Your garage is a storage place. You park your vehicle in there, put a freezer in a corner and have all your Christmas decorations hidden away. Sometimes it’s even used as a shop for your favourite DIY projects. Because most garages have a concrete floor, it needs to be sealed to keep it in good condition with all the foot traffic it endures.
One of the most popular applications for a garage floor is epoxy. This mix of polyamine hardener with epoxide resin creates a durable surface that will minimize dust and hide any defects, so it is a great choice for protection and safety.
Are you thinking about an epoxy flooring but not sure where to start? Here is how to prep a garage floor for epoxy.
1. Clear Out the Room
Unless you do partial epoxy coverage, you must move out all your belongings to have an empty room. This will only be a temporary inconvenience but is necessary to complete the work. It is a good idea to remove anything hanging on the walls, like tools or bikes, just in case they are knocked off during the epoxy application.
2. Remove Any Sealant or Paint
You want to start with a clean slate when applying epoxy, so if your garage floor has any paint or sealant already on it, you must strip it off.
Several products on the market are designed to remove sealant, like a stripping agent and chemical paint removers. It will take a little elbow grease, but you should be fine following the manufacturer’s directions. Wear protective clothing like gloves and safety goggles to protect you from harm.
3. Sweep Out the Garage
This may seem unnecessary because you will be grinding the surface, but all debris should be removed to see what you are doing. Scrape off any grime and try to remove grease or oil so you can see get a clean, concrete surface to work with. You can see any chips, cracks and uneven surfaces you can work on during grinding.
4. Grinding
If you want your epoxy floors to last, you must grind them, period. You are taking on a big project here, and you want the best end product when you are done, so rent a grinder and make sure you know how to use it.
Your concrete floor probably has taken some damage since it was poured, and there may be some uneven spots and blemishes on it. Grinding removes all these problems to restore the integrity of the concrete surface and leaves behind a rough texture or “teeth” that the epoxy better adheres to. Grinding is not for the faint of heart, but it will remove a fine layer of concrete and leave you with the perfect surface for epoxy.
An 80-grit sandpaper on a 7” hand grinder or walk-behind grinder works perfectly and gives the right surface profile for the floor. Knee pads and goggles should be used to protect you and take your time to get the entire surface covered.
5. Shot Blaster
Another method for removing the top surface of the concrete for epoxy is to use a shot blaster. This machine uses fine metal beads to be shot against the surface of the concrete to chip away the top layer. It will also remove old epoxy or any other residue, including paint and oil stains.
The machine pulverizes the top surface and sucks up most of the dust and debris it removes, so minimal cleanup is required. If your garage is big, a shot blaster may be preferable to a grinder.
6. Sweep and Mop the Surface
There will be lots of dust from grinding, so you need to sweep or vacuum it up. Once you get all the concrete dust swept, use a wet mop to wash up anything left over. Allow the floor to dry, and then you can do a final inspection.
7. Fix Cracks
You should repair any cracks or chips with a cement-fill product if you notice any cracks or chips. You can find these at any home repair store. Apply it as directed on the packaging and allow it to dry fully. You may have to sand it to get a smooth surface and sweep up any leftover debris.
This is how you prep a garage floor for epoxy. Taking the time to have an ideal surface will ensure you get the longest life possible to the epoxy finish, and you will have a better appreciation for what it took. If the work is above your pay grade, hire a professional company to do it for you and enjoy your new epoxy garage.
