Question:
I am going to paint my shop (garage) floor with epoxy paint. Rustolium sells
two grades, "Garage floor paint epoxy " and "Industrial epoxy" paint. I
purchased the "Industrial" quality on the assumption that if it cost more and
is more difficult to apply that it must be better. Does anyone have
sugestions/precautions/advice on applying these products? How good are they?
Answer:
-I doubt there is any big difference -- industrial products usually have
less voc to meet OSHA and EPA regulations. The most important factor is
the prep work. The concrete has to be dry, and you need to acid etch and
rinse per the instructions. My shop floor has two coats of the Home
Depot Rustoleum epoxy, and it has held up quite well over the past two
years.
-I have no experience with the particular product you bought, but I've used
Pittsburgh epoxy floor paint a few times. Wonderful product, but very
slippery when wet. If your shop/garage is where it's subject to any water,
it's wise to stir in some fine sand before applying the paint to provide
some tooth. I suggest something around 60 mesh. I've used 30 and it's a
bit too coarse--makes it hard to do any cleaning aside from just a broom.
Make sure you have no oil spots on the concrete. If you do, they can be
removed totally by soaking the spots in solvent (Stoddard, or mineral
spirits) and then covering the spot completely with kitty litter (Oil-Dri),
which should then be soaked with solvent. Let the entire mess dry
naturally. The evaporation of the solvent liquefies the oil and draws it
out as the solvent evaporates. You can clean even old, heavily soaked spots
that way, although it may take two attempts. Works great, and no hard work.
Etching with HCL (muriatic acid, or hydrochloric acid) diluted in water is
almost a must if you expect good adhesion. Dry well before
painting------and make sure you concrete has aged long enough that it's not
still quite alkaline. That, too, is a recipe for failure.
The only negative to painting a shop floor is if you weld there. The
spatter burns the painted surface, leaving it rather ugly.
