epoxied hanger..

I disagree. Slick flooring regardless of what it made from or coated with is the safety hazard. A properly installed and finished coating can add safety to raw concrete by making spills easy to see and properly clean up.

 

[Fishy]

Would your clear coat work with the color coat that I now have (he wouldn't tell me what brand it was, I just know that it's 100% solids epoxy)?

IMO that's pretty brazen of a contractor to not tell you what type of product he's putting in your home/garage. What if there is some sort of odd product "recall" but you'll never know because of his super-secret. Personally I wouldn't have hired the guy because for all I know he may have used a cheapo kit from Wally world, doubtful but it could happen.

 

[lyonkster]

IMO that's pretty brazen of a contractor to not tell you what type of product he's putting in your home/garage.

It bothered me too a bit, but I think he did not want to tell me because he thought I'd go out and get the stuff and do it myself, which was not my intent. He did say he buys his supplies from http://www.garagecoatings.com/, which to me looks like a quality product source.

The coating he applied is quite good, I have no complaints with it - other than the slickness.

 

[lyonkster]

So here is what he wrote to me:

The only thing we would be able to do for you at this point would be to add another layer to your floor, and add a silica sand to it. The biggest problem with this is that the coating wears off the sand granules. With the solid floor, we will get a complaint if it is to smooth or I get the complaint when someone has us add sand that the floor is to rough. It is the nature of the beast.

is it true that I have to live with either a floor that is too slick or a coating with sand granules sticking through the paint?

 

[AlphaGarage]

No. There are alternative to sand/quartz, like polymer grit.

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Not looking to hijack this tread.


With all due respect for the floor covering folks.

I have worked on urethane painted floors. Clear coat in the shop, colored in the service drive. (1988 - 2000) We stripped the shop floor as it was unsafe to work on. We had to buy runners for the service area to keep the customers standing up!

My histroy.

I like the looks, I just don't want the problems or rugs.

What's the fix today to keep a painted floor from being a slip hazard.

I know that some, add sand or a type of grit. But they seem to looks dirty or bad fast as the paint wears off the high spots/grit.


Capt. Chrysler

 

[lyonkster]

No. There are alternative to sand/quartz, like polymer grit.

And can that be used with either another color coat or a clear coat? Or does it have to be used with a color coat?

 

[flatheadguy]

Unfortunately, a clear coat with nonskid in it is the best solution!

YUP!! The only way.

 

[T mac]

your best bet is to add a protective clear coat over the floor mixed with silica sand. i have a epoxy floor and i mixed the silica sand in with the epoxy when i did the floor then i clear coated over it but i dont see a problem with mixing the silica sand with the clear coat . but i would definately check with your floor guy before doing.i will tell you the silica sand is not a cure all but it will definately help.

 

[tncatadjuster]

You would be surprised what just a few weeks of traffic can do for reduce slip resistance.

Also, the coating is usually statically charged and pulls all dust out of the air, this makes it really bad for a few days. You can take the lightest of buffing pads (white I think) and slightly buff the surface. It does not alleviate the problem entirely but goes a long way towards a satisfactory surface.

good luck

 

[thegarageguy]

I am sorry but the guy is obviously not that experienced. There are many types of grits that can be used. Too large of a grit on a thin urethane and it will eventually get kicked off and cause water intrusion and eventual failure. In this case you need a resin sphere like Sherwin Williams Shark Grip...approx 4 ounces per gallon or gallon and a half mix of polyurethane.

When using 100% solids epoxy as a top coat....you can not use a fine texture like Shark grip because it will completely sink. Using an aluminum oxide or sand will work but may be too aggressive for your environment and cause dirt and debris to get trapped and make it difficult to clean. You will want to use a larger resin sphere, about a 40/60 grit.

What I would do it sand, solvent wipe and apply a good urethane finish with Shark grip texture.

For those who think that epoxy floor are a hazard...yes, they can be when improperly installed. There isn't a more non slip and safer floor that a properly specified and installed epoxy flooring system.....this is why all new construction Fire Houses are being specified with resinous floors.

 

[lyonkster]

In this case you need a resin sphere like Sherwin Williams Shark Grip...approx 4 ounces per gallon or gallon and a half mix of polyurethane.

When using 100% solids epoxy as a top coat....you can not use a fine texture like Shark grip because it will completely sink. Using an aluminum oxide or sand will work but may be too aggressive for your environment and cause dirt and debris to get trapped and make it difficult to clean. You will want to use a larger resin sphere, about a 40/60 grit.

What I would do it sand, solvent wipe and apply a good urethane finish with Shark grip texture.

This seems to be in line with what my installer said, except he apparently only has experience with the resin sphere - he said his "grit" is like "reddish brownish pellets" - does that sound right? So obviously his would have to be used in a color coat, not clear. He said it results in a very rough surface that a lot of people don't like, so he rarely uses it. He is not familiar with polymer grit. Is this Shark grip similar to polymer grit in terms of appearance and size?

I guess my two choices are to either get some Epoxy-coat clear with some anti-slip or one of these polymer grits or Shark grip, and to put down a coat myself, or to find someone who would do it for me at a reasonoable cost.

Is there anyone serving the LA area who would be interested in putting down a coat of clear with some grit in it in my garage (my wife says I have enough projects to do inside the house to not be messing with the garage floor ).?

 

[lyonkster]

What I would do it sand, solvent wipe and apply a good urethane finish with Shark grip texture.

What brand/type urethane would you recommend, something that I could get as a DIYer? Thanks.

 

[lyonkster]

So I got a couple of samples of non-skid today from rugerlady (thanks Christine!).

But I have to say, this is not what I had in mind, and I am not sure that I want the sandpaper look/feel on my garage floor . Is this how the Shark Grip would look too, or is this more typical of aluminum oxide particles? Would Shark Grip will be less visible?

 

[Cruzin90]

This is a polyaspartic with two sizes of non-skid (polypropylene spheres) in the topcoat. Three ounces of non-skid was added to every 16 ounces of "B" resin.

Temporary flooring for a commercial freight elevator.

The lighter white area near the bottom is just a camera flash reflection.

 

[HunterDan]

I'm getting ready to put down my epoxy coat floor, and need to know, should I buy polymer Anti slip additive or use the aluminum oxide that came with it?

I don't mind the bumps in the finish as I'm sure the flakes will hide that well, but what about walking in bare feet? Not a good idea?

 

[wajones]

Yeah I need to know as well? I'm a little concerned about the aluminum oxide because my kids are going to be playing on my garage floor. I'm really unsure what the best way to go is when using epoxy coat

 

[Ferrino]

Me three! Going to be applying EpoxyCoat this weekend and am really at a loss whether to use the included aluminum oxide or not!

I was wondering: do the paint flakes not add a certain level of texture and grip themselves?

 

[nate379]

Yup.

You would be surprised what just a few weeks of traffic can do for reduce slip resistance.

The rough floor/sand stuff is very hard to clean. Couple of the bays in a building at work have it and a person can mop almost the whole shop in the time it takes just to clean those.

 

[lyonkster]

My understanding is that the polymer grip or Shark Grip has a different look/feel from the aluminum oxide that is in the picture above. But I would really like to see a sample of a floor done with it before spending more money on applying the clear with the Shark Grip and not being happy with the results.

Anyone?

 

[lyonkster]

This is a polyaspartic with two sizes of non-skid (polypropylene spheres) in the topcoat. Three ounces of non-skid was added to every 16 ounces of "B" resin.

Thanks, but it's hard to tell what I am looking at with the flakes. My topcoat is just uniform gray, would the poly spheres be visible in that?

 

[nperkins]

wow... those pics help give me a good idea of texture.. I will be doing an epoxy floor when my garage is built, but the kids/wife walking through the garage has me worried about slipping...

But at the same time, that would drive me insane having those big bumps in my garage... If I go outside barefoot, i dont want to feel like i'm walking on dirt/rocks... I do that now in my driveway (Dirt/Rock driveway) lol..

 

[lyonkster]

But at the same time, that would drive me insane having those big bumps in my garage... If I go outside barefoot, i dont want to feel like i'm walking on dirt/rocks... I do that now in my driveway (Dirt/Rock driveway) lol..

If you are referring to the photos I posted, then I can tell you that they feel even worse than they look. You would get serious roadrash on any exposed skin moving across that texture. With me not owning a lift, and being a "crawl under the car" kind of guy, that is a non-starter.

 

[tncatadjuster]

That oxide will shred meat.
I hate it, unless I have to use it.

A five year old drifting a big wheel will do wonders.

 

[rugerlady]

In the samples i sent, the left sample is the 24 grit, the right sample is 36 grit, we also have another even smaller grit that is 54. Let me know if any of you want samples of that.

 

[lyonkster]

In the samples i sent, the left sample is the 24 grit, the right sample is 36 grit, we also have another even smaller grit that is 54. Let me know if any of you want samples of that.

That would be great, thanks in advance!

 

[Edger]

As a past epoxy coating contractor I would say it is a lot like tiles, vinyl, and other polished surfaces. It looks good, but is not safe with water. In ceramic baths and for some ceramic tiles there is a nasty acid that leave a fine etch which can be used to make them anti slip, but that will not work with epoxy.
However it will get a lot better as it wears. Epoxy is not hard enough to retain a shine when walked on so all epoxy will lose its high shine and as it does it will lose its slippery surface. After that it will still look good and it will be much safer when wet.
You have to be careful with anti slip additives in another coat. No epoxy company would give me a guarantee of adhesion onto cured epoxy so there is a high chance it will delaminate over time.
When we sprinkled anti slip onto a topcoat it used to get pulled out because it was sitting too high over the epoxy. What was more annoying is that it only pulled out in wear areas which is the exact opposite of what was wanted. Good anti slip should be embedded approx. two thirds into the epoxy DRY FILM THICKNESS, which is different to the wet film thickness. With 50% solids epoxy the dry film thickness is half of the thickness of when you roll it out. Just clean up the water until it wear in, definitely do not overcoat.

 

[Modern Jess]

Well, this is a bummer. I had been dead-set on an epoxy floor in my (soon to be) workshop, and now I'm having serious second thoughts. I definitely don't want a sandpaper-like grit (I spend too much time on the floor) and I'd rather not slip and slide on the floor.

Is there anything in between? A non-gritty texture, perhaps?

 

[dd564]

I've been looking for options on this and one that I saw was glass beads or plastic beads. They come in various sizes (like aluminum oxide), you should be able to choose something that sits in the epoxy, but would still extended above it and not stick out too far.

I guess I don't know what the measurement would be that you want to have the non-skid protrude by, but it's another idea.