Metallic Epoxy for Garage Floors

Can I apply Metallic Epoxy on my garage floor? That's a question we hear a lot around here. The answer is YES! Actually, you can apply our industrial / military grade epoxy on any floor. Including in your home, business, retail space, and anywhere that needs a beautiful, durable flooring system. Best of all the price of our epoxy flooring is often a fraction of the cost of tile or laminate. Another reason to choose epoxy is application time and how easy it is. Laminate, hardwood, and tile require measuring and cutting. If you don't have the appropriate saws the job is even more time consuming. Preparing the substrate is the most time consuming for epoxy applications, whereas measuring and cutting laminate, tile and hardwood take up most of the time. The last thing to consider is how heavy laminate, tile and hardwood is. Especially if you have a large area to cover. So transporting the materials can be very cumbersome. 

When applying metallic epoxy or decorative flake epoxy systems in your space, here's a list of items to consider:

1. How will you prepare the concrete - Grind or Etch, that is the questions... 

2. Temperature - What is the best temperature to apply epoxy?

3. Expansion Joints - Making Your Floor Seamless

4. Repair Cracks and Spalling in your Concrete

5. Oil Stains - How to properly seal concrete that is saturated with oil or a petroleum product

6. Choose Your Topcoat - Which top coat urethane is right for you

7. Get the Right Tools and Know Who's Gonna Show Up

1. Preparing your concrete for the most reliable adhesion

I can't stress this enough. Preparing your concrete is the most important step, and will dictate a successful or failed result. There are a few choices to make when it comes to how you will prepare your concrete. In reality, homeowners just have two, chemically with acid etch or mechanically with a diamond grinder. We recommend using a diamond grinder, but sometimes that's just not an option for you. In that case, choose to use a green option. The product we recommend is Klean-Strip Green. This product has 90% less fumes than standard muriatic acid. Also, it doesn't require neutralizing with baking soda. 

To learn how to properly prepare your concrete using acid etching solution, watch the video below: 

If you want to grind your floor using a diamond grinder, watch this video: 

2. Temperature - What is the best temperature to apply epoxy?

If you have an insulated garage and or radiant heat then you can easily maintain the temperature, and you can proceed with the application. We like to see the temperature around 60 to 70 degrees °F. However, personally I have applied epoxy below 50 °F. If the temperature is too low, that can interrupt curing and when curing times are manipulated, your epoxy floor can fail. Either by dis-coloring or delamination later on. Using an external heat source can be used to warm the environment. Please be very careful if you decide to use this solution and watch it throughout the curing process. Read the manufacturers instructions if you decide to use a gas or electric heater. 

3. Expansion Joints - Making Your Floor Seamless

Concrete finishers will install expansion joints to control where concrete cracks. That's why sometimes expansion joints are referred to as control joints. If you want to have a seamless floor, you will need to fill your expansion joints with a flexible joint sealant. We recommend using JS100. JS100 is a 2 part, flexible joint sealant used to fill joints from ½” to 1 ½” wide and deep. To know how much JS100 is needed, you will first need to measure the linear ft of your joints. Next measure the width and depth. Coverage rates are based on the width, depth, and length of the joint. For example - Approximate coverage rate for 1 tube set @ ½” wide by ½” deep would be 11 to 12 feet. If you have 120 linear feet, you will need 10 tubesets. 

You will need to clear out the joint with a small masonry wheel (crack chaser), next vac up any debris. Backer Rod is used to enable the materials to adhere to only the 2 sides of the joint. If all 3 sides of the joint are filled, the joint material will fail. Think of concrete as a giant sponge, during weather changes concrete expands and contracts. Having the material bonded to only the 2 sides enables the joint filler (JS100) to flex and move with the slab. 

Click here to learn more or to buy JS100 - Expansion Joint Filler

Watch the video below so that you can learn how to make your floor seamless by filling your joints with JS100.

4. How to Repair Concrete Cracks, Spalling and other issues

Repairing Cracks, Pits and Spalling in concrete: Use a masonry wheel to clear loose concrete and debris from your crack or spalling area. Vacuum clean and apply CF100 100% Epoxy Repair Kit. If the area is deep, it may be a good idea to wait until the next day to apply your epoxy primer. However you don't have to. You can apply CF100, then apply our epoxy primer! Watch the video below for further detailed instructions

5. Oil Stains - How to properly seal concrete that is saturated with oil or a petroleum product

6. Choose the right Urethane Topcoat

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to applying a urethane top coat. In fact, you need to be careful when choosing a top coat. Many companies out there offer only 1 urethane. With Spartan, we offer a variety because every application is unique. Different coats for different folks we like to say. You may be planning to store your precious RV, while another customer is coating their 50,000 sq ft cannabis warehouse. The point is that not all urethanes are created equal. Here's a quick reference guide of our most popular selling urethane top coats. 

A. HDI - One Component Moisture Cured Urethane. HDI is great for long term storage and preventing hot tire pickup and tire marks. However, this product is very stinky during the application so please protect your lungs and eyes. Wear goggles and a respirator. Only apply this product in a home that your not living in, or arrange a place yourself and family can stay for a night or two. HDI is one of our most popular urethanes and is known for it's military grade durability. This product is simply amazing. It can be found all on floors all over the country. Ranging from whole home metallic floors, automobile factories, cannabis warehouses, breweries, firehouses and so many more. Sorry, if you live in CA you will need to choose TC92 or WBG. However, we do have another low VOC urethane so please ask about new product releases. 

B. HPU - High Performance Urethane. One of my all time favorites. Especially when you want to apply a solid color floor. We can pigment HPU and the end result is a non yellowing result that is UV resistant and color stable. HPU is of course available in clear and looks great over any resinous floor coating. Apply 2 coats to maximize the life of your floor. HPU does have a strong smell during application so please be sure to have proper ventilation at the time you're applying it. Wear a respirator, and always protect your eyes and skin. HPU can not be shipped to CA.

C. TC92 - High Wear - High Solids Urethane. You cannot apply a second coat of TC92, just 1 coat. TC92 is very popular over metallic epoxy because of it's one and done capabilities. It also comes with a Part C, which is a component that will give a satin finish. If you want a glossy finish don't add in part c.  TC92 is low VOC and can be shipped to CA. 

We have many choices when it comes to urethane top coats. If you need help deciding on your top coat, please call, email or start a chat with one of our experts.

PRO TIP: For many urethanes we always recommend applying 2 coats. Since you're applying a clear material it makes it super easy to miss spots. So make sure on your first coat, roll it from front to back, the second coat from side to side. Applying your coats in this way creates a uniformed look, prevents roller marks and missed spots. 

We recommend starting a conversation with one of our experts so that we can give you the right advice. 

7. Get the Right Tools and Know Who's Gonna Show Up

Since epoxy tools are difficult to find at your local hardware store, we always ask the question of how many people do you plan on helping you. Promising them you'll watch their kids, or duct taping them to a chair until your ready is the best way to know 100%. You probably don't like jail, so we've found it less intrusive to maybe offer them pizza and some beer! LOL! Work as a team, everyone should have a specific job. 

For example if you have 3 good old boys helping with the Metallic Epoxy, here's a quick breakdown of the tools needed and the jobs they should be assigned: 

Person #1. Mixes Epoxy and communicates with everyone when to mix and what to mix - this person will need a drill and the appropriate size mixing tool. We have 1 gallon and 5 gallon mixers. 

Person #2. Spreads the Metallic Epoxy using our 26" Magic Trowel (smoother) (I have seen others use a notched squeegee but I personally have had no luck using those.)

Person #3. Depending on your plan and design, the 3rd person will either be swirling with a short nap roller cover (9" or  18" - 3/16" or 1/4" nap cover) or they could be helping spread the metallic epoxy using a second 26" Magic Trowel. If you choose not to swirl or back roll using a short nap roller cover be cautious with your squeegees. You must keep the handle low - between your knee and hip. Also use little to no pressure while spreading. If you apply to much pressure you can put squeegee marks or bare spots in your epoxy. Do your homework and know which technique you plan on using. There's so many way to apply metallic epoxy and there's a lot of other videos out there. Educate yourself and the process will not only be a lot of fun, but you will create an amazing work of art. If you are thinking of applying epoxy in your home, office, warehouse, hangar, shop or somewhere else where you need a super durable and unique floor, then let me ease your mind a bit. For tile, laminate or hardwood the price will be 4 times higher and take 10 times longer.

For questions regarding colors, systems, urethane top coats feel free to call us, and one of our epoxy experts will walk you through it all. Our toll free number is: 1-877-288-1952. If the phone isn't your thing or if your super busy like the rest of us, start a chat or shoot us an email. The chat box should be on the bottom right side of this window. Our email is spartanepoxies@gmail.com. I hope this post was helpful! Remember, kiss... Keep It Simple Stupid.