If you have been considering purchasing and using a DIY epoxy kit on your garage floor, you may want to do your due diligence in researching it prior to engaging in the task. While it is advised that your garage floor be coated for its protection, DIY epoxy kits are not as good of a deal as retailers make them out to be. In fact, they are not a good deal, whatsoever.
In this guide, we will outline common problems that consumers experience when they use these kits on their garage floors.
- Preparation and Primer Problems
Prior to placing an epoxy floor coating on your garage floor, the area must be thoroughly cleaned and prepared. The process of cleaning the floor on your own – even with the best degreaser product on the market – will not have the necessary impact.
There are many factors that must be considered – even with acid etching techniques. Additionally, DIY epoxy kits typically do not contain an appropriate primer. The priming system is a core component to coating success. If it is not in place, the epoxy will not adhere properly.
- Lack of Detailed Instructions
There is a chemical reaction that occurs between the hardener and the resin as an epoxy floor coating starts to cure. This results in the generation of heat. If this heat is unable to properly escape, it builds up too fast and results in fast curing times.
While that may not seem like a serious issue, it is if the epoxy starts to harden in the container before you are able to successfully complete the application on the garage floor.
In most instances, the DIY kits will not give detailed instructions on how long it takes for the product to cure nor will it include details on the specific amounts that must be mixed on each square footage.
- Lack of Top Coat
If you do manage to get the entire garage floor covered with the DIY epoxy kit, you will find that there is no included top coat. This enhances the protection of the coating.
To successfully put an epoxy floor coating in place, a Polyaspartic-based top coating is needed to protect the epoxy, increase its overall durability, and result in a glossy finish that will not turn yellow when the flooring is exposed to the sun and the heat.
Contact Us Today
If you use a DIY epoxy kit on your garage floor, it is likely that – by the time you finish – you will experience one or more problems with the task. In the end, you will need to either start all over or hire a professional to lift what you have put into place and place a new coating.
It is in your best interest to have the job done by professionals. In the long run, it will save you both time and money. If you are ready to bypass the hassles associated with DIY epoxy kits, contact us here at Concrete Coatings of the South by calling the following number: 706-249-4131