You finally found the time to clean out your garage! All the tools are hanging on a neatly outlined pegboard, paint tins are packed away in labeled cabinets and the floor space is clean and clear. But there is something lacking as you look at the dirty, oily concrete slab that has now been exposed in all its ugly glory. What is needed as a finishing touch on the project is a shiny, colorful epoxy coating on the floor to complete the clean-up and brighten up the whole area.

You can transform your concrete garage floor from dull and dirty to resemble a brilliant auto showroom floor over one weekend with a durable, quality and colorful epoxy floor coating.

An epoxy floor finish is tough, long-lasting and resists oil and grease as well as any other substance that would ruin ordinary floor paint. It is easy to keep clean and will stay looking attractive for many years. Epoxy floor paint has a shiny, smooth finish that resists water and oil stains and wipes clean like a kitchen counter-top.

The use of color chips will hide unsightly imperfections on the concrete surface and anti-skid additives make the floor slip-proof.
Epoxy floor paint kits include an etching solution and color fleck additives which can be ordered in additional amounts should more be required.

All it takes is to sweep the dirt off the floor and paint the epoxy onto the surface of the prepared concrete, and your garage will, at last, be a space worth driving into and to show off.

However, you will need to evaluate the floor of your garage, because not all concrete surfaces will hold an epoxy coating, and may have to be specially prepared before proceeding to paint it. As with all painting projects, success relies on good preparation.

Once you have assessed the condition of the floor, you may have to follow the paint manufacturer’s directions on exactly how to clean and etch the surface before applying the epoxy floor paint. A correctly applied epoxy finish will handle oil spills, car, and human traffic, chemicals and scrapes better than other paints or stains.

To determine the amount you will need, measure the square footage of your garage floor, then check the coating and coverage recommendations from the manufacturer. Clear Epoxy Top Coat comes in a separate kit including anti-skid granules.

Turn your garage space into a showroom piece to be proud of this weekend, and enjoy the durable benefits for years to come.

Step By Step How To Epoxy Garage Floor

If you have decided to epoxy your garage floor, remember that good preparation will ensure the success of any painting job. If you follow the step-by-step directions below on how to epoxy garage floor, you will be able to transform your garage floor from a bare, dirty concrete surface to a shiny, colorful epoxy coated floor in the space of one long weekend.

HOW TO EPOXY GARAGE FLOOR

Tools for the Project

Have the following tools lined up and ready for use before starting your epoxy painting project – this will save you time and frustration later on…
• Paintbrush
• Paint roller
• Wet and Dry Vacuum cleaner
• Wheelbarrow
• Power scrubber ( can be rented)
• Brush with stiff bristles
• Organic acid/vapor respirator
• Rubber Boots
• Rubber Gloves
• Safety Glasses

List of Materials for the Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by shopping ahead of time for all required materials, this will avoid last-minute dashes to the store..
• Cleaner and degreasing fluid
• Muriatic acid
• Epoxy filler
• Epoxy paint in the color of your choice
• Non-skid additive

HOW TO EPOXY GARAGE FLOOR

DAY ONE

1. Evaluate the condition of your garage floor and determine how much cleaning of the surface you will have to do and which technique to use.
2. Vacuum the surface to rid it of all dust
3. Remove all oil spots and grease
4. Do etching with a mild acid, scrub and rinse (a lot) until the surface is clean

DAY TWO

1. Fill in any cracks using the epoxy paint filler
2. Apply the first coat of epoxy coating, using a cutting in technique
3. Allow it to dry until the next day, but in any case for a minimum 16 hours (epoxy products may vary in directions, so check the manufacturer’s guidelines).

DAY THREE

1. Apply a second coat of epoxy paint, adding a non-skid to the epoxy, especially if snow and moisture will be dragged into the garage by vehicles, and to safeguard you and family members from slipping and accidents.
2. Repeat the “cutting in” and painting as for the previous day.
3. Leave to dry for an additional 16 hours (or according to label directions) after painting before walking on the surface. Do not park cars on the surface for at least a week. A full cure for an epoxy painted floor takes up to one month.

Epoxy paint is tough, and a long-lasting coating for covering concrete floors. It is resistant to grease and oil, as well as other substances which could ruin ordinary paint surfaces. As it is easy to keep clean, your new garage floor will remain sparkling clean and bright for years.

Many architectural designs consider concrete toppings as a new option for flooring.  As most of the buildings are already made of concrete slabs, one may opt to take advantage of the concrete topping with just a few enhancements to be considered as flooring already.  This is a better option compared to putting on ceramic or granite tiles, vinyl tiles and carpet.  To make this more adaptable and suited for flooring, it is essential that the concrete topping be polished.  One may ask why polish concrete is important.  There are many advantages of having polished concrete floors.

The polished concrete floor has an edge over carpet flooring especially for those who have allergies as carpet have allergens which trigger the allergy.  Some people may also justify why polish concrete is essential because you can create different styles of it.  One may opt to have classic, sophisticated or contemporary styles.  You can do any style for your concrete floor depending on your taste.  There are many alternative coloring concrete to make the polished cement floor not too boring.  In fact, there are also various patterns and cuts which one may opt to do with the concrete floor.

With a polish and stylish design, one can not even think that he or she is stepping on a concrete floor.   Another advantage of having polished concrete flooring is that this is cooler during summer as the concrete topping absorbs moisture from the ground.  You may opt to put on beautiful design rugs during winter as the floor may be too cold.  Stains and dirt are common to everyday living, thus, one can not avoid making the floor dirty and maybe poured out with some staining liquid.  One important thing about concrete flooring that is polished is that the stain can be easily removed and so much more with the dirt.  Polished concrete floors are very easy to maintain.  There are also plenty of innovative products that may be applied to the polished concrete floor to protect and make the floor last longer.

So why polish concrete is important is no longer an issue.  Indeed all of us are satisfied that concrete floor that is polished gives greater edge not only on its durability and design but also on the savings on time and money.  That is why many designers and plenty of homeowners are making this as their choice.  They have perfectly made the right choice.

Polished Concrete Flooring Cost

It is wise to invest in concrete flooring as it as the least maintenance cost as compared to other types of flooring. Even though the initial cost to lay it is high, the costs over the long run to maintain it are so much lower.

Polished concrete is the best floor covering in the long run. To ensure that you keep that “brand new” look of polished concrete which you had when it was first laid, you just need to follow a few steps such as dusting and mopping of it to ensure it stays clean.

Cleaning your polished concrete floor is relatively simple and will allow you to prevent hard grime and build up from occurring down the line which will make cleaning harder in the future.

Polished concrete floors are the nicest floors to have in your home or office as they look clean all the time, are less prone to damage as compared to tiles, slate or hardwood.

You should shop around for the best price to lay and polish your Concrete floor. There are a number of steps involved in laying out this floor which include layout out the initial concrete, grinding it in three stages and finally polishing it. You can perform a ‘Do it yourself job’, just as long as you have the correct equipment. You can save a lot of money also from doing it yourself. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to do your whole house.

Your local tradesman may also be skilled to polish your concrete floors as well as Building companies. It is best to get a number or quotes and see past work they have performed to get peace-of-mind. If you do not get a skilled person for the job, you may get a poor quality finish, so it’s worth shopping around.

There are so many decorative features of polished concrete which feature a topping mix. There are various types of minerals, stones and colored rock which can be added to the concrete to give it a unique character. This will also affect the price you are quoted.

You are able to choose from a variety of colors for your concrete to match your décor and character of your house or office. These floors are the best for high traffic areas such as offices and building lobbies.

Ultimately, the price you are quoted depends on the slab, the size of the area you require, the amount of grinding required and the sealer. Polished concrete is the most cost-effective so enquire today!

In every household, aside from having state of the art equipment and having cozy pieces of furniture, shiny concrete floors are as equally important. In the mid-1990’s polished concrete floors were made. There is readily available polished concrete in the market these days.

Having polished concrete has many benefits. These were made not just for aesthetic purposes.  Polished concrete does not have high maintenance, easy to clean, and more sturdy. Denting or chipping of concrete flooring is not a problem unlike other floors made up of timber.  It has high coefficient friction that makes it non-slippery, unlike wooden floors. Walking or even running won’t be a problem with having polished concrete. Aside from that, when there are allergic problems with the dust mites and other triggering factor, polished concrete will be best for the family since it does not promote mold growth. It surely does help the surroundings to be clean and mite free. There are also other people that say having this kind of floor can improve natural lighting.

After a certain period of time, scratches can be seen in these floorings. This may not seem noticeable at the beginning but too much light will make it visible. It will lose its gleam and dirt will be evident since it will stick to the area where there are scratches.  To battle these off, here are a few tips to make the shimmering concrete last longer than the usual average years it is expected to last. This does not require high maintenance and does not need various types of equipment for it to be done:

a.     Always sweep the floor everyday. If possible dust mopping of the polished concrete floor will also be a good thing.

b.      Vacuum the floor mops or carpet to make sure that there will be no build up of dirt in the rags or carpets.

c.      Schedule a weekly routine of cleaning with the use of a conditioner or chemical that is specifically used to clean the polished concrete floors. These are available in the local market

d.     If a weekly clean-up cannot be done, a monthly schedule is okay. The conditioner or liquid polish to be used though must be of high quality and must last for months. This will help remove the scratches on the floor and it makes cleaning easier. In looking for these chemicals, choose the product that has lithium densifiers to achieve that shiny and new look to your floor.

Polished concrete flooring is already widely used in many homes, garages and workplaces.  How Polished Concrete Flooring works is Concrete flooring is usually grounded using diamond grinding cup wheels grits and diamond polishing pads.  There are certain levels of grits being followed to consider the concrete flooring polished.  The level of grit should range from eight hundred to three thousand.  Chemical treatments are also applied to make the floor looks shinier.  Different chemicals such as stains and dyes are normally applied to the surface in order to enhance the polished concrete.  The floor will also be enhanced by adding other options such as, borders, bands, grids, creating radial lines, scoring, as well as any other design.

Polished concrete flooring has many different benefits and it is considered as a good and sustainable design for flooring option.  This utilizes the use of materials which are already there, the concrete toppings. Today, most of the modern buildings that may be residential or commercial are often built on a slab of concrete. Many architectural designs give utmost consideration in utilizing the concrete toppings. Polishing this exposed concrete can give much savings on spending some funds for tiles or any other floor covering.  It also makes the project finish earlier.

Polished Concrete Flooring Benefits

Aside from time and money savings, polished concrete flooring is also capable of reducing dust mites as well as other allergen problems.  This does not support the growth of mold. Polished Concrete Flooring is also low maintenance since they prove to be much more durable as well as much easier to clean than most of the other types of flooring.  Cleaning Polished Concrete Flooring only requires mopping with warm soaping water at least once a week plus a regular floor polishing to maintain the gloss of the flooring.  Some people especially those skilled in design say that highly and well-polished flooring can reduce the lighting needs because this will improve natural lighting.  The existing lighting will reflect on the shiny floor which makes the area looks brighter.  This type of flooring will also not tend to chip nor dent like timber which will make this type last longer.

There are many different types of flooring which you may opt to choose in building your own place but some require high maintenance and of course additional funds.  Fortunately, polished concrete flooring has been invented which anyone can enjoy the benefits it can give.  This is now widely accepted and highly recommended by most of the designers.