How to Epoxy Garage Floor

• Clear out the garage and safely remove all the tools, small and big machines, and materials. If the machine is big, ask someone for help. 
• Clean the dust, debris, grease and stains on the floor using detergent and water. You can also use a pressure washer to clean the floor.
• Use a scraper to smoothen out any extra cement rising from the floor.  
• Check for holes and cracks on the floor. If there are any, use concrete patches or epoxy fillers to repair them. Then, smoothen it with a grinder.  

Etching is done to open the pores of the concrete floor. We can use a concrete etching solution for this. Etching also increases adhesion and makes the process of drying the floor faster. 

• First, pour the solution on the floor and spray it with water.  
• Scrub the floor multiple times with a cleaning brush to make sure the solution is working on each pore. Then, rinse the solution with water multiple times. 

Primer is usually included in epoxy flooring kits, if it’s not there, you can buy one. Primer is important as it helps the epoxy to stick better to the floor and gets rid of any extra moisture that might be left.

• Once the floor is dry and smooth, apply thin coats of primer using a paint roller or a brush.  
• Wait 2-3 hours for the primer to set in.

Epoxy is made by mixing resin and hardener. 

• There are two separate boxes in the epoxy flooring kits for each. Mix them using a paddle for 3–4 minutes.  
• Sometimes the resin and hardener are inside the packet together, you have to mix them from the outside by pressing the packet.  
• Make sure to use this mixture within 30-40 minutes, which is the pot life of epoxy, or the mixture will start to harden. But it can differ according to temperature. With increasing temperature, the pot life decreases so use it quickly.

• Use a roller or brush to apply evenly across the floor. For smaller areas, use smaller brushes. 
• Decorative flake chips are optional. If you want to use them, sprinkle them on one section at a time after you have covered that area with an epoxy solution. 

Let the epoxy coat dry for one day, then apply a urethane clear coating on the floor to protect it from UV, scratches and mold. It will also give a clean and glossy finish to your garage surface.