As long as your garage is clean and the floor doesn’t have a bunch of cracks or glue or removal that needs to take place, a garage can be coated with our 3 part system in one full day. Our process entails basic surface preparation and sealing of minor cracks. Following that process we grind the floor, and adhere the epoxy to the freshly ground floor. After that we broadcast flakes. Finally after curing we apply a clear top coat. Your garage will be good as new the next day after drying but you should wait another day before parking on it.
Newly poured concrete should be allowed to cure for at least 30 days before epoxy installation. Alkalinity and moisture test should also be done to ensure the epoxy material will adhere well to the concrete surface. It is important that the concrete have the right density and moisture levels before grinding and concrete with epoxy.
Hairline cracks usually come out after grinding the concrete floor. If a putty knife can fit into the crack then it needs to be filled prior to epoxy installation. All major divits and cracks need to be sealed prior to grinding the slab. After we grind the slab a lot of imperfections go away and the epoxy coats will cover up minor issues.
Concrete surface must be properly prepared prior to epoxy flooring installation to ensure proper adherence of the epoxy product to the concrete surface. Cracks and damages need to be repaired. Oil and gas stains need to be removed.
Mechanical preparation either through diamond grinding or shot blasting is done to open the pores of concrete and get rid of all irregularities. This is to ensure that once the epoxy material is applied it will properly bond with the concrete surface.
If surface prep isn’t done properly then the epoxy will bubble and look bad. It’s important that the integrity of the concrete be perfect prior to laying down any floor coatings.
You can start walking on newly-installed epoxy flooring after about 10 to 14 hours. After about 24 hours, you can already moderately use the floors. The floors will completely cure after 48 to 72 hours and should be ready for regular use.
To ensure a successful epoxy flooring installation, it is best to work when temperature is below 500F. This will allow the natural curing of the epoxy floors. Heaters are never used to speed up the curing process as the emitted carbon dioxide can interrupt the curing process and cause the yellowing of the epoxy flooring.
Applying epoxy in temperatures between 500F and 600F will however not affect the epoxy installation process but it will take a much longer curing process.
Sweeping dust, dirt and debris as well as wiping of any spills are all it takes to keep epoxy floors healthy and safe. Cleaning agents with harsh chemicals should never be used as they may affect the protective layer of the epoxy floors.
Epoxy floors could use some deep cleaning once a year. You should, however, only use cleaners that do not contain acidic chemicals. We cary lines of cleaning materials if you need product to maintain and clean your epoxy floors.
The lifespan of polished concrete depends on the environment it was installed. However, with proper care and maintenance it should last for over 20 years regardless of whether it was installed in a residential, commercial or industrial environment.
It is common to add colors and patterns to polished concrete. We have done many stencils in floors including work on professional athletic teams. If you want a specific print, we can print it and add it to your project. If you are looking to get a different color in your concrete there are also many concrete staining options. Ofcourse, epoxy has many different colors as well. If you want colors, give us a call and we can discuss all of your options with you to make sure your floor is crative and eye catching to match your style preferences.
No. Metallic epoxies create one-of-a-kind floors. There is no contractor that can duplicate his work in two metallic epoxy floors. When the metallic pigments are added they left alone to set. There is no way to predict or control the final look of the floors.
Since metallic epoxy is reflective it may look as though it is a slippery surface. Epoxy has very good anti-slip properties. If you want to increase the anti-slip properties of metallic epoxy, you can add topcoats.
There are numerous techniques that can be used in applying concrete stains. Some of the most used techniques can replicate the look of natural stones, polished marble and even stained wood or tanned leather. We love doing colorful surfaces and using the natural toans of concrete to bring out the depth of a concrete floor. There are many different color options available. Check out our stained concrete page here for more answers.
The colors of stained concrete will not fade because the stains penetrate deep into the concrete surface. When properly applied stained concrete will not fade, peel or chip off.
No. Decorative concrete such as overlays, stamped overlays and stains can simply just be applied over your existing concrete surface to create an aesthetically appealing decorative finish.