DIY solutions are all over the internet. It’s true, sometimes completing a home project yourself saves you money. However, beware of DIY epoxy flooring.
Some things are just better left to the professionals. Installing epoxy flooring is a long process that involves specialized tools and materials that don’t come with your average epoxy DIY kit.
But what makes a professional epoxy floor better than a DIY solution? Keep reading to see how the two compare.
Epoxy Flooring Prep
A large part of applying epoxy flooring is the preparation for the epoxy to seal and coat the existing concrete. Without the right preparation, the epoxy will peel and potentially damage your concrete flooring.
DIY Kit Prep
Most DIY kits come with a cleaning solution for your flooring as preparation for the epoxy coat. Usually, they come with a simple acid wash solution. But, acid wash isn’t enough to remove harsh stains and cure concrete.
Without another way of prepping, the epoxy is very likely to peel up because it didn’t adhere to the concrete correctly.
Professional Prep
Every garage floor or basement floor has been through a different environment. That means there’s not a one-size-fits-all prep solution. A professional understands what factors affect how epoxy adheres.
They’ll examine your flooring and prep it accordingly. A professional will grind down the top layer of concrete flooring to remove stains and even out the surface. If there are harsh stains, they may need to sandblast the floor.
DIY kits don’t account for the amount of prep that needs to go into applying epoxy flooring.
Epoxy Materials
The quality of the epoxy materials you work with determines how long your epoxy coating stays on and how good it looks. When it comes to materials, there’s a reason DIY kits are so cheap.
DIY Epoxy
DIY epoxy kits are water-based. That means the resin is not as strong as professional-grade epoxy. The water-diluted resin doesn’t harden as well and creates a brittle material.
Though this makes DIY kits easier to apply, it makes a thinner coating that is likely to crack or peel.
Professional-Grade Epoxy
Professional epoxy is solvent-based instead of water-based. This makes the epoxy much more solid. Since it’s so much more solid, it holds up better to daily wear and tear and impact. This solvent-based epoxy also seeps deeper into the concrete.
Though DIY epoxy kits are cheaper, they aren’t the same quality material that professionals use.
Epoxy Coating Endurance
With better materials and preparation, it’s not surprising that professionally applied epoxy coating stands the test of time better than DIY kits.
DIY Kit Lifespan
DIY epoxy floor kits are not a permanent solution. They can temporarily improve the appearance of concrete flooring. But, to maintain them, they need to be redone every year or so. Eventually, the cost of redoing DIY epoxy flooring every year adds up to the cost of a professional epoxy coating.
Professional Lifespan
Professionally applied epoxy flooring lasts without touch-ups for up to a decade. After 7-10 years, it will need a touch-up coat. But that doesn’t cost the same as your initial epoxy coating cost.
Get Professional Epoxy Floors
GarageForce Greenville is your one-stop for garage epoxy flooring. Don’t waste time and money on DIY solutions that don’t stand the test of time and end up causing more headaches.
To learn more about our epoxy flooring processor to get a quote, contact us here.