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Epoxy is a long-lasting, tough coating that you paint onto concrete floors to resist grease, oil and many other substances. The difficult part about epoxy is that not all concrete floors will hold a coating.
Before you get ready to paint with epoxy, you need to test the dampness of the ground underneath the concrete. Tape a plastic bag to the garage floor for 24 hours. If it’s dry underneath, you can start to paint. If there’s moisture visible, you can’t paint with epoxy, as the water pressure will break the bond of the concrete. Choose a weekend with good weather — concrete needs to be a minimum of 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with an air temperature between 60-90 degrees.
1. Clean all spots and stains on the floor. You want all grease and oil spots removed before you begin painting with epoxy.
2. Hose down your floor, driveway and several feet on either side.
3. Rinse your garage with an acid solution. This will leave the concrete surface feeling like fine-grit sandpaper.
4. Paint your floor with epoxy. There are three different types of epoxy: 100 percent solids, solvent based and water based. The 100 percent solid is pure epoxy; there are no solvents in this product and is best if a professional handles it. The solvent-based is roughly half epoxy, and will penetrate and adhere well — and comes in a variety of colors. Water based epoxy is very similar to solvent based, except it has no hazardous fumes.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. After the floor has dried overnight, fill in cracks and repair holes. Let dry.
Remember to wear a respirator and keep the garage door open.
If you would like to hire a professional to epoxy coat your garage, contact your Shorewest, REALTOR® for a recommendation today!
Categories: DIY
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