EPOXY FLOOR PAINT

A Short Intro to Seamless Epoxy Floor Coatings and Paints

A MUST READ for Beginners

 Epoxies are two part paints that are known for toughness

Seamless Epoxy DIY Floor Paints - Coatings - MUST READ intro
summary of DIY epoxies for floors. Problems, options, issues.
 

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Read Before Viewing Other Sites. A very short introduction to the basics of epoxy floors for the homeowner and "Do It Yourselfer"

INTRODUCTION: Epoxies are two part paints that are known for toughness but will usually yellow quickly in sunlight. They can seal wood, cement, concrete, or metal surfaces and serve as a floor coating or undercoat under other paints, tiles, or wood surfaces. The two parts of the epoxy kit are mixed together and then applied to the surface. The working time between mixing the epoxies and when it begins to set is based upon temperature, the amount of epoxy mixed, and the kind of epoxies. Many common epoxies may only have a working time of 15 to 30 minutes per batch under many circumstances. Most epoxy floors are applied by paint roller. Some professionally applied floors are sprayed or trawled down.

PROBLEMS: Problems that may be encountered with epoxy floors (and also their application) include:

1) the yellowing of the epoxy in sunlight (mentioned above);

2) the short working time of many epoxies;

3) air coming out of concrete surfaces and forming bubbles/blisters in thick epoxies that are just beginning to harden;

4) areas of the floor that remain sticky (a sign of poor or incorrect mixing of the two part epoxy);

5) the epoxy not sticking or being pulled up by hot tires etc. (this is related to the surface itself and its preparation prior to coating. It is not related to the epoxy itself);

6) no 'sure thing' preparation method - lots of preparation options available. You have to make some personal decisions on what kind and how much preparation is enough and then cross your fingers. You will not know until the coatings have been down for some time if the surface preparation was 'good enough.' In some cases the cement/concrete is in such bad conditional that no amount of surface preparation will be enough to keep the epoxy coatings adhered to the floor.;

7) moisture/water issues within the cement/concrete can also cause epoxy (and other floor coatings) to fail/lift off. True professionals know which jobs not to bid on and not to get involved with.

HOW MUCH EPOXY: An epoxy floor coating can be a one to seven coat system. It can include colored sands or colored chips incorporated into the floor system for looks and/or anti slip. The introduction of sands or chips into the project greatly increase the options and decisions to be made. There are several different methods for how such systems can be applied which will change the number of layers or coatings applied as well as the use of non epoxy coatings in some of those coating layers. Unless the vendor/applicator/contractor offers a 'cookie cutter' approach to epoxy floors, you'll have lots of decisions to make.

If you decide to add 'grit' for anti slip purposes, this also introduces more options for you to consider. There are different kinds of grits, different sizes of grits, different methods of applying the grit, and different personal opinions regarding how much grit to use.

TYPES OF EPOXY COATINGS:

Water Based Epoxy coatings - a thin coating that is easy to apply and work with, but hides nothing and is not the 'commercial' epoxy floor most people think of.

Solvent Based Epoxy coatings - Sort of like an oil based enamel, these epoxies contain solvents. These kinds of epoxies are generally not very common any more.

Solvent free epoxy coatings - The classic epoxy floor - thick enough to hide many floor flaws. Short working time per batch. Usually no odor.

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In a multi coat system, a combination of the above epoxy types might be used as well as some non epoxy coatings (to provide UV protection to the epoxies, reducing yellowing).

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Note that sometimes a thin water based or thin solvent based epoxy can/will be used as a sealer or base coat on concrete/cement under the 'regular' epoxy floor coating.

HOMEOWNER REALITY CHECK: While the above information sounds daunting, most homeowners successfully get away with minimal surface preparation and one or two coats of epoxy 'slapped' on to the surface.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WITH EPOXY PRODUCTS/VENDORS/CONTRACTORS:

1) epoxies that require a wait time after mixing and before applying are almost always obsolete, low quality products.

2) be wary of companies that don't tell you what kind of epoxies they are using and/or imply that their 'method/product' is the ONLY way to go.

3) be wary of companies that downplay surface preparation and don't mention the issues/problems (like yellowing or air bubbles from the cement/concrete) that might be encountered.

4) professionals use technical product data sheets and government required MSDS (material data safety sheets) to learn about and evaluate products. Be wary of companies that do not easily make these available to you as they are probably hiding something they don't want you to know.

5) Email or call the companies involved before you buy.. If they will not return an email or telephone call before the sale, you can be certain they will not after the sale.

A more complete Introduction to Epoxy Floor Coatings is available at: www.epoxyproducts.com/floorcoatings4u.html

DISCLOSURE: This document was written by Paul Oman, (9/2009) of Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc., which has a commercial interest in the sale of epoxy coatings and products. The purpose of this document is to educate the public about epoxy floor coatings with honest, "insider" information that most vendors/contractors/applicators (both locally and on the Internet) seem unwilling to provide. We hope you will consider us when shopping for epoxies. Our web sites include: -- www.epoxyproducts.com and -- www.epoxyUSA.com.

Seamless Epoxy DIY Floor Paints - Coatings - MUST READ intro
summary of DIY epoxies for floors. Problems, options, issues.