Epoxy floors can be practical, attractive and durable, but only if they are properly applied and allowed to cure in harmony with the manufacturer’s instructions.  There are several ways in which an epoxy floor surface can fail, and many of these are down to inadequate epoxy resin floor preparation.  The goal is to lay a complete, unbroken floor surface which will protect the underlying substrate from liquids, impacts, and in some cases even temperature changes.

Epoxy floor paint preparation is so vital because a single crack or hole in the epoxy layer can ruin this protection.  In the case of domestic epoxy flooring projects, the most common cause for this kind of failure is contamination – see the section ‘How To Prep Garage Floor For Epoxy’ below.

When epoxy floors are professionally laid in warehouses and industrial premises, the biggest problem can be that the underlying concrete is too smooth and the epoxy fails to stick to it.  If there is insufficient adhesion between the concrete and the epoxy, the flooring will be free to flex and eventually break up under pressure.

For this reason, one of the critical stages of surface preparation for epoxy flooring is to abrade the concrete, to provide a ‘key’ for the epoxy flooring system to grip.  Most professional flooring companies will achieve this by blast tracking the whole area, and using diamond grinders to get into all the corners.  The whole of the floor must be thoroughly covered, as even a single patch of smooth concrete can cause the epoxy layer to come loose and begin to peel off over time.

Grinding the floor also gives you the chance to spot any areas of damaged concrete and repair them.  If the concrete has become loose and chips are beginning to break away, applying epoxy will make matters worse as any movement in the finished surface will tear up chunks of substrate and the floor will end up like a wrinkly carpet.  Any gaps in the concrete should therefore be repaired with an appropriate sealant during the epoxy resin floor preparation stage.

After grinding, it is essential that all the concrete dust is removed from the floor and walls before laying commences.

How To Prep Garage Floor For Epoxy Paint

More and more householders are realising what resin floors can offer in areas like garages, however if you decide on this option remember that surface preparation for epoxy flooring is key.  First, remove all items from your garage, then clean the floor as thoroughly as you can, paying special attention to remove any stains, oil residue, etc, whether these are on the surface or have soaked into the concrete floor.

Next, the floor must be abraded, either by mechanical means or by using acid.  Once again, remember that having the surface completely clean of chemicals and dust is the primary goal of epoxy floor paint preparation.

High quality flooring materials are always available from MCG Epoxy Coatings of Preston.  If you have any questions, contact our team who will be happy to help.