Most frequently asked questions about our epoxy floor coatings!
NOTE: The questions below apply to the standard epoxy chip system, usually applied to industrial, commercial, and residential concrete floors.
General/Preparation
Generally 20+ years.
Depending on the climate, you should allow 24-30 hours of dry time and 2-3 day before driving on.
Yes, contamination must be removed.
Yes, when water or oil is present. Aluminum oxide non-skid is recommended to reduce this condition if you have excessive water or oil; a .5 coefficient of friction or higher is recommended.
The most important differences between floor coating epoxies are listed below:
Epoxy-Coat is a Cycloaliphatic 100% solids epoxy. This is a term used to describe the volume solids in a coating system. It is what is left over after the product dries. 100% solids yields 100% dried material after the coating fully dries. 50% volume solids yield 50% of the thickness after the coating fully dries. Most epoxies are 30%-40% volume solids. If you wish to compare the thickness after dried application between Epoxy-Coat and normal epoxies you would need 2.5x the gallons to equal exactly the thickness of 1 gallon of Epoxy-Coat.
It is a type of epoxy. Just like there are types of automobiles that perform differently (and vary in cost) so do epoxies. Not all epoxies are the same. If you wish to apply a high performance floor coating, you would want a 100% solids epoxy (to achieve a thickness suitable for proper aesthetics and durability), a high abrasion resistance, a product that would be resistant to yellowing or fading over time, high gloss, highly chemical resistant, impact resistant, 0 VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) for low odor and safety in application in odor and VOC sensitive environments.
Application/Installation
Yes in all areas you wish to have coating applied. We can cut in around equipment if you don’t have a problem with that.
Take a leaf blower and blow the top of the surface to remove the surface tension and removing the bubbles.
They help with nonskid and help hide imperfections in the floor by adding a decorative look.
Generally no more than the coating.
0.5 coefficient of friction is common acceptance in general floor areas and .8 on wheelchair ramps. The Elco meter test equipment can test Unit of force/weight of object. The Osha (Occupation Safety Health Administration) says a safe slip resistance as specified by 1910.68 is .5 coefficient of friction. Additional floor test specifications by ADA:
0.6 flat surface
0.8 ramped surfaces
As defined by ADA accessibility guidelines (ADAAG)
If the conditions present water or oil, it is recommended.
Yes, in approx. 15 years.
If you mop the floor, it will be harder. If washed with a broom, squeegee or power scrubber, there is only a slight difference.
All concrete moves. Mortar joints/saw cuts are engineered to allow for the movement of concrete. Cracks are the cause of more movement than the mortar joints/saw cuts will allow for. Due to this, cracksmortar jointssaw cuts can be patched but there is no guarantee that they will not move in the future more than the patching will allow for, therefore causing a crack in the epoxy patch. Generally, this will simply be a small crack that will not chip or peel from the concrete.
Epoxy-Coat can be coated over existing paints/coatings by simply making sure the existing coatings are cleaned, sanded (80-100 grit) and bonding. All areas that are not bonding must be diamond ground to remove loose coatings prior to Epoxy-Coat application.
Using a gas torch burn the hairs from the floor prior to coating
Coat the floor with first coat of Epoxy-Coat, wait 24 hours and sand vigorously with an industrial sander (80 grit), apply a second coat and flake the floor. Note: If you don’t flake the floor you may still see traces of hairs so it’s important to apply at least the minimum of flakes provided in a normal kit. Ordering an extra 1-2 lbs of flakes for a 2.5 car garage would be a good idea.