How do I prep my garage floor for epoxy?

Epoxy flooring is a great option for your garage. With the proper prep and installation, you can have an attractive, durable floor that will protect your cars from damage and keep them looking new.

What Is Garage Floor Epoxy?

Epoxy is a durable, smooth coating that is applied to a surface and then cured under heat. It’s used in everything from adhesives and coatings to countertops and sealants.

Epoxy floors are typically made up of two parts: a resin or polyol, which hardens when exposed to air; and a hardener or curing agent that activates when mixed with the resin.

When mixed together they create an epoxy bond after they’re applied to a surface. They are available in both solvent-based (VOCs) or water-based formulas (no VOCs).

What do you clean garage floor with before epoxy?

First, it’s important to clean your garage floor with a mild detergent. You can use this to remove any dirt or grime that may be on your floor before applying epoxy. If there is oil on the concrete, use a degreaser instead of soap and water to remove it.

Once you’re done cleaning your garage floor, rinse it well with clean water to be sure you get all the soap or degreaser off of it.

Don’t worry if there are still some bubbles left behind after rinsing—they will disappear once you put down the epoxy sealant and let it dry overnight.

If you have access to a pressure washer (also known as an electric power washer), we recommend using one for this step as well; just make sure not to exceed 300 PSI when washing so that you don’t damage either yourself or your property!

How do you prepare a concrete floor for epoxy coating?

Preparing your concrete floor for epoxy coating is a relatively easy process, but you should take your time and do it right. Here’s how to prep your garage floor before applying epoxy:

• Clean the concrete
• Repair cracks in the concrete
• Etch the concrete
• Degrease the floor (if necessary)
• Apply a primer, then sand lightly (if necessary)
• Apply basecoat, roll out stripes or stencils if desired, then let dry overnight

Do I need to sand garage floor before epoxy?

Depending on the condition of your garage floor, you may or may not need to sand it before applying epoxy. If you have a smooth concrete floor and want to apply epoxy directly over top of it, then no sanding is required.

However, if your floor has been exposed to years of wear-and-tear from heavy equipment or other foot traffic and has become rough and pitted, then you should consider doing some prep work prior to sealing it with epoxy.

To prepare a rough concrete surface for an epoxy application:

• Clean the entire garage floor thoroughly with soap and water or with a degreaser solution designed for cleaning concrete surfaces (such as [3M™ Concrete Floor Prep.

How do you clean floors before epoxy?

If you want to apply epoxy floor coating to your garage, it’s important that you clean the floor thoroughly first. The base material is a resin that bonds with the surface of your garage floor or concrete slab and creates an impermeable layer. You can use a variety of different paints or coatings on top of the epoxy, but if there’s any oil or grease left on your garage floor before putting down the new coating, it won’t stick well and may even peel off completely after a while.

In order to ensure good adhesion and longevity for whatever else comes down on top of your garage floor coating after epoxy has been applied, take some time beforehand to make sure every inch has been cleaned as best as possible.

Any dirt or grime should be vacuumed up; then sweep up any residue from vacuuming before using a degreaser like Simple Green Heavy Duty All Purpose Cleaner Degreaser & Spot Remover (26 oz) which are designed specifically for this purpose. If necessary pressure washing can help remove stubborn stains so long as there isn’t too much-exposed aggregate already in place (this would also cause problems with adhesion).

What do you clean concrete with before epoxy?

In order to get your garage floor clean and ready for epoxy, you’ll need to find the right cleaning solution. There are a few options here:

• Use a pressure washer. This is probably the most thorough way to get your concrete floors clean before applying epoxy. Pressure washing uses high-pressure water that’s forced out of a nozzle to dislodge dirt and grime from deep within your concrete, making it easier for you to then scrape away with a broom or vacuum cleaner.
• Clean with chemical solutions like acid etching or alkaline cleaners (like TSP). These products react chemically with dirt on your garage floor and convert it into liquid form so it can be easily scrubbed away with water or soap and rinsed off completely once dry again by simply sweeping up! You’ll want something stronger than comet though as this will only scratch up any existing paint jobs without removing any of that pesky mold/algae growth embedded into their surfaces which could potentially cause problems later down the line when installing new coats over top

Can I epoxy my garage floor myself?

You can make your garage look like new with epoxy, but it’s important to prep the surface properly. If you don’t, your floor may end up looking like this:

• Follow the directions on the epoxy kit carefully. Not doing so may result in a garage floor that looks like this:
• A good do-it-yourself (DIY) kit includes everything you need to apply an epoxy coating to your garage floor—including mixing instructions and products for cleaning and preparing your surface. These kits are available online or at most hardware stores for about $100-$200 depending on size and quantity of product used per kit type.

Do you have to acid wash concrete before epoxy?

The acid wash will remove all the dirt, dust, oil, and grease from the concrete and ensure that the epoxy will adhere to the floor properly. You will also want to make sure that the concrete is clean from any possible dirt or debris.

Do you have to etch new concrete before epoxy?

If you have a new concrete floor and are working with epoxy, the good news is that you don’t need to etch the concrete.

However, if you choose to sand your floor before applying epoxy (to remove any dust or debris), it will help the paint stick better.

If you live in a cold climate where snow and salt can come into contact with your garage door, use a pressure washer set at low speed and water temperature setting as these can damage delicate surfaces such as paint.

You should also make sure that your floors are completely dry before applying epoxy or painting – even moisture from humidity can cause peeling later on!

Conclusion

You want to make sure that your garage floor is free of debris, grease, and oil stains. You also want to ensure you don’t have any holes in the concrete where water can penetrate.

Once you’ve done all this, then it’s just a matter of applying the epoxy and letting it dry for two days before rolling on the polyurethane.

The process should take no more than 2 hours total (including cleanup), but if you’re not comfortable with doing this yourself, there are professional contractors who can do it for about $1 per square foot.