Painting the Floor

Open both containers - "Part A" and "Part B". The container marked "Part B" should be about 3/4 full when you open it. It should be grey in colour - if it is white, milky or yellow stir it thoroughly first. Try to scrape the bottom gently with the stir-stick to break up any material that may have settled to the bottom. Then, add the contents of "Part A", the smaller container. It will be clear (and very sticky!). Stir this for approximately three minutes. It should eventually appear like paint.

Remember however that this is not paint. It doesn't dry, it hardens. The warmer it is in the room, the faster it hardens. We suggest, if possible, that you wait to do this until the weather is cooperative - for example, don't do this to your garage in the height of summer. Also, you don't want it to be too cold. We have done this succesfuly with the ground hovering at 50F, but it was a little nerve-wracking and we really suggest waiting until the floor is at least 60F (but not more than 80F).

It is also important to remember that the epoxy on your paint-roller and brushes hardens just as fast as the floor. If you are doing a particularly large area, and/or it is particularly hot, it's a good idea to keep spare materials handy. You can switch out the roller by using plastic gloves (or in a pinch, a plastic bag), but after a few hours they're simply going to be too saturated with hardening epoxy to be useful.

After mixing, it is time to start doing the edges. It is okay to get a little epoxy on the wall - you can touch up the wall later, but it's very difficult to touch up the floor if you missed a spot! (And regular latex paint covers the epoxy quite well) DO NOT USE TAPE ON THE WALLS. You will not be able to get to them to take the tape off while the epoxy is still wet, and if you wait until it hardens, it will never come off. Remember - This is not paint. Also keep in mind that this is the very reason you want to use epoxy - it forms an absolute bond with whatever material is underneath it, which makes for a beautiful floor that's exceptionally durable and easy to clean.

If possible, this is when you want a buddy to help you. If one person can go around the entire room and edge it, the other person can begin on using the roller.

You want to apply the epoxy in a fairly uniform pattern. If your floor has a rough texture, you may notice you need to go back over it to cover it properly. Be fairly liberal with it - just as with the repair epoxy earlier, it is pretty much "what you see is what you get". It won't settle later to form a uniform coat - how you see it thirty seconds after applying it to the floor is how it will look in thirty days.

Do the floor in sections are that are roughly 4x4', or at least no larger than that.

That is because you need to apply the confetti. Hold about two tablespoons at a time and toss them upwards, rather than straight to the floor. Move around as you do this to form a truly random pattern. Toss them against the wall so they evenly coat the edges of the room. It's fine if any get on the un-painted floor - simply ignore them as you go. Roll right over it, and the sprinkle will stick just fine. You will find it difficult to toss them further than a few feet (they're not exactly aerodynamic).

The main benefit to the sprinkles is they break up the appearance of the floor. Unless you have a brand-new, perfectly uniform floor, you are going to notice every crack and dent as soon as you paint it a clean, solid colour. Breaking up the surface with little colourful speckles makes the floor appear much more uniform and flat. They also provide a little bit of traction.

If you require more traction control on your floor, Rustoleum makes an additive. It works quite well, and you need one packet per kit. (Most floors will require more than one kit - read the description on the box and have measurements of your room)

In our experience, we found the packaged amount of confetti to be very generous. We typically used one packet of confetti per 2 kits of epoxy. How much you use is entirelly up to you. Don't worry about excess - after a few days just sweep the floor.

If you encounter a spot where you simply must edge it off (as we did at the doorway here), use tape. As soon as you are finished painting, pull the tape off.

You do want to plan your "attack" on the room, so that you don't end up painting yourself in. It's very easy to do if you are not paying attention!

If you end up getting any epoxy on the bottom of your shoes, just take your shoes off. Let them cure for a day. Trying to clean it off with water is a promise for a mess - and the epoxy will still be there.

If you get epoxy on your hands, clean them with soap and water. It cleans very easily from the skin as long as it is still very wet.