You can either choose to hire professionals to apply an epoxy coating to your garage or apply garage floor coatings DIY. The DIY installation has some disadvantages but it can surely be done.
In this tutorial, we will give you a step-by-step process to DIY epoxy garage floors. You can learn how to apply epoxy to garage floor yourself.
Installing an epoxy garage floor is not an easy job. It’s best to take help from a professional to install garage floor coatings. The total process consists of concrete floor prepping, cleaning, priming, proper dry times, and then re-applying base and top coats. It is easier said or shown in a video than done. Before going over the steps to Installation, we must know what materials and equipment are needed for garage floor coatings DIY. Since you are reading this blog, it means you want to know how to apply epoxy to garage floor yourself. In this blog, we are going to explain how to epoxy garage floor DIY.
One of the main hassles when applying epoxy to the garage floor is finding the tools/materials required for the job. While many stuff like sweeping brooms, gloves, buckets, etc may be lying around in your house. Even if they are not, it makes sense to buy them because they are cheap and can be used for other jobs as well. But, most people rent diamond grinders and even mixing drills. It would be better if you could borrow these machines from someone you know.
Finding the right epoxy product is also very important. The epoxy coating kit includes epoxy resin and a hardener. Other materials may be required based on the type of epoxy product that you want. Some epoxy kits are better for DIY installation than others. You can choose the color that you want and we will deliver the epoxy product to your doorstep. We sell the following types of epoxy products:
Epoxy garage floor DIY is definitely not an easy task. But applying an epoxy garage floor coating yourself is not impossible. You can follow these steps and can get the job done. However, it is always recommended to take Expert help from an Epoxy Flooring Company for the best results. These are the best DIY epoxy garage floor steps to follow:
These steps to DIY epoxy garage floor are explained below in detail:
The first and foremost step in the epoxy floor installation process is to clean the garage. Empty the garage floor. There should be nothing lying around on the garage floor. Take out everything and keep it in your home or store room. After emptying the garage, get a broom and sweep out the dust and dirt on the surface. Now use a garden hose and thoroughly wash down the garage for better cleaning. Using water will help to remove oil and grease stains from the floor. Now after the water dries, use a vacuum to clean the surface last time. We have to be super careful not to leave out any dirt or dust on the floor. A clean floor surface is a must for Epoxy floor installation.
The second step during installation is the floor prep process. It is one of the most important steps because without proper floor prepping, the epoxy installed won’t hold for much longer. Vehicle traffic is likely to cause hot tire pick-up if epoxy is not properly bonded to the concrete. For the epoxy to properly bond to the concrete surface, the concrete needs to be properly etched. You can use diamond grinding, shot blasting, or acid etching techniques to properly etch the concrete surface.
Use the aforementioned protective gear during this step as you will be dealing with chemicals. Properly wear gloves and eye protection while doing this. The mixture of acid and water when sprayed throughout will open pores on the surface which will help in binding the epoxy to the concrete properly. So, this is how we prep the garage floor for epoxy. Now we move on to the next step of the epoxy floor installation process.
Now for the third step of epoxy garage floor DIY, mix up the epoxy resin and the hardener you bought from the store (usually a 2-component kit* A&B). You may know that Epoxy isn’t available pre-made so we have to mix it up on our own. Properly mix the epoxy resin and hardener to form a thick solution of Epoxy coating. Now, stir the solution properly with a drill and mixing paddle for around 3 minutes. The chips aren’t added to the epoxy. They shouldn’t be added to the mixture. They are separately broadcasted by hand after rolling out the section of the floor of your kit of epoxy covers.
After the A&B components are mixed they are ready to be applied on the properly prepped concrete floor. Make sure to apply the solution as soon as possible when it’s ready to be applied as they typically only have about a 25-30 minute pot life. It is one of the most important steps in the Epoxy installation process. Use the brush to apply the coatings properly on the floor. The epoxy coating feels heavy and thicker than normal paint. Use rollers to properly apply epoxy evenly all over the surface. Divide the garage into sections and complete them one by one. Use the extension handle to roll over the area that you cannot reach. Spread the epoxy using the nap roller cover. Make sure the entire floor is evenly layered.
Now as soon as you finish layering the floor, toss or throw chips and flakes all over the floor surface. Make sure you try and disperse it evenly around the floor otherwise, it won’t look uniform at the end. 70% coverage looks decent for garages. Spray the chips as per the customer’s preference. After properly sprinkling the chips, our garage epoxy flooring layer is complete for the day. Now we move on to the next step of the epoxy floor installation.
The surface now needs to dry before you can work anything on it. Let it dry for the night. 12 hours is enough for the floor to dry during summer. For winters, it is recommended to let them dry for 24 hours. Also, make sure that the area that has been epoxied is properly protected. You cannot let dirt, hair, or dust fall on it while it dries, also no one should step on it during this period.
You can stop at this point but I recommend applying a clear top coat. This is an additional(not mandatory) step in the epoxy garage floor installation process. This will ensure more durability as epoxy is not scratch resistant and provides a higher gloss shine to your epoxy floor. The clear coat will also provide additional thickness to the floor and added protection. Occasionally some of the flakes will not lay flat onto the epoxy coat completely which sometimes can create a sharp or gagged edge. Applying the top coat will make sure that they are all covered and sealed for protection from markings and stains. So applying the top coat on the surface of the epoxy coat is highly recommended. Now after this, we move on to the last step of the DIY epoxy garage floor installation process.
After applying the clear top coat, let the finished floor surface dry for 48-72 hours. People can walk on the surface after 24 hours of applying the top coat, however, vehicles should be strictly prohibited for 6-7 days. 100% solid epoxy takes a longer time to cure compared to water-based epoxy solutions. It depends upon what type of epoxy you are using as there are different types of epoxy coatings. So, after 7 days your garage epoxy flooring is completely cured and is once again ready for vehicle traffic. After this, your DIY epoxy garage floor installation process is complete.
So, this is how to apply epoxy to the garage floor surface. So, this is how to apply epoxy to the garage floor surface. After following these steps, you will learn how to epoxy garage floor DIY. You can follow these steps to epoxy garage floor DIY and give it a beautiful shiny look. Also, be very careful about walking on the floor before it cures properly. Garage epoxy flooring is very much in trend and for all good reasons. So, garage epoxy flooring is highly recommended. I think this blog must have been helpful and now you have an idea of How to epoxy garage floor DIY.
If you are new to something like this, I recommend taking help from a friend or a family who has some experience in some DIY stuff. And the best option would be to take help from a professional Epoxy flooring company like us for the best result. You can just sit back and relax and we can do the job for you.
Also Read: DIY Epoxy Basement Floor Tutorial
Some of the reasons that make epoxy one of the best garage floor coatings include:
There are many other benefits of epoxy flooring as well. It is no wonder why it’s gained more and more popularity over the past few years. There are many beautiful pictures of epoxy garage floors circulating the internet showing the beauty of these floors. But if you try installing epoxy garage floor DIY, you may not get perfect epoxy flooring.
If you only want to see short-term benefits, you may think that the DIY epoxy garage flooring is a more affordable option. But, in the long run, it can be more costly. Epoxy installed by professionals will last more. For example, when you hire Best Coast Epoxy Coatings, we provide a 10-year warranty. But, the epoxy floor that you have installed yourself is likely to get damaged early. Excessive bubbles, epoxy coating not glued to the floor properly, etc. are some of the main problems that can occur when you decide to install the epoxy floor yourself. Both of these problems can cause damage to the floor in the near future, which will increase the repair cost of the floor.
You’ll less likely to get the desired finish. Epoxy floors installed by amateurs are likely to look less attractive than the ones installed by professionals. One of the main appeals of the epoxy coated floor is its attractiveness. If you don’t want the feeling of disappointment after the floor is complete, you should definitely choose professionals.
When you hire professionals, they can also get epoxy products for your floor at a lower price. So, the additional cost of hiring a professional epoxy specialist is not as much as you think.
Also Read: How to Install 3D Epoxy Floors
I hope you have learned how to apply epoxy to garage floor. It is a very professional job and if you are looking for an Epoxy flooring company to transform your garage, give us a call. Check out our Product page to get a free quote
We are a California-based flooring company and serve many different cities across California. These are the main cities that we serve:
Yes, It is possible to DIY epoxy garage floors. But the quality of the finished results won’t be as good compared to a professional Epoxy flooring company.
It is hard but not impossible. DIY epoxy garage floor installation involves a lot of steps that need high level of skills such as floor prepping and evenly spraying chips, so some people may find it difficult.
If taken proper care of, Epoxy garage floors are known to last for over 10 years. And in some cases, exceeding even 15-20 years.
Normally, Epoxy floors are not slippery but if they are wet or if there is an oil spillage they tend to get slippery. However, there are few easy slippery garage floor solutions.
Epoxy floors for your garage is the perfect investment you can make. It delivers a super durable, shiny and beautiful floor surface that is resistant to chemicals, water, heat and shocks.
The Best DIY garage floor epoxy kit 2022 are:
Yes, it’s possible to install new epoxy over an old epoxy garage floor, but it’s important to ensure the old coating is in good condition, clean, and free of debris. Additionally, it’s important to choose the right type of epoxy, and following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully during application is crucial.
You can follow the below steps to DIY epoxy garage floor:
1) Clean the Garage
2) Prepare the Floor Surface
3) Mix Epoxy Resin And Hardener
4) Apply the first layer of Epoxy
5) Evenly Broadcast the Chips all over the floor
6) Let it dry overnight
7) Apply the Top Coat
8) Let it dry for 48-72 hours
9) Process Complete
Yes, it is possible to epoxy a garage floor in one day. But the curing time for the epoxy will depend on the type of epoxy used. If using 100% solids epoxy, the floor can be be cured and walkable in about 12-18 hours, and full heavy traffic can be continued only after about 36-72 hours.
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