How to Repair a Garage Floor Before Epoxying
The garage is the most rough used part of the house. We use it very casually and the floor gets a hard treatment. The garage is the destination of all old stuff no longer in use, machinery and of course the car. With all these, no wonder the floor starts looking horrible in no time. It is marred with oil, paint, stains, grease and what not. Let us not forget all the holes and cracks that develop into the concrete floor over time. Well Epoxy is the only solution most of come up with when the garage starts presenting an embarrassing scene. However, painting epoxy over all the dust, grime and cracks is no use because the paint is going to seal over them and show it. It is also not going to adhere well and will flake off in a short time. It is important to clean the base and repair it before you start with the painting job. Our step by step guide shows you how to repair the garage floor before you grab the brush.
Things you need:
ScraperMallet
Broom
Acid-etching cleaner
Stiff brush
Concrete-repair compound
Sand
Trowel
Instructions
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1
Clean off all the dust and debris collected on the floor. Use a scrapper and mallet to scrape away anything stuck to the floor. This could be putty, paint droppings, any dust build up and all other debris. Accumulate everything and sweep them out of the garage so that you have a clean surface to work on.
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2
Use an acid etch cleaner with a stiff brush to get rid of any chemical remains on the floor like chemical leakage from the car including oil. These chemicals hamper the epoxy from adhering well to the floor. Wash the floor with soap water and a broom. Rinse it well and then leave it overnight for drying. Leave the windows and fan open to aid drying because you need a completely dry surface to work on.
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3
Before starting the paint, you have to make sure that the floor has no cracks and is level. Fill up any visible cracks with a concrete repair compound. You can also use caulk for the purpose. Use a trowel to fill the cracks. If you have larger cracks, fill two third of them with sand and then with patching compound. Let the compound settle overnight. Wash the floor again and dry it well before you start the final paint.
