Lifetime Epoxy Floors: Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Systems Explained

By Expert Author: Frank Russman

Installing new garage Epoxy Floors are a very popular growing trend! Garage floor epoxy beauty, durability and overall quality is best when the garage epoxy floor installation is done by a professional residential epoxy floor coating installation company. Lifetime Epoxy Floors, for over 10 years, has been installing top quality epoxy and polyaspartic floor coatings. They are well known and respected for installing top quality residential epoxy, commercial epoxy, and industrial epoxy floor coatings. They have earned and maintained a high level of customer satisfaction and an A+ BBB Rating. 

Why have an epoxy garage floor? Ordinary garage floors are just plain grey concrete. Over time, stains from grease, oils, and chemicals cause plain grey concrete to become an ugly eyesore. Having an epoxy garage floor coating will give you years of service, durability and will resist most stains; as well as provide you with a beautifully, finished surface to preserve the value of your home.
The Most Common Epoxy Floor Coating Systems
There are three common systems available that will enhance your garage floor:
1. Epoxy & Polyurethane Solid Color System
2. Epoxy Chipstone (partial vinyl chip broadcast) with Polyurethane Top Coat System
3. Epoxy Granitex (100% vinyl chip broadcast) with Polyurethane Top Coat System
Keep in mind that with these three epoxy systems, you have 'good', 'better' and 'best' types of epoxy garage floor systems.
The Good System
The epoxy polyurethane solid color system will last approximately 5-7 years, maintenance free, but will require a maintenance coat of pigmented polyurethane. This garage floor coating is usually a two-coat, thin film system; ranging in thickness from 4-20 mils. It is applied by roller or airless sprayer.
The Better System
Epoxy garage floor system typically consists of one pigmented primer coat of epoxy; a pigmented color coat with a partial/light broadcast of vinyl chips into the wet epoxy; and a single coat of clear polyurethane for protection. The thickness is approximately 20-30 mils.
The Best System
The epoxy system can last as long as 12-15+ years, maintenance free before needing a maintenance coat of polyurethane. This epoxy floor coating is typically one pigmented primer coat; a pigmented color coat with a 100%/full broadcast of vinyl chips; and two coats of clear polyurethane.
Preparation
Proper surface preparation is vital to the long term success of the installation. All surfaces to be coated must be cleaned of contaminants which may interfere with bonding. Concrete must be acid-etched, shot-blasted or diamond-ground to achieve a profile similar to 120 grit sandpaper. After preparation, the concrete surface should be inspected for holes and cracks. If holes or cracks are prevalent, then patchwork should be performed. Once preparation is complete, installation is ready to begin.
Installation of Granitex Epoxy Garage Floor System:
1. Surface preparation, patchwork and roll one coat of pigmented epoxy primer.
2. After epoxy primer is dry, inspect, prep and roll one coat of pigmented epoxy over primed area. Work in 10x10 or 12x12 sections at a time. While epoxy is wet, broadcast vinyl chips into wet epoxy. Be sure the area receives 100% coverage. When all sections are completely covered, let dry thoroughly.
3. Once all sections are dry, scrape, sweep and vacuum all excess Granitex vinyl chips from the surface. Apply a thin coat of polyurethane to lock and lay vinyl chips down.
4. When the polyurethane is dry, apply a second coat for a final top coat. As an option, non-skid resin sand can be added to increase the slip resistance.
All epoxy garage floor coatings can be easily cleaned with mild, liquid detergents; then mopping, hosing or even "swiffering". Grease, oils, and most chemicals will not stain or absorb into the epoxy coated floor.
To learn more about epoxy garage floor coatings and get facts, info and much more about decorative concrete coatings for any other concrete area, visit Frank's blog here: Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Systems [http://concretedesignsbyfrank.com/?p=429]
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