Steps to success with epoxy flooring

To make sure their concrete floor was well-prepared, a firefighter and his wife invested two afternoons in a thorough prep before opening the gallon cans of epoxy.

After sweeping the floor thoroughly, Mike mists the concrete with water. (A damp surface slows the etch in the next step from sucking into the concrete too quickly.)

Marta sprinkles an 8x10' section with a citric etch. The chemical action between the etch and alkaline in the concrete opens pores (imagine a slightly pitted surface), which allows the epoxy to adhere.

After allowing the etch to work on the concrete for 2 minutes, Marta scrubs the floor with a stiff-bristle 18"-wide broom. Unlike muriatic acid, citric etch is safe to plants and doesn't release fumes.

Mike rinses the etch from the floor while Marta pushes the water to the open garage door with a soft-bristle broom.

To speed drying of the floor, Mike draws up water from the saw cuts and corners of the room using a wet/dry vacuum .

To cover chips and imperfections, Mike levels EPOXYShield Concrete Patch and Repair with a 4"-wide putty knife.

To check that the concrete is dry enough to apply epoxy, Marta tapes a 2x4' plastic sheet to the floor and waits for 24 hours.

A good sign: No moisture droplets beneath the plastic! That means the concrete is dry enough to apply the epoxy.

Mike adheres 2"-wide tape to the wall that will protect the paneling from roller splatter.

Mike burnishes (rubs down) the tape with a putty knife. This prevents the epoxy from creeping beneath the tape.

With a paint paddle mounted in his drill/driver, Mike thoroughly mixes the epoxy Parts A and B for 5 minutes.

Before picking up his roller, Mike cuts in (brushes) the corners and edges of the floor with a 2"-wide brush.

Mike rolls out the first 4x8' section with a 1⁄2"-nap roller cover.

While the epoxy is still wet, Marta sprinkles color flecks on the floor.