Epoxy Flake Garage Floor Instructions

Step 1: Surface Preparation

Any surface that is about to be sealed needs to be completely cured, clean and free of all contaminants, mechanically ground and etched.

Clean the Floor: Thoroughly clean (sweep and vacuum) the concrete garage floor. Clean the floor with our Concrete Cleaner Degreaser & Etcher. Be sure to wash all residue away and let dry overnight.
Fill Cracks and Holes: Cracks and hairline cracks should be opened up with an angle grinder about 1/8" deep and all holes should be filled in with our Crack and Hole Epoxy. Cures after 8 hours and ready to grind level. Do this before grinding and leveling the entire floor.
Resurfacing/Leveling: Floor surfaces must be mechanically prepped by grinding to avoid delaminating or pop up from contamination on the floor surface or the concrete is too smooth to bond with the epoxy. Grind and resurface the floor with a hand-held diamond grinder or a commercial floor grinder (easily rented). The surface of concrete must be opened up or roughed up to feel like 80 – 180 grit sandpaper. You can purchase or rent a diamond grinder at most big box and rental stores.

TIP: A simple rule of thumb to test if your concrete surface is capable of an epoxy coating, is to drip a drop of water onto it. Do this in multpile areas around the room. If the water absorbs into the concrete, so will our water-based floor epoxy.

Complete Surface Prep Instructions
Moisture: Moisture should also be limited as colored water-based epoxy systems are non-vapor-permeable sealers. Make sure your concrete floor is not retaining moisture. Test this by taping a 2 ft. x 2 ft. plastic sheet (garbage bag) to the floor, and leave it overnight. If there are water bubbles or spots under the plastic, the concrete is retaining moisture.

As long as your results show no moisture spots, then you will be safe to apply your garage floor flake epoxy kit.

Any condensation-moisture formed or darkening of the slab beneath the plastic after 24 hrs. indicates the concrete is retaining moisture and the surface is too wet for an epoxy. If you do have moisture then you will want to do a calcium chloride test to see how much moisture you have.

Learn more about expanded moisture testing.

Note: these observations and measurements may be inherently flawed as they are “snapshots in time”. These tests serve only as guidelines.

Moisture Vapor Barrier: If a moisture barrier is needed, it is applied prior to the epoxy base coat. Pour Concrete Moisture Barrier & Vapor Blocker onto the floor in 4”-6” wide ribbons running perpendicular across the floor. Roll out the moisture barrier with a 1⁄4” nap 18” “paint roller across the entire floor. Allow Moisture/Vapor Barrier material to harden +/- 16hrs but not more than 24hrs prior to applying the water-based epoxy.

Masking: If the walls have already been painted, use blue painters’ tape around the edges where your wall and your floor meet while leaving a 1/8” gap above the floor. If any foundation block/base board area along the walls require epoxy and flakes, tape that off above as well.

Do not mix epoxy before completely masking off unmovable objects (water heater, A/C, etc.) and sections that need to be protected.
Where the garage door comes down to the floor where the garage floor meets the driveway, typically there is a round over. This round over needs protected with painters' tape to mask off the driveway concrete when applying epoxy and flakes.
Make sure the painters' tape is firmly pressed onto the area to ensure correct adhesion so no epoxy can seep or “bleed” underneath.
Once the epoxy base-coat has been applied, the tape can be removed or immediately after the flakes have been applied. This ensures the tape doesn't get adhered to walls and objects by the epoxy when it cures.
You will have around 45 minutes to maybe 1 hour to remove the tape. Use spiked shoes to walk across quickly (but carefully) and pull the tape slowly from each end all the way across where it is taped.

Every 1 gallon of epoxy base coat covers approx. 200-250 sq. ft. of concrete floor. If the area you are working with is any larger than 250 sq. ft., mark 250 sq. ft. by starting at the wall, and marking your endpoint with blue painters’ tape on the wall. This will make sure you don't use too much or too little product for your desired result. Mix epoxy appropriately for your specific coverage.

Step 2: Mixing Water-base Colored Floor Epoxy

Set Up: Setup a mixing area that's out of the way of your application area. Pour in 1 part B to 4 parts A. Part A in the gallon can is short filled, and the addition of the entire quart can of Part B will create 1-gallon of pre-tinted concrete floor base epoxy.
Mixing: Epoxy needs to be mixed to the correct ratio or else you risk epoxy not curing properly. When mixing, move mixing paddle around the edges of the container and scraping the sides so all material gets mixed. Mix for a minimum of three (3) minutes – scrape the sides of the can thoroughly while mixing.

Step 3: Apply Epoxy Base-Coat on Concrete Floor

Avoid application on extremely cold or hot days or during wet, foggy weather. Apply with ambient and surface temperatures ranging above 50°F (10°C) and below 90°F (32°C) and that will remain within ranges for at least 12 hours following application. Surface temperature must be a minimum 5°F (3°C) above dew point. Relative humidity should be below 75%.

NOTE: A 60-minute Pot Life should allow ample time to spread the epoxy from the mixing container. However, depending on heat and humidity you will still need to work steadily to apply the epoxy at the proper thickness.

If applicable, first with a paintbrush or small handheld roller, apply floor epoxy to the cove joint concrete outer side walls of the room. Not all garage floors will have this or have it showing. This is also a good time to cut-in the edges of the floor against the walls with a paintbrush or small roller.
While wearing spiked shoes, pour mixed epoxy onto the floor in 4”-6” wide ribbons running perpendicular across the floor. (1-gallon of base-coat epoxy will cover 200-250 sq. ft.) You have +/- 60 minutes before the epoxy will start to set in the bucket, the quicker you pour the epoxy on the floor, the longer working time you have.

NOTE: Do not tip the epoxy container upsidedown on the floor. Any unmixed Part A or Part B could contaminate the cure process.
After the epoxy is poured out, use a 3/8” nap 12–18-inch paint roller parallel to the poured ribbons to push the epoxy puddle uniformly covering the floor. Roll out your garage floor epoxy just like you would floor paint working your way out of the room.

NOTE: Be cautious to not leave roller lines or ridges which could show through as high points in the flakes.
After the epoxy is rolled out evenly, back roll with your paint roller perpendicular to the way you spread it out making sure the entire floor is evenly covered. Areas on the concrete block perimeter of your garage should be attended to as well.

Base-Coat Epoxy Cure:

Ready for protective top-coat: dry to the touch (4-18 hours)

Light Duty Use: 16-30 hours

Full Cure: 5-14 days

Step 4: Flake Broadcasting

This is where the spiked shoes really come into play. Spiked shoes will allow you to walk on the wet epoxy without leaving footprints, damaging the ability of the epoxy to accept the flakes evenly.

Flake Coverage:

1/4" Flake coverage at 100% refusal averages 240 sq. ft.
HYBRID Flake coverage at 100% refusal averages 160 sq. ft.

While the floor epoxy is still wet – which it will be, broadcast the included kit epoxy flakes onto the entire surface. This broadcast will be a 100% dispersion of flakes (full refusal) that will completely cover up the base-coat binder epoxy. You should see an even and dry coating of flake with no shiny spots/areas when properly covered. Add more flakes if you see shiny epoxy showing through.

If applicable, first toss flakes onto the concrete block perimeter walls and cove joint side walls. Toss flakes onto the bottom side walls around the garage evenly. Scrape up any piles of "dry" flakes on the floor that are left over from covering the side walls. Reuse them only if they are dry.
With heaping handfuls of epoxy flakes, toss them into the air and let them fall to the floor. Throw/flick the flakes into the air and let them fall onto your epoxy (use a chicken feeding motion). As flakes fall to the floor they naturally mix for the perfect blend. Be careful not to dump piles of flakes, this will look unnatural. Toss the flakes about 2-3 feet out and away from yourself.
If the floor has low spots where the base coat is deeper, flakes may “sink.” Broadcast sufficient flakes to completely saturate the low spot. Continue tossing flakes moving around as you go, backing out towards your exit until the base-coat is 100% covered completely.
Concrete Control Joints will need special attention to ensure flakes are broadcast evenly over them and no shiny base-coat epoxy is showing. Joints may also disappear during the flake broadcast, which is normal.
READ MORE ABOUT CONTROL JOINTS HERE
Allow the flaked garage floor to dry and cure sufficiently, usually 12-18 hours, depending on temperature. 12-24 hours is best to ensure binding. NOTE: Do not close the garage door all the way until product is cured!
Remove excess flakes once the epoxy is cured, usually 12-18 hours later. Scrape the floor with a flat edge trowel or wide floor scraper to knock down sharp flake edges, vertical flake chips protruding, and excess flakes. Control joints should be cleaned and over laying flakes removed. Use a floor scraper or putty knife to cut into the joint and cleanly remove flakes over the joint.
Don't forget to scrape the bottom side walls around the garage with a smaller scraper. Sweep with a stiff broom (or leaf blower) and vacuum all excess flakes off the floor - only after it is cured dry.

At this point, a finish top-coat may be applied as a scratch-resistant complete coating system.

Step 5: Apply Water-Based Polyurethane Top-Coat Protection

(Choose your polyurethane option when ordering.)

We suggest the use of a top-coat to add durability, protection, and to smooth out the flake surface so it isn’t too abrasive. Two layers are typically suggested with any interior project receiving a polyurethane coating, with the second layer applied as soon as first coat can be walked on, and is used in the same manner as the first coat.

STOP: Open the garage doors and inspect the room for adequate air movement and ventilation!

Make sure that temperatures will remain between 50- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity to stay below 75%. Properly mix material and pour 4”-6” wide ribbon on the floor.
Pour 1 part "B" into three parts "A" and mix mechanically for a minimum of 3 minutes. Part A in the gallon can is short filled, and the addition of the entire quart can of Part B will create 1-gallon of top-coat.
With a 3/8” nap 12–18-inch paint roller, roll out thin coats over workable area, making sure to maintain wet edges uniformity over entire floor. These materials are designed to go down thin, +/- 250 sq. ft. per gallon. Do not puddle the material.
For a single coat, allow 72hr dry/cure time before opening up to traffic. Depending on your personal surface preference, a second top-coat can be applied. For a second coat, allow the top-coat to dry/cure for 6-8 hours. 16-30 hours after that, the surface is ready for light use. A full cure is between 5-7 days depending on environmental conditions.

Top-Coat Cure:

Ready for recoat: 6-8 hours

Light Duty Use: 24 hours

Heavy Traffic Ready: 3 days

Full Cure: 5-7 days

Precautions: We do not suggest driving on the epoxy flake floor until at least 5-7 days after application. Always avoid turning your front tires on your new surface as a precaution. Do not slide heavy items as it could tear up the flakes. Use rubber or felt pads for protection under objects and felt pads when sliding large furniture, items, or objects.