Application of an external coating on any object adds to its life and gives it a better finish. Till about two decades ago, only industrial products were coated with suitably formulated chemicals. The intention was the same: To protect an item from atmospheric pollution and thus enhance its life. Aesthetic looks came as a bonus!

With the advent of technology and the introduction of new materials for manufacturing, a number of chemical products were formulated with the same intention: Enhancement of durability and aesthetic appeal. Now we have a suitable coating material for almost anything and everything from industrial products to floors. Floors need coatings to enable them to resist day-to-day wear and tear brought in by scratches and other damages likely to be caused by household chemicals or mechanical abrasions.

There is quite a variety of epoxy-based floor-application. You have epoxy concrete floor paint. Its application is easy and can be cleaned very easily. For large industrial floors or warehouses and auto shops it’s now customary to apply a coating of industrial epoxy floor coatings. They give a shiny look, are odorless and thick enough to prevent the floors from damages likely to be caused in any industrial unit. But, it’s slippery when wet. Rough coat epoxy concrete floor paint has anti-skid properties with a tan color. This is rather thin but solvent based. Then we have an epoxy floor coating with water as a bonding agent. Compared to other epoxy floor coatings it is very thin, being water bound. An epoxy floor coating with water bond is unable to conceal floor-cracks. Being user friendly and economical it is ideally used for residences.

Garage is certainly an extension of your home, if not a part of the home. Just as we maintain our living room, bathroom or kitchen, a garage too needs to be taken care of. It need not be used as a dumping ground for obsolete tools and tackles. This can be made a beautifully looking colored place by covering its floor with an appropriate coating to withstand day to day damages caused by oil, dirt and water. There is a wide choice of colors to give it a shiny new look all the time. Apart from the aesthetics, the treatments also add to the life of its floor. You might have noticed the application of these coating at auto body shops and car dealerships.

Here again you have a choice of coatings. An epoxy coating is the most durable as it jells well with the concrete flooring, whereas Polyurethane resists chemical leakages. All that leakage of fuel, oil and greases make the floor too shabby and inconvenient to wash. Even repeated washings with water fail to give it a clean look. Why not simply cover the floor with a coating of latex paint? It is very economical. And imagine the volume of water and physical labor that you will save! Surely, early morning you would prefer to be greeted by a clean and shiny floor.

Likewise, even the floor of a swimming pool may be given a coating to give it a healthier and a brighter look. There is a choice of three types of coatings for the pool: acrylic, epoxy and rubber based.

Acrylic paint is easier to handle and can be applied to any kind of surface. This is a perfect coating for all the places where you anticipate periodic painting. Its average life varies from two to three years.

Epoxy coatings are more durable and thus more expensive too. They would easily retain themselves for seven to ten years. Average cleaners and chemicals do not affect it nor do ultra violet rays.
Availability in different colors coupled with low cost and easy application makes chlorinated rubber a preferred coating for swimming pools. But, it’s not as durable and would last for just about three to five years.

We use epoxy floor paint on those floors that have to endure heavy traffic, from vehicles and humans. Most popular areas are garage and basement, but it is not unusual to find epoxy paint on shop floors, laundry room floors, concrete slabs, kennels, brick pavers or pole barns. The wide range of use is caused by the floor finish which can resist many types of dirt like oil, grease, water and similar messes. A tough epoxy resin helps to make this possible. And this mixture is what makes it the most cost effective choice for most floor coatings.

You will be able to find three different types of epoxies. First are 100% solids which do not have any solvents that can evaporate, they are totally pure. Next come the solvent based epoxy paints that will adhere and penetrate quite well. The drawback is that they are dangerous to health and when you work with them, you have to ventilate the area. It is not recommended to breathe the fumes that emanate. And at last, we have water based paints that are a lot cheaper but also thinner. They maintain anti slip texture and are not hazardous at all. But unlike previous two types, they need a lot more ventilation to dry up.

Before applying the epoxy floor paint, you have to clean the floor and clean it good. You can use brush and you can get yourself a floor buffer to clean it. I know that floor scrubber is not something you might have, but you can easily rent one. It will pay off for sure, since cleaning floors before applying paint is a tough job and it needs to be done well. There should be no debris left, and no moisture on the floor you want to decorate.

You can use warm soapy water on concrete surfaces to get rid of the oils. Oil is quite stubborn and won’t go away so easily. But you have to clean it because it can create bubbles in the coating, and that won’t do you any good. When it comes to soluble contaminants, a degreaser could be your best friend. Scrubbing it over the area and rinsing it should be a process that you will repeat few times. The best way to know your floor is finally clean is to check the water. If it doesn’t stick to the floor, you managed to do it all right.

To get rid of the moisture, leave the floor to dry overnight. The next day is the painting day. Make sure that there isn’t any moisture left by putting a plastic bag on the floor. If tomorrow you find small drops on water on it, it means that you will have to wait a bit more. It is important that it’s all dry, because you don’t want to have any bubbles in your epoxy coating. Choose a day that will be warm, but not a day just before the rain, since then will be a lot of moisture in the air.

You will need 2 or 3 coats to prepare for a good finish. Make sure there is a clean cotton rag to clean the drips. Apply the paint with the same thickness through the entire surface. Once you have it all finished, you can polish the new flooring. Now you have a tough and durable garage that is resistant to all the salt and acids.