Weather too cold for epoxy?

[seiyafan]

I want to start my next project on garage floor (24 yrs). Today I grabbed a bottle of BEHR Concrete and Masonry Cleaner to be used on tough stains left by the last owner and a bottle BEHR Concrete and Masonry Cleaner & Etcher to prep for epoxy. The weather for next 7-days looks like this: high in the low 50s, low in the low 30s, too cold for epoxy application? The garage is not heated.

My second question is regarding the type of epoxy. I was first set on Epoxy-Coat, but then reading some of the reviews here it doesn't seem to be easy to apply for an average Joe like me, lol. What would be some of the good epoxy that's also the easiest to apply? I understand better epoxy coating has more solid content, well, for me the quality doesn't have to be that great.

 

[rugerlady]

Our product is actually pretty easy to apply. The prep is the hard work. Call me if you have questions.

 

[Shea]

As long as you follow a set plan for the procedure with everything set up and ready to execute you won't have any problems with 100% solids epoxy. Where most people go wrong is not fully reading the instructions and making sure they understand everything before they get started.

If you have to stop what you are doing because you have to go find another roller or go back and read the instructions again in the middle of the job, that's when you start to get in trouble.

Your forecast weather temps would concern me a little. I would consult with whichever epoxy company you decide to use.

 

[Zeke]

You're gonna need a few days for the cleaner rinse to dry out. What's the forecast for next week? You can always use a propane heater for a few hours set on low BEFORE you go to work on this. You'll want to stop heating and let things equalize maybe an hour before you begin. I'd want my floor to be 60º min and ambient a bit higher if possible.

Disclaimer: I'm not a floor coatings installer but I have used epoxies and resins for almost 50 years from everything from coatings and injections to laminations. I have been bit by cold and damp weather.

 

[seiyafan]

So if I start the epoxy project next spring, what's best thing I can put on my concrete this winter to protect it from salt and other harsh chemicals while not making the concrete prep work overly complicated for the project next spring?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

You're gonna need a few days for the cleaner rinse to dry out. What's the forecast for next week? You can always use a propane heater for a few hours set on low BEFORE you go to work on this. You'll want to stop heating and let things equalize maybe an hour before you begin. I'd want my floor to be 60º min and ambient a bit higher if possible.

Disclaimer: I'm not a floor coatings installer but I have used epoxies and resins for almost 50 years from everything from coatings and injections to laminations. I have been bit by cold and damp weather.

Zeke:
It can take days to raise slab temp a few degrees.
The epoxy will take the temp of the floor a few seconds after it hits.

However, it is a good idea to keep epoxy in the house for mixing purposes, then pour onto floor.

Upside is reduced kick time. Downside is increased cure time.

OP: You can apply an acrylic sealer, grind it off in spring when prepping the slab.