Concrete has been used in construction for literal millennia. It is the reason for the survival of so many historical structures today. However, if not appropriately protected, concrete will deteriorate when exposed to harsh environments, like industrial and coastal areas or areas with extreme weather variations.
The reasons for coating concrete can be anything from protection to aesthetics, and there is a concrete paint for each application.
In this article, we will look at the various coating options for concrete, the appropriate concrete paint products, and where to find suppliers and contractors in Australia.
So whether you need concrete paint for interior and exterior walls, driveways, balconies, factory or garage floors, we’ve got you covered.
Define The Right Concrete Paint For Your Project
Before looking for concrete paint, you should know what you are looking for. Therefore, the process starts with defining what is required and expected from the coating. Ultimately your choice of concrete coating will come down to which coating best meets all the requirements of your specific project. Factors that will affect the coating choice include:
- Particular needs of the structure – do you need waterproofing, chemical resistance, or is it aesthetic?
- Pre-treatment and surface preparation – concrete resurfacing, whether cleaning, acid etching, or repairing, will lead to a different time and cost commitments.
- Environmental impact – low VOCs, no VOCs, region-specific regulations, encapsulation, and containment, all these factors need considering.
- Location of the structure and accessibility restrictions – for example, polyurea application requires special spray equipment, and other coatings require warmer temperatures to cure.
- A required lifetime of the system – what conditions will the coating need to withstand, and for how long?
- Application method – this again is a coating specific requirement.
FAQs About Epoxy Floor Paint To Basement
Can I Use Epoxy On My Basement Floor?
You can use epoxy to cover a concrete floor, such as the type present in many homes’ basements. Some people use epoxy floors to cover concrete foundations that are rough or damaged to create a smooth surface.
Once set, epoxy coatings are very durable and robust. They can stand up to many years of use and resist exposure to many chemicals. These properties make epoxy the go-to choice for many basement renovation projects. To fully understand the benefits of choosing an epoxy floor for your basement, let’s take a look at each of its features in turn.
How Long Do Epoxy Floors Last?
10 to 20 years Long-Lasting, Environmentally-Friendly Floors: Epoxy floors typically last 10 to 20 years and can last even longer with the proper maintenance and touch-ups. When it finally comes time to replace your floor, there will be no need for removal and no need to throw away your old flooring.
How Long Does Epoxy Flooring Take To Dry?
Using 100% solids epoxy, your floor will be cured and walkable in about 12 – 18 hours. You can return to full heavy traffic after about 36 – 72 hours. Most epoxies reach full chemical cure within seven days of application. When using poly aspartic, the cure times increase, especially with 100% solids products.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Finish A Basement Floor?
- Cheap Basement Flooring Ideas
- Epoxy and Concrete Paint. Paint is generally your cheapest basement floor option.
- Concrete Stain and Sealer. Concrete stain is another inexpensive option.
- Linoleum or Vinyl.
- Ceramic Tile Flooring.
- Rubber and Foam Mats.
- Traditional Carpet Flooring.
- Laminate or Engineered Hardwood.
Will Epoxy Floors Crack?
Do Epoxy Floors Crack? Epoxy floors are very rigid. As a material, epoxy has very little flexibility, so slight shifts in the foundation can lead to cracks forming in an epoxy coating, leaving you with cracked floors that are difficult to repair without recoating with a new layer of epoxy-an expensive proposition.
Reasons To Add An Epoxy Basement Floor To Your Home
When considering flooring options for your basement, epoxy is an option that should never be overlooked. This material offers many advantages over other flooring materials, some of which make it particularly suitable for the basement environment. Let’s take a look at the properties of epoxy so you can decide whether it is the right option for your home.
What is Epoxy For Your Basement Floor?
Epoxy flooring is made from synthetic polymers that form a strong, plastic-like material. You can use epoxy to cover a concrete floor, such as the type present in many homes’ basements. Some people use epoxy floors to cover concrete foundations that are rough or damaged to create a smooth surface.
Once set, epoxy coatings are very durable and robust.
They can stand up to many years of use and resist exposure to many chemicals. These properties make epoxy the go-to choice for many basement renovation projects. To fully understand the benefits of choosing an epoxy floor for your basement, let’s take a look at each of its features in turn.
Protect Your Floor From Moisture
Epoxy is virtually waterproof, which means it can protect the floor beneath it from moisture. If your basement is damp, it can be very important to protect each part of the structure from moisture, as mould and mildew can begin to thrive in this kind of environment.
Epoxy flooring is also a good option for protecting against spills and leaks, as it can help to prevent large amounts of water from seeping through to the concrete foundations of your home, keeping the potential damage to a minimum.
Unlike wood, epoxy doesn’t warp in damp environments, so you do not have to worry about poor ventilation causing your basement floor to buckle. Whether conditions are wet or dry, you can enjoy spending time in your basement, as your epoxy floor will be able to cope with a wide range of humidity levels.
Make Your Basement Floor Easy To Clean
Whether you are planning to use your basement to expand the living space in your home or simply as a place to store items you do not use very often, having a floor that is easy to clean can make your life easier.
Epoxy flooring is a fantastic option if you want to spend as little time and effort as possible to keep your basement clean.
The smooth surface means that dirt and dust can easily be vacuumed up or swept away, while spills and stains can be quickly and easily wiped up with a damp cloth.
If your floor does start to look grubby after periods of heavy use, all you need to do is use a foam mop and a diluted solution of ammonia and hot water to bring it back to pristine condition.
Provide A Strong And Durable Basement Floor Coating
The most important feature of a basement floor is durability for many homeowners. The last thing you want is to have to revisit your basement renovation project in a year or two because the floor you chose is beginning to show signs of wear.
Epoxy is becoming a popular choice among Boston homeowners due to its durability. You can get many years of use out of a high-quality epoxy basement floor without worrying about it beginning to develop worn spots or peel away from the underlying surface.
As you have seen, there are many good reasons to consider epoxy for your Boston home’s basement floor. If you need to find out more about epoxy or want to see the range of currently available designs, get in touch with Boston Garage today. We can help you find the perfect flooring for your home’s basement.
Create A Beautiful Surface For Your Boston Epoxy Basement Floor
Epoxy basement floors are very practical, but that does not mean they lack an aesthetic quality. Many Boston epoxy basement floor owners choose this option because of its attractive appearance.
Epoxy floors come in many different colours and styles, allowing you to match the pattern and shade of your flooring to the overall design of your basement.
Choose a brightly coloured epoxy floor to give your basement redesign project a wow factor, or opt for a more muted tone to create a calming space in which you can relax. Whatever your style preferences, you are sure to find an epoxy floor that can fit into your artistic vision for your basement.
Step Guide on How to Apply Epoxy Floor Paint
If you have the floor used for heavier industrial use (like manufacturing or food processing), you may want to explore the use of a self-levelling floor. A Self-levelling epoxy floor tends to have a larger thickness. The below video explains the differences between a roller applied and a self-levelling floor.
Preparing the surface before applying the epoxy
Preparation of the substrate is necessary to ensure adhesion between the epoxy product and the substrate. Surface preparation is probably the most important step. Without proper preparation, the floor could fail, and fixing it would end up being much more costly.
Therefore never underestimate the importance of proper surface preparation. The surface needs to have a slightly rough profile. This will allow the mechanical bonding between the epoxy primer and the concrete surface.
Furthermore, the surface needs to be cleaned from any chemicals or oils that may block the epoxy from sticking properly to the substrate. The most common methods for surface preparation are the following:
- Grinding with a diamond grinding
- Sanding
- Shot-blasting
- Milling (or scarifying)
Sweeping and cleaning of the floor
It would be best if you now vacuumed the floor. Before applying any epoxy or primer, you cannot have any dust or residue. Otherwise, you will have various particles trapped within the coat.
As a result, adhesion will be significantly weakened. The less micro-dust on the surface, the less primer you will need. Use an industrial vacuum that picks up even small dust particles and has suitable filters.
Prime the floor with a suitable epoxy primer
You need to create the surface that will allow the epoxy to bond properly with your substrate. This is why we apply epoxy primer. Always prime the floor, don’t believe claims that priming is not necessary.
Priming will give your floor a longer life and better adhesion to the substrate. Furthermore, it will seal the substrate and reduce the risk of bubbles and gasses in your final epoxy coat. Priming also helps reduce the amount of product required in the later stages.
Ensure that the areas are ventilated properly. In some cases, you will apply the primer and noticed that the product gets very quickly absorbed by the substrate.
This is very common with dusty and soft cement-based floors. Feel free to apply a second coat of primer on top of the first one. Use a proper electrical mixer to mix the A and B components of the primer.
Fill all cracks, holes etc., with epoxy grout.
Before starting coating, you need to have eliminated all holes, dents and cracks in the floor. If you have large and deep holes, you may want to fill these up in advance with fast-drying cement mortar.
You should complete this step at the beginning before grinding and applying the primer. For the smaller cracks and holes, you can patch them either before or after applying the primer. However, we often observe that many cracks become visible after the primer has been applied.
There are various types of epoxy filler you can use. One option is to use 100% clear epoxy resin and mix it with a filler (like quartz sand or calcium carbonate). You can add as much filler as necessary to achieve your desired texture and thickness of the product.
If mixing clear resin and adding filler seems too complicated and messy, buy epoxy patching grout from the market. You will need to leave the epoxy putty for several hours to dry. Most probably, it will also require a little bit of sanding before proceeding to the next step.
Application of the first coat of epoxy paint
Several days have probably passed since you started the process of installing your epoxy floor. If you have done all the previous steps properly, you are finally ready to apply the first coat.
The first coat often acts as a tool to help reveal the floor. The first layer of coloured epoxy will reveal how the solid substrate holds up. Any remaining cracks and holes should become visible now!
The first coat can be applied either with a squeegee or a roller. If you are dealing with many small dents and microscopic holes in your floor, you should use a squeegee to make the first layer a filler coat.
When ready to start coating, empty all the hardener contents in component A. Use an electric mixer and mix at least for two minutes. Don’t skimp on the mixing! This step is very important.
Poor mixing will lead to a tacky floor. Depending on the surface in question, make sure you have enough people helping you. Applying epoxy on your own is never advisable, as the product tends to have a short pot life (30-45 minutes is common).
You should always have an assistant to speed up the epoxy flooring process before the pot is longer workable. If you apply with a roller, use a good quality roller, as poor quality rollers may start to shed. Also, have paintbrushes and masking tapes handy to deal with edges.
Final Sanding and Filling before applying the final epoxy floor paint
After 16-24 hours have passed, the first coat should be sufficiently dry so that you can proceed to the next step. You may notice various problems that have appeared, such as new cracks and holes after you applied the first coat. Also, sometimes dust and debris may be trapped in the first coat.
Many line marks may be visible if you apply the first coat with a squeegee. You will need to lightly sand these areas to eliminate any marks visible on the final floor.
Then use a vacuum cleaner to collect any dust. Often, you can use some epoxy thinner to wipe away any remaining micro-dust. Ensure that all the new cracks and holes are sealed & filled before starting the next coat. If necessary, wait for an extra dry for the grout to dry before recoating.
Apply the final coat
The final coat should be the easiest step if you follow the epoxy flooring process in this article. Before you start, make sure that the entire area is clean. Close all windows and doors as you don’t want someone walking in on the wet floor.
Use a high-quality roller. Some people like to spread the product with a squeegee and then use a roller to obtain a uniform surface. Spiked shoes will allow you to step on the wet coating and inspect any areas.
If you started with a problematic surface, you might actually need to apply an additional 3rd coat to make the surface look perfect
Conclusion
Many brands and companies provide concrete paint products for customers in Australia. In the table below is a representative selection of concrete resurfacing and paint products and an indication of concrete paint prices. We recommend hiring a trained professional for the best results from a coating.
How much does it cost to epoxy garage floor?
Epoxy garage floors cost between $1,447 to $3,006, with the national average at $2,227. If you’re tired of the plain concrete flooring in your garage, you may be interested in long-lasting epoxy flooring. Epoxy is a rugged and durable finish that will transform dull garage flooring into a gleaming surface.
Is it worth it to epoxy garage floor?
Epoxy flooring protects the underlying concrete from moisture, stains, grease and cracks. In the long run, this can save you a great deal on cleaning and maintenance costs by eliminating the need to clean carpet or grout. It’s also very reasonably priced for the duration and level of protection that it offers.
Why you should not epoxy your garage floor?
Steer Clear of Epoxy on Your Garage Flooring- #1: Epoxy has Weak Adhesion. Compared to paint, epoxy has far stronger adhesion. …
- #2: Epoxy Takes Multiple Days to Fully Cure. …
- #3: Epoxy Fades. …
- #4: It Can Stick to the Wrong Places! …
- #5: Poor Flexibility. …
- #6: Cooler Temp Applications Are Tough.
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