Epoxy coatings provide exceptional protection for your floors. Driveways become safer in the winter, garages withstand accidental spills, and basements transform into luxurious leisure areas. When considering your options for installing a new epoxy floor, you may find hardware store products touting easy-to-apply epoxy coatings. DIY epoxy flooring projects quickly fail to ensure protection against mold, moisture, and rust damage.
While DIY epoxy products cost less than hiring flooring professionals, the results of trusting trained professionals to apply epoxy speak for themselves. Expert flooring companies have the tools, training, and experience necessary to ensure the quality of your new epoxy coating. Before buying the cheapest epoxy floor coating you find in the store, consider exploring the services and products of your local flooring professionals. Continue reading to learn all the pitfalls and shortcomings of DIY epoxy flooring.
6 Risks of DIY Epoxy Flooring
You would never add parts to your car without a thorough understanding of engine mechanics, so why treat your floors differently? Quality epoxy floor coatings require patience, precision, and advanced techniques and equipment to apply correctly. A poorly installed epoxy coating damages concrete floors and necessitates expensive repairs. The six most significant risks of DIY epoxy flooring include the following:
Garage Flooring Damage
Concrete floors remain susceptible to moisture damage. Epoxy flooring provides essential protection for concrete floors by repelling moisture and resisting spills and scratches—hastily installed epoxy flooring results in trapped moisture between your coating and the concrete floor. Newly poured concrete applied with epoxy coating too soon allows unevaporated water to settle between the two layers. Moisture destroys concrete floors from the inside out, putting tremendous pressure on the concrete slabs causing spalling, bubbling, discoloration, and cracks.
Uneven Epoxy Coatings
Professionals painstakingly work to ensure the surface of your concrete floor remains free of cracks, damage, moisture, and debris. Even the smallest amount of dirt or dust negatively affects epoxy’s ability to bind correctly to substrates. Garage floors coated with uneven epoxy fail to resist problems causing moisture, spills, and damage. If you apply your epoxy coating in conditions too hot or cold for the epoxy to cure, uneven layers and peeling of your epoxy occur readily.
Lack of Protection
Many home and business owners utilize epoxy coatings for their excellent stain- and slip-resistant properties. Commercial and industrial industries use epoxy flooring to protect concrete floors from heavy machinery, chemical spills, and constant foot traffic. Trained professionals must apply epoxy coatings to guarantee your floors effectively resist damage. Unprotected concrete floors pose a severe risk to family members and employees slipping and falling.
Peeling, Blistering, and Discoloration
The three main signs of improper epoxy coating installation include peeling, blistering, and discoloration. The mixing and application of epoxy require precise measurements, perfect temperature conditions, and clean substrates. Reasons your epoxy coating peels, blisters, and becomes discolored include:
- UV radiation interacted with the epoxy formula
- Improper mixing of resins and hardeners within the epoxy mixture
- Waited too long to apply the epoxy coating
- Porous substrates trapped moisture underneath the epoxy coating
The best way to avoid costly problems when applying an epoxy coating requires the help of professionals. Experienced flooring professionals understand all the drawbacks of misusing epoxy flooring. Save time, money, and energy by enlisting the help of trained professionals.
Constant Reapplication
Epoxy floors provide long-lasting results for a variety of floor systems. Most professional flooring companies offer at least a 15-year warranty on epoxy floors. Constant reapplications and sealing of epoxy floors signify incorrect application of epoxy. The tools and materials needed to reapply epoxy annually add up over time and cost significant amounts of time and energy.
Less-Effective Results
Epoxy flooring works wonders when applied correctly. Hot car tires, heavy snow, and chemical spills do not leave lasting damage or stains on epoxy flooring. While DIY epoxy flooring remains an option, incorrect applications of epoxy result in areas of your flooring unprotected from damage. Enter the upcoming winter season with confidence by enlisting the help of flooring professionals for your next epoxy flooring project.
Trust Coating Designs for All Your Epoxy Flooring Needs
At Coating Designs, our team of experts works diligently to provide exceptional concrete coating services. We utilize the highest quality epoxy flooring bases and polyaspartic topcoats to protect your concrete floors from anything. We offer a generous 25-year warranty on all standard flake floors. To learn more about our services and speak to our friendly staff, contact us at Coating Designs at 888-837-6998 to receive your free quote today!