Garage Floor Epoxy Prepping Methods

Concrete floors, however, need to be treated with a process so that the epoxy adheres to the floor. Without this process, the epoxy will likely bubble or flake off. Technically, home and business owners can either use concrete grinding or acid etching to rough up the surface so that the epoxy adheres, but concrete grinding is the superior method for numerous reasons.

A More Thorough Clean

One of the biggest benefits to concrete grinding over concrete etching before application of epoxy is that it gives the concrete floor a more thorough clean. Even fairly new concrete isn't completely free of debris, and if you have a garage floor that's several years old, dirt and oils have had plenty of time to adhere to the floor, which can prevent proper adhesion to the concrete.

Increased Epoxy Adhesion

The goal of prepping the concrete surface is to create a strong bond between the epoxy and concrete, but if there is laitance on the concrete surface, which is caused by an overwet mixture or improperly mixing the concrete, then the epoxy can't adhere properly. Concrete grinding does a more thorough job of removing laitance, resulting in better adhesion between the epoxy and concrete.

Durability

When the epoxy adheres correctly, you'll have a more durable epoxy coating because it's less likely that the epoxy will flake, chip, or peel. This is especially useful in garages that are used as work spaces or simply used for their intended use as a place to store your vehicle.

Length of Use

Since concrete grinding provides more durability, a floor that has been prepared using this method will last longer. After the process of grinding and applying epoxy, you can get years of use from the floor.

Low Maintenance

A floor that is prepared by grinding the concrete will need very little maintenance. When epoxy chips or peels, you'll need to do the entire process over, so it makes much more sense to ensure that the epoxy will adhere well the first time.

Longer Warranty

Since concrete grinding produces better results, there's also a better warranty offered. Concrete grinding comes with a five-year warranty versus the one-year warranty that comes with epoxy that's applied after concrete etching. Concrete grinding is also more expensive to have done given it is much more labor intensive. On the end, you will have long lasting results with both methods as long as they are both done by a qualified professional epoxy contractor.

Connect with Idaho Epoxy Pros

Idaho Epoxy Pros in Boise has the resources and knowledge required to correctly prep your garage floors for a great epoxy finish. Contact us regarding your Boise area garage floor epoxy.