DIY-vs-Industrial-Epoxy
Written by 3G Concrete Solutions on July 24, 2018 in Epoxy Coating

How long do epoxy coated floors last?

Are you thinking of using epoxy floor coatings for your pool deck or garage, or are you considering hiring someone to take on a project using industrial-grade epoxy? Right off the bat, the prices of D-I-Y kits and professional grade ones will vary drastically. We will be taking a look at the factors that affect the durability of an epoxy floor coating and what makes each product stand out.

What makes epoxy coating durable?

When it comes to epoxy floor coating or even other factory products you will surely come across superior and inferior products.

The most important factor that affects every product is the material or materials used in production. Standard and original materials for input afford you a better end product in terms of performance, appearance, permanence as well as other desirable requirements.

Furthermore, as obvious as it may sound, the overall quality of your epoxy coat application will heavily depend on your prep work. The longevity and durability of it is just as strong as the epoxy’s bond to the concrete. So make sure to have the right tools, or better yet, the right professionals to tackle the application. This is something that you’d want to be done right the first time. Doing repairs or touch ups on your epoxy floor will be nothing but cumbersome especially once you already have your closets, equipment, and other things situated.

Here are a few tips:

  • Preparation – Clean the floor. Sanding, grounding, filling up cracks and also filing out chips may also (most likely be) necessary.
  • Adhesion – a proper coating process helps you achieve a stronger bond with the concrete. Industrial grade epoxy coating and procedure are proven to withstand even the most humid working environments.
  • Multiple layer application you need to apply multiple layers as well as a top-coat to protect the epoxy from scrapes and grazes and also to get a stronger and better finish. Making it multi-layered from the get go is a lot better than going back to it to recoat after you deem it insufficient at a later time.
  • Usage – the type of environment in a mobile kitchen is very different from that of a garage, outdoor patio, pool deck or mobile shop so there are a lot of factors to put into consideration but our epoxy floor coatings will provide you with whatever assurance you need. For the most part, epoxy coating is one-size-fits-most. But it’s important to know that there might be more applicable types for your usage.

 

How long do D–I–Y epoxy coating kits last?

These D–I–Y epoxy coating kits costs around $200-$400 for a 2-car garage. You may have noticed that most if not all D–I–Y kits don’t include any information on warranty. Their packaging just says it’ll last a long time. Again, this boils down to what you want to use it for. If it’s just plainly for aesthetics to be a step up above bare concrete, then this suffice. But if you will be applying this on a car garage, you WILL have a hard time removing hot tire pickup marks at the very least. When these marks are left unattended for even just a few days, it will almost be impossible to get them off. In short, be clear about your intended usage before choosing a solution.

 

How long do professionally installed epoxy floor coatings

Professionally installed epoxy floor coatings typically cost around $1,500 and up for a 2-car garage. The biggest difference is that store bought water-based epoxy coatings fail to provide a thick strong layer of protection and can grow weaker in warmer conditions. It takes us about 3 days to apply epoxy coating onto a 2-car garage. After prepping the floor’s foundation by sweeping and vacuuming the floor, we apply a layers of epoxy with ample dry times in between. Colored flakes are then dispersed until the initial layer of epoxy can no longer absorb the colored flakes. After allowing for the proper drying time, excess colored flakes are scraped off, and the floor is vacuumed again. This ensures that your epoxy coated floor will last you a very long time even with heavy use. Like in most things, you do get what you pay for. For most applications, especially for standard car garages, getting a professional do it right the first time would be our (unbiased) recommendation. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to deal with a stubborn hot tire pickup stain within the first week. Just give us a call at (714) 499-7386 and we’ll be happy to point you to the right direction whether you hire us or not. Be sure to check out our happy clients on Yelp! We service Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, and all other neighboring cities.