By The garage in a house is the most roughly used space and many people do not take much care of it thinking that it is not visited by the guests. But you should care it well since it adds good value to your hose when you intend to sell it out and it also shows how caring you are about keeping you house clean.
An epoxy coating on a garage floor provides a wear resistant with hard finish. Epoxy paints come in wide a range of color options to grease, oil and other stains. The commercial epoxy paints offer the highest level of durability. Standard masonry paints do not hold up traffic and wear like epoxy paints do. Epoxy-based coatings are easy to maintain and clean which make them a good choice for a garage floor.
How to do it on your own?
- In the first place, remove all items from the garage floor. Cover half walls to the floor with plastic sheets to protect the walls against spills and splashes of paint.
- Sweep the garage floor with a stiff bristle broom to remove dirt, debris and dust. Remove stains from the floor with detergent. Rinse floor thoroughly to remove detergent residue and allow it to dry well. Epoxy based paints achieve better adhesion on the clean surfaces and cannot adhere to greasy or dirty surfaces.
- Do surface grinding of garage floor to expose the surface which is more porous than concrete surface. Blasting the garage floor with silica sand is an acceptable alternative. You can also apply a concrete etching acid-based product. Acid-based chemicals require much care and are not recommended for use by nonprofessionals,
- Sweep and wash the garage floor to remove all dust and allow the floor to dry.
- Fill the concrete cracks with hydraulic cement.
- Pour epoxy paint and hardener and stir it with a stick to mix.
- Now brush epoxy-based paint around the perimeter of the garage floor with a broad brush.
- Use a roller with a long handle about 1/2 inch in the paint and roll excess in the tray. Apply the epoxy paint starting in a corner away from the garage and rolling the roller forward and backward covering the ground.
- Allow the paint to dry thoroughly, usually four to six hours before applying the second coat. Many floor coverings with epoxy-based paint require only one layer. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before applying the additional coats.
With epoxy coatings available in the market, a garage floor no longer needs to be covered with oil stains, dirt and tire marks. The epoxy coating in garage has grown in the popularity, and you also have the options of colors and textures. Epoxy coatings are as easy to apply as paint, but they are much more durable and last much longer than paints. There are a number of complete epoxy kits or you can purchase materials on individual basis as well.
- To begin the process of coating epoxy on your garage floor, clean the garage floor thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner and a broom.
- Fill any cracks in the concrete floor with concrete patching compound and let it stand according to the manufacturer’s instructions to be dried.
- Clean any grease, oil or other contaminants from the floor surface with spoon and wipe the floor with the vacuum cleaner with a hard bristle brush. Rinse with a hose and allow the floor to dry completely.
- Use a solution of muriatic acid and water mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions to clean the surface of the whole area. Work the solution on the surface of the floor with a stiff brush or a broom and then rinse with a hose and let it dry. Repeat the process a second time after rinsing the floor. Great care should be taken to prevent the muriatic acid into contact with skin or clothing.
- Pour epoxy primer on the floor and spread evenly over the entire area with a roller. Use a brush to apply the primer on the edges where the roller cannot reach. The primer ensures correct adhesion of the epoxy coating. Now allow to dry primer strictly following the manufacturer’s recommendations and then vacuum the floor to ensure that it is not contaminated on the surface.
- Mix the epoxy layer according to the manufacturer’s instructions and pour a portion of the mixture on a roll. Use a paint roller with an extension handle to apply the mixture of epoxy to the floor surface, starting at the back of the garage and side to side. Apply the coat evenly in long overlapping strokes to cover the entire floor surface.
- Now completely coat the garage floor and leave for a minimum of four to six hours and then apply the second coat of epoxy mixture to the entire area of the garage floor. Allow the second layer to dry for a minimum of 48 hours before stepping on the surface and have a gap of at least five days before you park your vehicle in the garage.
