Sunday, October 18, 2015

Seal Your Concrete Garage Floor, It's Not Too Late!

Advancements in epoxy concrete floor finishing techniques have opened up new opportunities for big-box retailers, warehouse operators and homeowners in the way they seal and maintain these concrete floors. In the past a homeowner or DIY looking to seal his/her concrete garage floor might paint it or apply a "water seal".

Some have even resorted to painting rust coatings on the concrete. Smooth, machine troweled, floors can be kept dust-free and protected from most garage/warehouse chemicals by applying a simple floor treatment and performing a minimal amount of maintenance.

garage-floor-paint-garage-floor-epoxy
Concrete StainGuard

1st.

Apply a Concrete StainGuard!
Yes, a simple but effective concrete stain-guard will do the following:
  • Eliminate dusting
  • Harden the surface
  • Block stains
  • Improve sheen (floor finish dependent)

2nd.

Clean your floor!
  • Sweep out debris
  • Clean spills quickly

3rd.

Enjoy your new clean floor sheen!

For more information:
Reference: http://allgaragefloors.com/densifier-sealer-garage-build-project/



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Garage Floor Coatings, Concrete Floor Preparation And The Fool's Gamble!

Concrete floor coating is a serious business.  Time and /or money are at risk for the installer/user and the vendor supplying the coating product.  Both parties are tied indirectly to the ability for the floor coating product to adhere to the substrate.  Failure is not an option.

Garage coating products (urethanes, epoxies, sealers, etc...) have to "stick" to the substrate (concrete floor) for a positive outcome.  All the available products on the floor coating market share some facts. FACT 1: All floor coating products adhere to the substrate better when the substrate has an improved profile and porousness (excluding stains, densifiers and stainguards).
FACT 2: If the coating loses adhesion (peels, chips) it is probably the lack of preparation that is to blame, not the product itself.

This profile is measurable by the Concrete Surface Profile scale.  This scale ranges from CSP 1 through CSP 9.  See the scale below.

Garage Floor Coatings, Concrete Floor Preparation
Garage Floor Coatings, Concrete Floor Preparation And The Fool's Gamble!

Manufacturers offer suggested CSP levels for individual products.  In general thinner coatings like urethanes are to be applied to CSP 1 through CSP 2 level concrete.  Thicker products can require a greater profile.  It's important to ask the manufacturer what that recommended CSP is.  In some cases an older porous floor may not require grinding as the floor is "etched" by time and traffic.  This is something to discuss with the manufacturer.  An acid etch can produce a CSP 1-2, a diamond grind CSP 2-3 and shotblasting CSP-3 and  greater.

It is common for some vendors to recommend "no prep" or "no etching or grinding".  These vendors are playing the odds that you may or may not have an issue.  They are betting that enough people will purchase these products to outweigh the issues some will have.  Why do they do this?  Becaue most people are LAZY and want the EASY way out!  When this happens you have become a unwilling participant in the "fools gamble".   Don't be a fool.... prep your floor!!

Image from: http://shotblastinc.com/industry-guidelines/

Monday, October 5, 2015

Cold weather concrete garage floor coatings

When night time low temperatures begin to hit 40 degrees it's time to start thinking about cure times and product usage.  Epoxies and urethanes typically have a recommended temperature range.  When you fall out of the recommended range you risk losing your warranty and your project can become at risk for failure.  This range is typically 50-90 degrees f.

Falling below the 50 degree f. mark not only extends the cure time but also exposes the uncured material to changes in humidity and contaminants in the air.  When you leave a product in this limbo/uncured state for too long, chemists will tell you that you have created a  "new" product.  In other words, they don't know how it will perform once it has been open for too long.

Consider using the following products for cooler weather (lows above 35 degrees)- CLICK HERE


  • Nohr-S Polyurea (a special blend of polyurea, polyaspartic and urethane)
  • Xtreme PolyAspartic (70, 80 and 100% solids 2 part)
  • Xtreme-Set Polyurea Crack/Joint Material (broadcast with sand or use neat)


The coating products (Nohr-S and Xtreme Polyaspartic Coating) can be used clear as a sealer and blended with tint to make a solid color.  In addition, they can be used with flakes and quartz.

It is wise to raise the temp in your space before using any of these.  Allow a few days and look for evidence of moisture as you raise the slab.  Allow slab and air-temp to get closer if moisture is present.  Keep in mind walls and transition areas can remain freezing even if the space is warmed. Test before you coat and always contact the manufacturer when in doubt.