Epoxy Flooring Products for DIY
Epoxy Flooring
It’s not always easy to figure out the best epoxy coating system for your floor which also fits your budget. With so many epoxy products, manufacturers, and commercial installers to choose from, it can be frustrating and somewhat overwhelming if you don’t know exactly what you want or how an epoxy coating system works. But the days of worry are long gone because we are here to help you out in choosing the best epoxy product from the array of items available in the market. Our goal here is to help eliminate the confusion about epoxy coatings and to educate you on the different options available in order to choose the best epoxy for you.
There are many reputable brands of epoxy available. What it comes down to when determining the best coating for your garage floor is,
1. What type of epoxy is it?
2. How is it used as part of a system?
WATERBORNE EPOXY PAINT
Water-based epoxy is easy to apply and has a longer pot life that reduces the worry of getting it applied as quickly as other epoxy products require. It’s almost as easy to apply as paint and is why it’s advertised as epoxy paint. Because of this, it is best recommended if you are a DIY customer.
These kits are designed as a single coat system with roughly 50% solids content of epoxy and a coverage rate of around 250 square feet. They roll on easy and cure to a thin coat of approximately 3 miles with a matte to semi-gloss finish.
Though inexpensive, this is the least durable of epoxy. They are based on older formulations and are not the best value for your money. Their resistance to stains and chemicals are not as good as other types of floor epoxy and they are susceptible to damage on heat application.
If you like the easier application requirements of water based epoxy, you can increase the durability and protection with a more professional multi-coat kit that offers a second coat of epoxy clear as a top coat. This also doubles the coating thickness from 3 mils to 6 mils. Some brands such as The Original ColorChips offer kits such as these. They are a better value for the money with more current epoxy formulations and pricing starting around 11,000 bucks.
HIGH SOLIDS EPOXY
The next step up is the commercial grade epoxy products. They have the best resistance to stains, chemicals, and abrasion. They also have high solids content with the best being 100% solids epoxy.
The 100% solids single coat system is much thicker and will cure to approximately 10 mils or more depending on the brand. In fact, a single coat of 100% solids epoxy is more durable than two coats of a typical water based product. High solids epoxy make for a great color base coat to a multi-coat system due to their high build and are available in many choices of color options as well.
Cost for these commercial grade products vary depending on the solids content and brand. Expect to pay a minimum of 7500 bucks for clear epoxy only that will cover 250 square feet. The price goes up from there for standard colors and custom tints. For an average price of 18000 bucks, many of these kits include the tools required to apply them plus a bag of coloured acrylic paint flakes or chips to apply to the floor as well.
Though this type of epoxy is a much better value, it is not as DIY friendly as water based epoxy. It has a much thicker viscosity and needs to be back rolled when applied. The potlife is shorter as well, requiring that it be applied to the garage floor within 30 – 40 minutes after mixing.
CLEAR EPOXY OR POLYURETHANE TOP COATS
To improve upon the single coat 100% solids epoxy, the next step is to add a coat or two of clear epoxy or polyurethane. This is referred to as the top coat. This clear coat system adds not only durability and thickness, but is also what gives your floor that deep gloss and shine.
If decided on adding a topcoat, you also have the option of adding additional paint chips to your base coat. They can be sprinkled on sparingly or they can be applied to full refusal. Full refusal is the process of throwing on chips until they don’t stick anymore.
There are two reasons you may want to do a full refusal broadcast. The first is that it will give the floor some texture, increase thickness for durability, and help to produce an ant slip surface. The second reason is pure cosmetics. With the multitude of different coloured chip combinations to choose from, you can give your house floor any custom heart capturing look you desire.
If you are going to apply an epoxy coating yourself, you can create any one of the above combinations. Just remember when looking at different brands, compare both the coverage rate and solids content along with the price. If product A covers 250 square feet per container and product B covers 300 square feet per container, product B is rather recommended if you have a 540 square foot room that needs epoxy flooring. Do not attempt to stretch it out or you are destined to receive poor results.
Another factor to consider is the additional that come with these package. Some brands include rollers, mixing paddles, spiked shoes, paint brushes and other supplies in their price. Finally checking to see if they offer any kind of technical support. If this is your first time at applying a good quality epoxy it’s better to opt for some technical support before experimenting with your floor and your money.
So remember when choosing the best epoxy coating for your floor and budget is to make sure you have enough to cover every corner. Multiple coats will increase the wear and durability of the floor and always go with a higher solids content if you can afford it.
The cost average over time for the floor is much better if you do. And finally, if applying the floor coating yourself, choose an epoxy manufacturer with good customer service to insure a good experience and a quality floor.
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