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Advise on epoxy on garage flooring, acid etching?

6 years ago

I want to put down an epoxy covering on our garage floor. We live in Maine and in the winters, snow will melt off from our car and run towards the opening and stop there at the garage door and freeze. It will eventually break up the cement where there's small cracks.

I need to first repair the holes that the ice created from the freezing (tips on best bonding?) and then I want to lay down the epoxy. At once point I painted on a cement water sealant to try to combat the problem. Will I need to do acid etch or what is the best practice for good adhesive?

I'm hoping that this will stop the freezing from breaking up the cement.

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Comments (2)

geoffrey_b
6 years ago
I live in Minnesota, my garage is heated. When it was built in 1997 I put two coats of Rustoleum epoxy cement paint, mixed with pumice - to make it slip resistant.

I don't know how you have to prep your garage slab - but I can tell you it needs to be dry - paint won't stick to water. I'd wait until the summer - then tape a 2'-3' square poly to the floor. After several days remove it. If it's dark in color, then you have too much moisture in the slab.
Ron Natalie
6 years ago
Heed well the instructions for the MINIMUM TEMPERATURE. If you apply it and it gets too cold before it cures, it will never set properly. Read the prep on the epoxy you intend to use. Generally if you have a well bonded finish below, you don't need to do anything. Oil is your enemy so that needs to be cleaned by whatever it takes (TSP scrubbing or acid). I agree with all what Geoffry said as well..
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OK...here we go. Garage floors are NOT sealed the way "house slabs" are sealed. They rarely have (if ever) a vapor/moisture barrier underneath them. The moisture barrier is what PREVENTS adhesion/bonding issues. So...that means the EXTRA EFFORT needed to ensure bonding will be required if you don't like the idea of your epoxy lifting or blistering. To get this to work, your epoxy flooring specialists (not just "painting professionals") will have to do the following: Shot blast the surface of the garage floor (to rough up the surface and remove an deposits sitting on the top...like the stuff they add to create a fast cure) Apply 1-2 coats (spray on is most common) of moisture barrier and allow to cure Apply a primer (1-2 coats depending on the system used) and allow to cure Apply a micro topping of concrete to give a finish Apply the epoxy of your choice Whew. Lots of work. I've heard the "prep" (the first 4 points listed above) can reach $5/sf. The epoxy is then added to the cost. This is not a job for painters. Regardless of the system used (commercial/industrial vs. residential) this is not a job for painters. I've seen SOOOOO many painters ruin home improvement projects I could just spit! As a former flooring professional, I can tell you that painters love to make suggestions - especially if it means more work for them. I'm sorry, but PLEASE contact several epoxy professionals to get some quotes. This is your best way forward. And those joints are supposed to be there. Your epoxy experts will know that.
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