Polishing Concrete

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  Since we have moved into the new house, I’ve been busy unpacking and making a list of all of the projects I want to get done.  Projects like, painting the kitchen cabinets, adding builtins to the study, and remodeling all of the bathrooms.  Another project that I’ve wanted to do for a long time is to polish the concrete or epoxy the concrete in the garage.  Some friends of ours had their garage floor epoxied and it is gorgeous. 

I have always admired neat and organized garages and an epoxied floor or polished floor just adds that special touch.  It makes the space so sleek and clean.  

So, we have been chatting about when we tackle this project, if we want to do it ourselves or hire this one out.  Our friends had their job hired out which I’m sure would be the easier route.  But, if we were to do this project, we would need to rent a concrete grinder to accomplish our task.  

To epoxy a floor it is a three day process.

Apparently to have a perfectly epoxied floor, floor preparation is of the utmost importance.  The first step is shot blasting.  This is where the floor is shot-blasted to create a rough and porous surface allowing the epoxy primer to penetrate deep into the concrete surface.

Next, is when the concrete grinder come into play.  All hard to reach areas are diamond grinded to expose fresh, clean concrete ensuring a good bond between the epoxy and the concrete. Any cracks or uneven surfaces are grinded smooth to reduce visibility.

The third step is patching.  Crack, divots and holes are patched using the highest quality polymer-modified patching compound and grinded smooth.

Step 4 is all about the epoxy.  A two-part 100% solids penetrating epoxy primer is the first layer of epoxy applied. This clear epoxy primer saturates and penetrates deep into the open pores of the concrete creating a powerful mechanical and chemical bond that is guaranteed not to break.

Day Two 

The following day, a second layer of colored epoxy is applied. While the epoxy is still wet, the colored flakes are broadcasted across the floor, in excess, to ensure even and consistent coverage.

Day Three

On the final day, the floor is scraped and brushed smooth to remove excess flakes before the top-coat is applied. The two-part chemical and abrasion resistant clear-coat gives the “granite look” floor its durability and shine. The finished floor is resistant to most automotive and household fluids, unaffected by hot tires and is virtually maintenance free.

Seems like a straight forward process, but I think I might be leaning towards hiring this out.  Has anyone had their garage floor epoxied?  If so, I would love to hear about your experience and any advice you can give!  

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you will pop back in tomorrow.  I will be sharing which house we picked and why.  I’ve already had one big project completed before we moved in and I’m itching to show you.  But, for now, I need to get all of the boxes unpacked!  

Have a beautiful day/night depending on where you are in the world!  Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!

Toodles,