Epoxy Garage Floor Paint Is One Of The More Popular Finishes

One of the most commonly used compounds for this purpose is epoxy garage floor paint. An epoxy garage floor coating will keep your garage flooring looking great for quite a while. There are other garage floor finishes available, but if you want the best in protection, you’ll definitely want to go with one of the many epoxy garage floor coatings available on the market.

Not All Garage Floor Finishes Are Easy To Install

Although they’re the best, epoxy garage floor finishes are sometimes quite hard to apply. Getting it brushed evenly, especially on larger garage floors, can be a huge pain, and the mixing alone is not a small job. There is no small amount of tricks that professionals use to keep issues from popping up later and help the installation go smoother. Sometimes having a pro install your finish just makes more sense.

Recent Garage Floor Finishes Install Easier Than Previous Ones

It has become much simpler for the average homeowner to to apply garage floor finishes to their own garage in more recent years. Applications of these compounds have become easier and simpler due to the newer compounds which were created specifically for homeowners to install with no help. Although technological advancement certainly has played a part, increased competition from garage floor coverings like tiles and mats, which are simpler to apply, have also spurred innovation.

There’s Still A Lot To Do

Even considering these advancements, this is still far from the simplest home improvement job. The clock has to be watched, and your floor must be spotless before even starting. Etching your concrete is a really good idea before you apply a concrete coating, so make sure you consider that in addition to cleaning. Many epoxy garage floor paint kits require etching, and some actually have etching fluid and instruction on its use pre-packaged. A lot of etching fluids are also cleaners, turning two steps into one.

Check out my site, Sweet Garage Flooring, for more garage floor information including everything from tiles and mats to stains and paints.

Like It Or Not, Garage Floor Finishes Are Indispensable If You Want Your Concrete To Not Look All Nasty And Cracked is a post from: Crashed Cars For Sale

What Is Epoxy?

Anyone who has ever glued something together that was never meant to come apart in the first place has probably used either super-glue or epoxy. If you had to mix it, it was probably epoxy. This is because epoxy, by definition, is a mixture of epoxide and polyamine. Once these two chemicals have mixed and cured, they create the rock-hard adhesive or paint that we know of as epoxy. The curing process of epoxy is often varied depending on its application. When it comes to garage flooring, epoxy usually takes hours to cure, whereas in adhesive, it may be mixed so that it will only take minutes.

Why Does Epoxy Makes The Most Powerful Coat Of The Garage Floor Coatings?

Epoxy is the most dependable and the most powerful of the assorted garage flooring alternatives. Epoxy, in its nature, withstands almost all liquids to the UV rays, and you can also count on it to withstand any or all chemicals coming from cars or whatever in the garage. But, because of its density, it is not very comfortable to sit on as mats and tiles would be, even though it’s easier on your back and your knees that just a plain ol’ concrete garage floor.

How Does Epoxy Compare To Other Garage Floor Coatings?

If you take a look at the various garage flooring options, you’ll see some garage floor paint is labeled as water or acrylic based. These are usually also epoxy coatings, and they may or may not be mixed a bit differently with slightly different balances than those garage floor coatings that more clearly show themselves to be epoxy based. For whatever reason, it seems that some companies want to lead consumers away from thinking their products are the same as the other guys, even if they basically are. Notice that the big guys like RustOleum and Quikrete garage floor pretty clearly say that all of their coatings are epoxy.

Epoxy Is Probably The Future Of Garage Floor Coatings, Too

Even though epoxy’s most attractive attribute, the ability to withstand the worst chemicals, has been in circulation for a long while, the technology is worth the price. A great example of this is brake fluid, when left alone, can destroy clothes by seeming to “eat” them, will just easily come off of epoxy garage floor coating. Probably not too far in the future there will be a new technology for a car or something that might be able to deteriorate epoxy, but for now, it is a safe choice. Meaning, the best garage floor coating you should require is epoxy.

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more information on garage floor coatings.

Epoxy Garage Floor Coatings Are Everywhere is a post from: Crashed Cars For Sale

When It Comes To A Garage Floor, What Is Etching?

To etch is basically to cut in to the surface of. A good example, outside of garage flooring, is glass etching. Glass is generally etched for decorative purposes, although the results can also result in better grip. When it comes to garage floors, etching is not so much for decoration, although the texture that is produced is considered, by most, to be preferable to a mirror finish.

Why Should I Etch Before Applying Epoxy Garage Floor Paint?

You don’t have to etch your concrete garage floor when applying epoxy, but there are some very good reasons why you will probably want to. For one, the increased traction that epoxy can provide comes from etching, and it will be absent if the floor is not etched. This can cause slips, falls, and other assorted chaos, and driving on such a slick surface can also be irritating. If the intention is to do a lot of work in your garage, etching is definitely the way to go.

What If My Epoxy Garage Floor Paint Kit Says Etching Is Not Required?

In reality, etching is never required in order to apply a garage floor coating. However, if the instructions for your kit say to etch the concrete, then that is what you will have to do to get the maximum stated life out of your new epoxy coating. Without etching, epoxy paint cannot create a complete seal, and will peel far earlier. There are no hard and fast rules on how long epoxy garage floor paint can last, either with or without etching, but it will certainly last longer with etching than without. Some kits do not include etching in their instructions, which enables them to make the claim “No Etching Necessary!” or something similar. This is generally a marketing ploy, and the directions for those kits either do not mention how long the coating will last, or may say that although it not necessary, etching is recommended to get the maximum life out of your epoxy garage floor paint.

At What Point Should I Etch My Garage Floor?

Almost every epoxy garage floor coating kit will come with some sort of etch-and-clean solution, and also instructions on when and how it should be used. Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, you’ll usually get the best deal by buying everything you need in one kit as opposed to separate pieces. Whichever way you go, the garage flooring is usually etched before anything else is done. This is especially so if your etching chemical also cleans but, if it does not, you will want to read those directions to see when the concrete garage floor is supposed to be cleaned.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.

Learning The Purpose Of Garage Floor Etching is a post from: Crashed Cars For Sale

Follow Directions When Applying Your Epoxy Garage Floor Coating!

If you’ve decided that you’re both willing and able to install your own epoxy garage floor coating, feel free to read the rest of this to get a summary of what you’re going to be doing when you do the install. Always remember, though, that the instructions from your kit come first, and anything found here or elsewhere should be considered only as a rough guide. Only the instructions that come with your particular epoxy garage floor coating kit can tell you the best way to install that coating. Do anything else, and you’ll probably end up with a mess for garage flooring.

Picking Your Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit

Obviously selecting and purchasing your epoxy garage floor coating kit will be your first step. Considering there is virtually no risk of a faulty product or damage from shipping, buying your kit online is a very sound way to save some money. If you have never done anything like this before, you may want to try and get a kit that comes with an instructional DVD so that you can have detailed directions. Keep in mind, there are many kits out there to choose from, and some have quite the array of color options, so don’t settle. Your epoxy garage floor coating is going to be around for quite a while, after all, and you don’t want your garage flooring to be something you are embarrassed of after putting so much work into it.

Preparing For Your Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

Once you have your kit in hand, you need to clean your concrete garage floor. If there is already a layer of paint, you can usually just lay the new epoxy garage floor coating over the top. However, some kits are not good for this, so read the directions carefully. If the existing paint is badly damaged, you’ll want to sand down to the concrete garage floor before you even begin to clean.

Installing Your Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

The instructions in most kits will begin with the mixing. After the concrete garage floor is cleaned up, mixing will likely be your next step. Follow your directions to the letter since a mistake in the mixing can foul up the whole thing. Mixing is generally not difficult, but since this is the foundation of everything else, pay very close attention. Before you start, read the whole of the instructions a few times over; you’ll be glad you did. After the epoxy is on the floor, the color flakes, should they be present and you choose to use them, will come next. They are in no way necessary, and will not help protect your floor, but they do add some color. After the specified amount of drying time, the paint itself goes down. If everything has been done right by this point, it’s just a matter of waiting for the garage floors to dry, and they’ll be all shiny and professional looking!

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more information on installing an epoxy garage floor coating.

Steps To Install An Epoxy Garage Floor Coating is a post from: Crashed Cars For Sale

High Gloss Sealer By Quikrete

If your garage floor already has a coating, then this may be your best option, though it can also go straight onto the concrete garage floor as well. You can even use it on slate, pavers, masonry, bricks, or aggregate. When used on top of Quikrete garage floor paint, you’ll get a nice, deep shine, and further protection against chemicals. Put straight onto the concrete garage floor, you’ll gain some protection from cracking and staining, but nothing like what you would get from epoxy garage floor paint. It’s cheaper, though, at only half the price as epoxy, and it is also easier to install as it doesn’t need to be mixed. If your only need is to add shine to the garage floor and get a bit of protection, then this may work for you. Otherwise, you will probably want to continue reading.

Etching Stain By Quikrete

First off, stain does not provide any protection. It is only used to give the concrete color. In fact, Quikrete states that their stain must be sealed with their Quikrete Garage Floor Stain Sealer. That being said, stain is pretty neat in that it does give a the concrete a very interesting and unusual color, and this particular product is a one coat affair, making it far simpler to apply than epoxy garage floor paint. Compared to their other garage flooring solutions, Quikrete’s stain is pretty pricey, and even after you add the sealant you’re not getting as much protection as with epoxy paint. Use this product only if all you want is an old world looking earth-tone color on your concrete. This cannot be used on concrete that already has any other type of treatment on it. Treated concrete will have to be stripped.

Clear Epoxy Coating By Quikrete

Although this product can be used on the garage, it is primarily intended to be used on indoor concrete. However, if you decide to stain the concrete, this is still going to be your best protection, indoor or outdoor. It provides a fairly low gloss look, and decent protection against chemicals and the elements. It’s a lot more expensive than the Quikrete garage floor high gloss sealer, though, so unless you have stained your concrete, that will be your better option.

Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

This is the most comprehensive Quikrete garage floor option. It will give you the absolute best protection and great color. The kit includes color flakes and cleaner, and is actually fairly cheap. Unless you have a specific reason to look elsewhere, this should probably be your garage flooring solution. It should be mentioned, though, that epoxy garage floor coating can be the hardest coating to install, even if it is the most durable.

Learn more about Quikrete garage floorsolutions at mygarage floor site!

Choosing The Best Quikrete Garage Floor is a post from: Crashed Cars For Sale