Epoxy Sealing the Floors

Epoxy and paint are very different creatures. "Epoxy" is actually an "epoxy resin", made up of an epoxide polymer that requires a catalyzing agent in order to harden. First invented in the 1930s, epoxy can be found in dozens of uses today. For example, they made excellent adhesives, molds, models and tooling. Epoxy can be found alone, or reinforced, such as with fibreglass or concrete. Because of the process that takes place in hardening, epoxies harden at different rates depending on the temperature: the warmer it is, the faster it cures.



Paint, on the other hand, is a polymer of a different creature - an emulsion. Paint can be thinned (With water if latex, with other agents if oil-based) and dries fairly quickly into a solid film.

Paint has many useful applications and can often be used as a sealer - for water protection, or ease of cleaning. However paint does not typically handle well under high foot traffic. For this application, epoxy is by far the sturdier choice. Rather than a film that sits on top of the floor surface, epoxy forms a molecular bond with the floor surface, forming a solid plastic layer on top of the previous floor. It will easily withstand both foot traffic and vehicular traffic - ideal for garage floors, as well as an industrial environment. It is also a good choice if you have an environment prone to moisture - such as a basement floor.

We would like to thank Rustoleum for their donation of Rustoleum EpoxyShield Garage Floor Coating. Thanks to their donation, we have been able to coat over 12,000 square feet so far with epoxy.

The top picture is the epoxy kit out of the box. It also comes with an instruction booklet and a DVD. If you have never worked with paint or epoxy before, it is a good idea to check out the video, it only lasts a few minutes.

The white packet is the cleaning powder. You do not want to actually clean the floor from the beginning with this, it is for the acid-etching step. (We'll get to that shortly) The packet with confetti is used after you paint, and should be kept handy while painting.

You will want to have the epoxy kits on hand before you begin the cleaning process, since the acid etching is required before you can begin.

You will also want to make sure you have the other materials required. For the painting process, you will need a standard paint tray, roller brush, roller and a couple small paintbrushes. As you can see we re-used supplies for this step - just clean everything properly and it will be fine. It is important to remember that you will not be able to re-use the tools after you epoxy.

You will also need cleaning supplies - a mop, a broom, a squeegee and a bristle brush. The bristle brush can be used previously, but it must be very clean. You will also require a wet/dry vaccum, particularly if the room you are working in does not have any way to drain the water on the floor.