Epoxy Floor Repairs

1.) Homeowner-applied epoxy flooring systems. These are usually $99 kits from a local hardware store or chain store. They rarely supply a tough, clear surface sealer and give little instruction on proper surface preparation.
2.) Professionally-applied epoxy flooring systems. Professional installers use industrial-grade materials and are well versed on how to prepare the surface properly for maximum durability.

Not all of these coating systems are compatible in terms of adhesion, durability, thickness or appearance. For repairs, you need to stick with the manufacturer of the original materials . . . or at least in the same family . . . to ensure a satisfactory outcome.

1.) Peeling of the epoxy surface - usually under where the tires sit.
2.) Oil, transmission fluid, battery acid and brake fluid stains.
3.) White water stains or flaky white efflorescence powder.
4.) Fading or yellowing of the surface in areas that get direct sun.
5.) Cracks that reappear or lifting of the concrete around cracks.

If your epoxy garage floor was installed by a professional installer, call them first to fix the problem. They have the experience, tools and compatible materials to best deal with the problem.

If your floor is coated with a home-owner installed product, at least follow these steps:

Cleaning:
Scrub the floor thoroughly with a cleaner/degreaser product like Krud Kutter or Simple Green. Scrub it down with a stiff brush, wash it off thoroughly with your garden hose and allow it to dry thoroughly. Using a leaf blower will speed up the drying process.

If the problem was white powdery efflorescence, grind the area as described below and scrub it down well with common household white vinegar. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry thoroughly.

More supplies:
Buy another $99 hardware store epoxy floor coating kit. You probably won't need much of the kit for the repairs. The kit will go bad over the next few months after you open the containers so don't plan on using it again.

Cracks, chips, fading and stained areas:
Rent a 4" angle grinder with a diamond cutting blade from your local hardware store. If the area to be repaired is more than a few square feet, it is highly advisable to rent a grinder with a dust hood and attached vacuum. The fine dust from the epoxy and concrete can be messy and is not good for your lungs.

If the problem was a new crack or hole in the surface, use the grinder to cut down into the crack about 1/4" wide and about 3/8" or so deep. After dampening the crack or hole, fill it with an acrylic-modified cement patching compound. Smooth the surface by using a trowel, disposable plastic putty knife and/or use a damp sponge to pat it smooth. Let the patch cure for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer of the product. Using a damp sponge to lightly wipe the patched surface may obviate the need to grind the repair smooth.

Peeling:
Use the grinder to lightly take off the peeling areas and to about 1" beyond. The goal is to get the surface about as rough as 100 grit sandpaper so the epoxy will stick. Be sure to keep the grinder level when using it. Tilting the grinder will create swirl marks in the surface which will then need to be patched.

Lifting:
It is best to hire a professional to grind down lifted areas. It usually takes heavy grinding to remove the "lip." They will have the appropriate equipment and know how to feather out the edge so as to not weaken the slab.

Re-coat the treated areas with the kit materials.

Cracks, fractures and lifting:

Your epoxy floor coating is not a Star Wars force field. When tens of tons of a concrete floor want to move . . . or if you drop an engine block on the floor as one of our customers did . . . nothing is going to stop the damage.

Fading and staining:

You should really consider putting down a clear, UV-resistant, non-yellowing sealer over your epoxy floor. This will make it MUCH easier to clean, will resist automotive fluid stains and will protect it from fading.

Hardware stores generally don't carry sealers appropriate for going over epoxy floors. Check with a paint store that serves contractors: Sherwin Williams or Dunn Edwards. Or contact our supply source, Versatile Building Products at http://www.garagecoatings.com. Products recommended will probably be a urethane or polyurea sealer.

You will need to sand down the whole floor with 80 or 100 grit sandpaper with an orbital sander or a pole sander to achieve a surface that the sealer can readily bond to. The goal is to scuff up the surface, not to remove the old coating.

Peeling:

The areas you repaired by grinding, applying new epoxy and sealing should be fine. The new sealer coat over the rest of the floor should help with future peeling but if the original epoxy base coat didn't adhere properly, you may have problems in other areas in the future.

California Concrete Restoration, Inc.
Laguna Hills, CA
(949) 939-4088

Click here to email us
calconcrete@cox.net