Staining over epoxy patched concrete?

[-Brent-]

I've got a little bit of a dilemma. I've got a utility room that I was going to stain. However, after years of use, laundry chemicals, and whatnot, the concrete had a lof of pits/divots/wear, some divots/pits were deep enough for the tip of my thumb.

I went to a big box store and purchased some epoxy patch. I like the results, however, I had been planning to stain the floor.

Is this still a possibility?

The epoxied areas are rather large.

Any advice is appreciated. Search terms were useless for me, the keywords all bring up epoxy coating threads.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Garage Flooring]

In my experience you would need to remove the coatings before applying a stain. Depending on the type of coating, method of removal, floor condition, etc it could turn into a larger project.

 

[-Brent-]

So, what do I use, epoxy floor coating?

 

[Shea]

If you have all your holes filled, you can still stain your floor by applying a concrete polymer overlay. You just squeegee it on - it's not that difficult. This is an example of the product here. It drys fast and then you can apply what ever stain you want to it. It might be easier to do this than the floor prep for epoxy.

 

[Garage Flooring]

If you have all your holes filled, you can still stain your floor by applying a concrete polymer overlay. You just squeegee it on - it's not that difficult. This is an example of the product here. It drys fast and then you can apply what ever stain you want to it. It might be easier to do this than the floor prep for epoxy.

In theory, that is correct, in reality the surface prep would involve grinding off the epoxy IMHO http://www.concretenetwork.com/overlays-resurfacing-buyers-guide/uses.html

 

[-Brent-]

So, what should I have filled in all the pits with?

 

[Garage Flooring]

So, what do I use, epoxy floor coating?

It really depends on the results you are trying to get and what you are going to do with it. If it was my utility room and I did not expect someone to warranty it, I would rough up the existing coating, wipe it down with some xylene and recoat. But thats a very small area that I am really not concerned about. I might even throw a BLT mat in there and be done.

You might want to talk to Legacy or DCS as well. If you are looking for a high quality permanent solution they could recommend the best product for a skim coat and then your starting fresh.

 

[-Brent-]

This is just an area where the washer, dryer, furnace and h20 heater are. I want the floor to be finished. I'm not looking for an award winning floorspace, just something better looking than what was there and relatively easy to clean.

I'd like it to hold up, too. I plan to put a mat down in front of the counter top and wall-mounted ironing board and, most likely, in front of the washer and dryer, too. That doesn't leave a lot of space that'll be travelled on. We're a shoe-off houshold, too. So the wear won't be harsh.

 

[-Brent-]

I should add, the stain is a solid color stain.

From what I'm reading all over the net (including the Garage Journal) is that I should go with epoxy. I wanted to avoid that but I'll do whatever is the right thing, now.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

I guess I will just state the obvious, why not just use epoxy? If you filled the holes with epoxy just finish the floor in epoxy. You don't have to add flakes and with all the different colors out there for such a small area would look fine. Clean up would be a snap as well if something got on the floor..

-Nigel

 

[Garage Flooring]

I should add, the stain is a solid color stain.

From what I'm reading all over the net (including the Garage Journal) is that I should go with epoxy. I wanted to avoid that but I'll do whatever is the right thing, now.

OK, if you want to email me some pics of the job and size of job, we can put together prep instructions and suggested materials.

 

[dcs Inc]

I'd have to agree with going with a pigmented epoxy. There are solvent based dyes that will color the existing epoxy but would highlight the patches next to the bare concrete. A pigmented epoxy can be tricked out by drizzling a secondary color into it and blending it a little. This would give ya a veining, marbling affect. Of course you need to prep the concrete properly, including giving the existing epoxy a good scratching (sand paper).

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Ditto. Use epoxy and be done with it.

 

[pauloman]

an alternative is a solvent free epoxy to level the floor, then faux paint the epoxy with latex or enamel for the right look. Next a clear epoxy sealing top coat if no sunlight to yellow it, otherwise a clear poly topcoat. -- or just leave the faux finish and don't worry about a clear top coat.

Using this sort of approach - and your own mix of latex/enamel paint, you're talking under $100 for the epoxy.