Got the Epoxy-Coat for my new shop

[chevynut]

Getting ready to finish my new shop floor before it gets cold on me again. I researched all the different floor coatings, sealers, tiles, etc. and even got a quote for grinding, polishing and sealing the floor.....$5 per square foot!

After looking at several different epoxies, talking to company reps, and settling on Epoxy-Coat I found out that Lowes sells it. I ordered THREE kits of Epoxy-Coat (500 SF per kit) and they arrived a couple days ago. Lowes price is quite a bit lower than directly from Epoxy-Coat. I got the Taupe basecoat with beige mix flakes and clearcoat. I was going to just do a basecoat color, but my GF insists that I have to do the chips to make it look nicer. So I did.

My purchase must have prompted them to raise the price , because I got it for $430 per kit (plus 10% off since a friend who works there got it for me). It's now listed at $463.50 per kit. I got all 3 kits for $1204 including tax. That's only 80 cents per square foot. I have 1300 square feet to do. The price for the same kit is $506.85 directly from the company.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_546053-21374...oat&facetInfo=





So now I have to get all the junk out of my way, prep the floor, and put the stuff on. Any tips from those who have done this?

[567chevys]

Hurry Up and get it done !!

The guy that built my shop did some type of Epoxy Coat , Its nasty stuff .

I need to redo it but have no Clue !

Sid

[chevynut]

Well it's probably not going to happen for a week or so. I swore I would get it done in July, but I didn't. Now I have the epoxy and it's cold and rainy tonight, possibly snow by morning. Then next week it's supposed to warm up into the 70's and 80's again, but I'm probably going elk hunting for a week.

I'll get it done one way or another in the next month. I'm leaving to visit my daughter in Vermont on October 8, and I want to have it done by then.

I found out that the application temperature is 40-70F and I turned the heater on to 68F to keep the concrete from getting cold.

[carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)]

proper prep is a must.

[567chevys]

I would think you would want to Acid Etch or sand blast the concrete to make it stick ?

Sid

[chevynut]

The kit comes with the acid etch/prep materials. Ideally you'd want to shot blast the concrete before putting the epoxy down, but I don't know how to get that done. I have heard that pressure blasting helps after you etch it, so I plan to do that.

[chevynut]

Well I'm getting ready to apply the epoxy soon. But before that I have to complete a 6-foot cedar privacy fence for a 1500 SF area to store stuff, and fix a leak in my water line to my house. It's always something.....

I had a question for anyone who has done this. My floor is clean and cured, and I know I need to etch it. It has saw cuts in it for the break lines. If I fill the cuts and epoxy over them, they will eventually crack and leave a crack in the epoxy. I was wondering if I should apply the epoxy first, let it cure, then seal the cracks with some caulk that will match. That way if the concrete moves, the caulk will allow it to move a little. If needed, I could also re-caulk.

What do you guys think? I plan to call the company to get some advice on that and application details.

[chevynut]

It's been over a month since my last post on this (so much for "soon") but today I power washed the entire floor (3 times). I got almost everything off of it so very little hand work to do scraping or grinding paint off. I was surprised how much the blasting opened the pores in the concrete surface. Tomorrow I think I'll get the rest of the paint off, and start etching. I may be spreading epoxy this weekend if I can get enough help. I don't think it's a 1 person job.

Also noticed something weird with my lights. When I first turn them on they're dark in the middle and stay that way for a while, until they warm up. These are all brand new T8 bulbs and new fixtures. Any idea what's causing this?

20141027_002.jpg 20141027_003.jpg 20141027_004.jpg

[Fladiver64]

The cause is the lower mercury content in newer bulbs. Best thing to do is leave then on for 15 hours straight to "break them in" then they will brighten up faster as they age.

[chevynut]

Here's a couple of pics of the finished floor. It took two days of application with 3 of us working. We did the base and chips on Saturday, and the clear on Sunday. My girlfriend did the mixing, my son and I did the squeegeeing, my son did the rolling, and I spread the chips. I don't think I would have wanted to attempt this with less help.

1103141753.jpg 1103141753a.jpg