Epoxy is a coating that is applied to concrete floors. Epoxy also seals up the floor and protects it from stains and damage. It is often applied to auto showroom floors, giving them a shiny look. Epoxy can be applied to floors in numerous other settings as well. It is used in residential garages, industrial settings, offices, and healthcare buildings.
Before epoxy can be applied to a floor, you have to prepare the concrete. The steps for preparing the concrete depends on the condition of the concrete.
New Concrete
Epoxy cannot be applied directly to a new concrete floor. First, the concrete floor has to completely cure before you can apply an epoxy coating to it. When concrete is first poured, the alkaline content is really high. A high alkaline content can be damaging to any new coating you apply to your floor. Once the concrete has cured, the alkaline levels will drop dramatically.
When concrete is first poured, it also has a great deal of moisture trapped inside of it. As the concrete cures, the moisture evaporates out of the concrete. How long it takes for new concrete to cure can vary from anywhere to one to three months, depending largely on the weather. Once the concrete has cured, then an epoxy coating can be applied to it.
Previously Sealed Concrete
Epoxy is not the only way to seal concrete. Other sealers can be used to protect your concrete, such as penetrating, siloxane, and acrylic concrete sealers. Paint can also be applied to concrete. If the concrete was previous sealed or painted, the sealer or paint has to be removed. The best way to remove the sealer is by shot blasting the floor. Shot blasting will remove the top layer of the concrete floor. Shot blasting will allow you to apply an epoxy coating to the new surface of the concrete floor.
Unsealed Old Concrete
If the concrete is unsealed, the prep work before applying epoxy is a lot simpler. The concrete needs to be cleaned and pressure washed to ensure that as much dirt is removed as possible. After the surface is pressure washed, the concrete has to be allowed to dry out before the epoxy coating can be applied. If there are any cracks or holes in the concrete, those should be filled in before any epoxy coating is applied.
Before epoxy coating is applied, the concrete has to be prepared for the coating. When the concrete is properly prepared, the epoxy coating will go on smooth. For more information, contact a company like EZ- Concrete Supply today.
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