Prior preparation of the cement floor before applying epoxy is crucial to promote durability. How your garage floor looks depends on how you prepare your concrete Concrete preparation can be done through shot blasting, sandblasting, grinding, or chemical Etching. These methods require special equipment and trained personnel. Below are various steps on how to prep a new concrete garage floor for epoxy coating.
1. Clean the floor
Vacuum or sweep off any dirt on the floor. After the proper sweep, wash the cement floor with water, liquid soap, or detergent. Ensure there are no foreign materials or dust on the floor. In waterbed, surfaces take your time to wash off any grease or oil. After cleaning, run your fingers on the surface to check whether it has dried. When there is a lot of white residues, then you are good to go.
2. Chose an Acid Solution
Before proceeding through this step, ensure you wear a mask and gloves to avoid any contamination. Use acid-resistant containers and never add water to the acid. Read the instructions carefully before mixing to avoid any accidents. Hire experts for mixing up to prevent side effects. In this step, it’s advisable to involve professionals to handle the acid solution mixing. The amount and mix-up content varies with the type of acid involved and incase the percentages interfere with the end.
3. Etch the Concrete
After the mixing pours or spreads the solution on the floor. Scrub it with a broom or long-handled scrub brush for significant results. You can also consider using an acidic proof spray pump to spread the acid evenly. Wait for approximately ten minutes for the acid to settle and apply to all corners. Avoid at all costs the acid from touching your skin and mostly your eyes. Garage floor coating and surfacing company’s experts have the right gear for this task. Apply the solution in sections, ensuring that it doesn’t dry off before you rinse.
4. Rinse the Floor
Use a high-pressure nozzle to clean the excess solution on the floor. Mop up any dry cement or excess water on the surface and ensure there is no solution left behind, which can interfere with the coating process. It’s difficult to do away with dirt for good; therefore, vacuum the surface again to remove any dirt or dust. It’s essential to understand the needed tools and equipment’s to handle the cleaning and the spreading to enhance uniformity and accuracy. If you used dry grinding process, then there is no need to rinse but instead, vacuum or sweep since there is no excess water to be dried.
5. Prepare the Room
Remove any baseboard in the room to facilitate easy floor coating. Apply some complete painters along the bottoms of the room walls or tape with plastic sheeting to allow epoxy rolling right next to the wall. Preparing the room saves a lot of time that could be spent on cutting the edges with a brush. Ensure the room is well cleaned and has dried off completely. When you feel the way is ready, go to the next step. You also need skills and experience in tapping the wall bottoms to facilitate uniformity. You will be proud of the work done after coating completion.
6. Mix the Garage Floor Epoxy
A floor epoxy contains two parts, including the catalyst and resin, which must be mixed as per the requirements before applying. Before pouring the catalyst, stir the paint a bit. After running the catalyst, continue going to acquire desired results. After the container has been emptied, continue stirring for three minutes until they are thoroughly mixed. Let the mix-up rest for some time as per the manufacturer’s indications. Apply the epoxy once it’s ready using the right tools.
Bottom Line
Preparing your garage floor is not an easy task since it requires professional skills and experience to achieve desired results. There are also special tools and equipment involves; therefore, these professionals must have them for significant results. Time and temperatures are the limiting factors that must be adhered to for a compelling look.
