Should I apply a clear top coat to my epoxy garage floor coating? This is a reasonable question that pops up from time to time for the average DIY’er looking to save some money. The real question, however, is why wouldn’t you apply a clear coat? After all, there are many benefits to adding a clear top coat over the color coat for a garage floor.
Anyone who has installed a garage floor coating properly will tell you that the hardest and most time-consuming part is prepping the floor for the epoxy. Applying the epoxy goes fast. For many, it is the fun part of the job. So after all that work of getting the concrete ready, you should consider spending a little more time and money to ensure a longer-lasting and even more beautiful floor coating.
There are various clear coating options to choose from. However, the one rule to keep in mind is that the clear coat should perform just as well if not better than the color coat. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons why you should apply a clear topcoat to your epoxy garage floor.
1. Adds durability and wear
A proper clear coat will extend the life and add durability to your garage floor coating. Depending on the type of clear used, it can provide better stain and chemical resistance than the color coat. Lastly, the additional coat adds thickness to the floor coating to absorb impacts better and reduce any chance of hot tire pickup.
2. Protects the color coat
A clear coat acts as a sacrificial layer to protect the epoxy color coat. Without it, the color coat can lose its luster from wear. Though resistant to most chemicals, some oil spills or leaks allowed to sit for long periods can discolor the coating depending on the quality of the color coat applied.
3. Protects the color flakes
If you apply paint chips or color flakes to your floor, the clear coat will lock them in and protect them from peeling up and collecting dirt at the edges. Cleaning the floor and other activities can cause color flakes to pull up or chip away. When a clear coat is added, the color flakes are protected by the clear coat layer.
4. It is easier to clean
A clear coat makes a garage floor coating easier to clean. Dust mops and microfiber mop pads can glide over the floor coating without catching color flakes. This is especially true if you have a heavy flake coverage on your floor. It also allows for scrubbing without the worry of losing color flakes or dulling the color coat.
5. A Clear topcoat Adds depth to the floor coating
The additional layer of a clear topcoat adds depth to the look of the garage floor coating. This creates a richer-looking surface that appears more luxurious and thicker than it is.
6. It Creates a glossier looking finish
A clear coat will add a glossy shine to the floor coating and reflect light better than the color coat.
This is a great benefit when working on projects in the garage or automotive maintenance. The additional light reflection will brighten up your garage space. You may not need to purchase more overhead lighting or as much as you thought you might need.
7. A Clear Coat hides scratches better
All garage floor coatings will develop microscopic and sometimes larger scratches on the surface. A clear top coat helps to hide or camouflage these scratches so they are less noticeable and do not detract from the coating’s appearance. It does this by effectively acting as the sacrificial layer to prevent the color coat from being scratched which is much more obvious.
8. It’s a good medium for anti-slip additives
Anti-slip additives are hidden much better in a clear coat. Because most anti-slip media is translucent in color they will not stand out. Without a clear topcoat, they are added to the color coat instead. This makes the anti-slip granules much more visible as little bumps resembling sandpaper on the garage floor.
Furthermore, anti-slip media is more effective in clear coats. This is because many clear coat options are thinner in dry film thickness which allows the anti-slip media to protrude more. When used in thicker color coats, it does not protrude as much and is less effective.
9. Can be recoated to look new again
After many years of use, an epoxy garage floor coating can start to show its age depending on how much activity it has seen. If it has a clear topcoat, it can easily be roughed up with sandpaper to have a new coat of clear applied.
The sanding of the old top coat removes any blemishes, scratches, and other imperfections that the clear coating acquired over the years. Once the new clear coat is applied, your garage floor coating will look brand new again.
10. Clear topcoats just look awesome!
When you compare an epoxy floor coating with a clear coat to one that does not, there is no question about which looks better. The clear coat gives the garage floor that extra depth and showroom shine that screams “Look at me!”
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to add a clear topcoat to your garage floor coating, think about all the benefits it will provide in the long term. Yes, it will cost a little more money and yes, it may mean one more day of being without your garage. However, once you add a clear coat, you will be rewarded with a garage floor to be proud of for years to come. You will be glad you did it!
Update – Please read
Clear coats are designed for application over 2-part resinous coatings and single-part thermosetting resinous coatings. Do not confuse garage floor paint or 1-part epoxy paint as a garage floor coating. These are very thin acrylic latex paints that will not form a chemical bond with a resinous coating. Please read our article about applying clear coats over paint if this is your plan.
I want to paint the epoxy coating for garage. I went to Home Depot there had only 1 part of Berh product epoxy coating. They said they didn’t caring 2 part no more. Discontinued product. So I’m still confuse about to do painting for floor. I will bonding and primer for my first coating then after I do coating paint add some chip on the top. After finish everything. Do I have to put top coat sealer clear for product I use Berh part 1. May you check the step I will do coating is it right or not if not. May you help me the step how I apply epoxy coating to garage and do I have to put clear sealer for top coating for Berh part 1 product. If have can I use sealer of Berh product or have to use different branch name. Thank you much.
Hello Melanie. The process you describe for applying the Behr 1-Part epoxy paint is correct. Once you apply the paint chips you are done. You do not apply anything else over the paint chips. It’s not designed for that. You would need a 2-Part epoxy if you wanted to apply a clear coat over the paint chips.
Thank for you reply back. In your experience, 1 part epoxy of Berh product and 2 part epoxy Rustoleum or 2 part epoxy Berh, Which one do you think will be last longer? So every 2 part, I can do with sealer clear on top right? It doesn’t matter which product I use. Other the hand, if I can’t find 2 part, I will use 1 part of Berh product without sealer clear, so it will be discolor the coating and peel up the color flake or not? Again thank you for your helping and advice.
A 1-Part epoxy paint does not compare well to an actual 2-Part epoxy coating. The 1-Part is latex paint with a little bit of epoxy added. The 2-Part epoxy is an actual resinous coating. I suggest you read this here to learn the difference. A 2-Part epoxy will last 3x to 10x longer than the paint depending on the quality of the product you purchase. You can add a clear coat to 2-Part epoxy but to 1-Part epoxy paint.
I just bought 2 part epoxy of the Rustoleum product. So with this one can I use bonding primer of Berh or any kind of brand name. Do I have to put bonding primer or not!? And another thing with this one I can use the clear sealer on the top right?
The bonding primer and sealer clear buy both of this one for epoxy or I can buy any kind. I’m still confused be4 I’m doing it. Again thank you so much and appreciated for all.
Do not use a bonding primer. That is for latex paint or 1-Part epoxy paint only. The Rust-Oleum goes on the bare concrete without it. Just be sure to clean your concrete well, including the etching process, and follow all mixing instructions closely. Rust-Oleum makes a clear epoxy that you can apply over the color coat. You need to wait 12 – 24 hours before application. You most likely will not find it at a home improvement center, but you can find it here on Amazon.
My garage have some crack what type of product I can repair it after I clean the etch.
One more thing is I want to add anti-skid so is it I only mix it with the clear coating it means the last step right? Do I have to mix to the epoxy coating ? Thank you so much and appreciate for all.
Hi Melanie. You will find your answers to your questions about crack repair here and anti-skid here.
I installed the Rustoleum Industrial grade floor Epoxy on my Garage floor and Clear coated over it with the same ( Oil Base not water base )
and I have used a scotch brite pad in in spots to remove black stubborn scuff marks and has dulled in those area’s .
is there away to Polish the clear coat to make it shine in those spots ?
Hello Matt. We’re thinking you may have a solvent based epoxy since it can’t be oil based. Using the Scotch Brite pad like you did effectively roughed up and deglossed the surface of the clear. Epoxy can’t be buffed or polished like paint on a car unfortunately. Your only real option is to lightly roll those areas with more clear epoxy. The problem with that however is the edges of the newly rolled epoxy can become very visible. This depends on the base color of the epoxy (lighter the better) and how much of the floor is cover in color flakes.
Thank you for the quick reply !
Maybe I will just wait till summer ( as i’m in Michigan ) and just recoat the whole floor with clear .
it is the lighter gray color with fleck .
any good ways of getting black scuffs out ( like from work boots and tires ) with out using a scotch brite pad ? I mop the floor with simple green and water but it does not seem to get out the scuffs
Recoating the entire floor with clear will make it look brand new Matt. If you elect to do that, we recommend using a polyurethane instead of epoxy. Polyurethane is much more abrasive and chemical resistant than epoxy. It doesn’t scuff up with black marks as easily as epoxy either. We have a good article on selecting top clear coats here. Scrub pads can work well with a good top coat if you don’t scrub too hard. One trick is to use Goof Off with a clean towel.
Hello, I have a water based Rustoleium Epoxy Shield product. I want to clear coat it after putting it down, but I’m not sure if I can use a solvent based clear coat on top of a water based epoxy. Any thoughts or suggestions? I have not yet purchased the clear coat, and have not started the floor. Thanks.
Hi David and thanks for the good question. Yes, you can apply a solvent based clear coat over the water based 2-Part epoxy. In fact, the clear EpoxyShield product is solvent based. You may want to read our article on choosing a clear coat.
Kind of a different scenario for me. I have a 320sf shed with plywood floors. I want the “garage floor” look with paint chips, full coverage with little to no base color showing. My thoughts are to use a base coat of paint, broad cast the chips, and let it dry. Follow that up with a coat of Super Coats waterborne urethane gaze coat. It’s a man cave with only foot traffic. Would this top coat create a bond?? I can’t seem to find a lot of info on my scenario. Thanks
Hello Justin. If you apply a full coverage of color flakes, then yes, the SuperCoat water based polyurethane will adhere. The texture and voids of the full flake surface allows for good adhesion. The problem however may be with your base coat. Paint dries extremely thin and is not a good medium for a full coverage of color flakes. You can easily end up with a strong top layer of polyurethane and color flake that will peel right up off the paint.
A water based epoxy is a much better choice for a base coat providing that the floor does not flex under weight. The Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield is a good example. If it does flex, then the epoxy will crack since it is not flexible at all. A polyurea coating for a base coat, such as Nohr-S, would be a better choice since it’s much more flexible.
Shea,
Thanks for the great info. I tried a 3’x3′ section with some paintime I had at the house. The pain that flake is actually holding a very strong bond for what I can feel and see. You did however make me rethink my planame of attack. I found a Supercoat kit on Amazon, Decoeffects Spanish red, I am not sure if I am going to use the flakes from the kit of the black/grey blend I have. Kit includes 2 part epoxy, flakes, and glaze. Which brings me to my question, the floor has a coat of latex paid on it already, what prep needs done. I understand the process for concrete but nothing is ever mentioned for other media’s, like plywood. Do I need to sand the paint with like a 60/40 grit to rough the surface or prime the surface with Epoxy primer or something like Coverstain primer. Thanks again for the help
Sand it well with 40 grit sandpaper and you will be good. If you can get through most of the paint to the wood that would be even better.
I applied the rock solid floor coating to my garage i wanta do a clear coat what is best clear coat ican go with it do I have to go with the rustolium rock solid clear coat or can I go with a different brand that don’t cost so much
Hello Thomas. The RockSolid clear is one of the cheapest you can go with. If budget is a concern, stick with RockSolid. Remember, the idea of the clear coat is to protect the color coat. You want something just as good if not better in terms of scratch and chemical protection.
I had a contractor install an epoxy floor coating several years ago with a clear top coat. Once installed the top coat looked thin and lacked the shine and depth it was supposed to have. He came back and used a floor polisher with a pad to rough up the surface and laid down another coat of clear. Floor looked great and has held up well. Now I notice that the top coat appears to be wearing. So far the base coat is still perfect and I want to keep it that way. Can I rough up the existing clear coat and apply a new layer of clear? If so, do you have any recommendations on product? Thank you
You sure can Paul. It’s a great way to create a brand new looking coating. We recommend a quality polyurethane or polyurea coating. These here are a good example of quality polyurethane (urethane for short) coatings that would work well.
I put a clear coat over the rust oleum epoxy. When I peeled back the painter tape I noticed it pulled up just tiny bit of paint in a few spots (corners). Can I go around the garage with another layer of clear coat? It has only been 1 day…
Thanks!!
What type of clear coat was it Jason? It can vary depending on product. Have you checked to see if a recoat period is listed with the instructions? Most clear coats have to be reapplied within 24 hours, but there are some exceptions. If you are past the recoat window you will need to rough the surface up with 150 grit sandpaper first before applying a second coat.
I use 2 part of Rustoleum but instruction said can’t use muratic acid for clean etching, so can I use muratic acid or not? If I use does it has any damage?
Hello Tran. We’ve never seen where Rust-Oleum states you cannot acid etch. You cannot acid etch a coating as prep for another coating if that is what you are asking. If that is your question, you will need to rough up the surface of the old coating with 150 grit sandpaper.
Ohm. I mean I use Rustoleum epoxy garage floor, before we paint we have to clean etching, grease, oil…. I already bought muratic acid for remove oil but I read instruction prepare of the Rustoleum say I can’t use muratic acid for clean grease or oil on the garage floor. So my question is can I use muratic acid for clean? Thank your so much.
That is correct Tran. You cannot use acid to clean oil and grease. Acid reacts with the free lime in concrete. If there is oil, grease, and dirt on the concrete, it blocks the acid from the free lime. It will just sit there and do nothing. You must clean the oil and grease off the floor first before you acid etch. A good degreaser is a great starts. We have tips here.
But can I use muratic acid for clean etching?
You can use it after you have cleaned up the concrete first Tran. Once you do that the muriatic acid will break down the surface of the concrete to make it more porous for the epoxy to penetrate and adhere. It does not “clean” concrete. Muriatic acid is not a concrete cleaner.
I have a very small section in the a garage that has what appears to be some moisture coming in with heavy downpours, apx. 20 sq ft. This area will not be in contact with the car or heavy equipment. Will it be okay to apply epoxy to this area when applying to the rest of the garage?
Hello Robert. No, epoxy will not work if you have moisture coming up through the concrete. It has nothing to do with where you park the car. The hydrostatic pressure of the moisture can cause the coating to delaminate. You can read more about moisture testing here. Sometimes the fix is as simple as fixing a broken downspout outside the garage or provide draining where water pools against the foundation.
I believe that I have corrected the gutter issue. I am using a two part water based epoxy system. Is there a primer I should put down prior to the epoxy that is more tolerant of moisture?
Moisture blocking epoxy primers are tolerant of water Robert, but they cost more than your water based epoxy. Here is an example. If you decide to spend money to go this route, you would be better off purchasing a higher quality epoxy to go with it.
Are you getting the moisture issue since the gutter fix? If you aren’t, then you can apply the water based epoxy without issue. Your other option would be to apply a clear type of sealer that breathes. Acrylic sealers would work though they are not as durable as epoxy. Garage Flooring LLC has a polyurethane penetrating sealer called TLPPC that breathes and is easy to apply. It provides a nice looking clear gloss and is a very tough coating. We will be posting an article on it in the next 7 to 10 days.
Let’s just say I think i have the issue fixed but I’m not going to know until Friday when it rains again here. Am I right to assume that there is not a primer that I can apply that will bond with the concrete and the epoxy top coat that is durable enough to withstand possible future moisture issues and hot tire pickup? Thanks for your help on this issue. I work for a water mitigation company and am quite frustrated with my inability to dry a slab.
Also, what type of clear top coat can be applied to the rustoleum two part water based epoxy and when would that need to be applied?
The example we posted Robert is an excellent moisture blocking epoxy primer that accepts a color base coat. The point we were trying to make is that these type of primers are of high commercial quality and expensive compared to the type of epoxy you have chosen to install. As far as clear coats go, Rust-Oleum makes a solvent based clear that you can apply. You need to wait 10-12 hours before application. If you press your thumb to the surface, it should feel tacky but not leave a thumb print when it’s ready for another coat. You can read this post on clear top coat options to learn more if you wish.
My garage about 370 sqf, I bought Rustoleum 2 1/2 car it will be cover 500sqf for 1 coat. In your experience, how many coat epoxy I have to apply before I put clear coat. Thank you so much for your helping Shea
You don’t have enough epoxy to do two coats Tran, but you have plenty available to apply it thicker. It will provide a good color base coat to apply the clear coat to.
I will buy one more epoxy coat, how long I have to wait after 1 coat to apply second coat?
10-12 hours. If you press your thumb onto the surface it should feel tacky but not leave a thumb print.
I put down an epoxy Rustoleum Professional grade oil based paint 4 months ago.
Looks great. Can I buy a clear coat for it? My neighbor had a professional put down pant on her garage floor and a clear coat. It looks fantastic. Therefore, I now would like to add a clear coat. If so, what would you recommend?
Since the original application was oil based. I’d guess that’s what I need.
Can I just clean the floor and then just put it down? Thanks
Hi Jerry. Epoxy is not oil based. It is either water based or solvent based. We suggest that you look over your purchase receipts to verify which type you applied for future reference. You can easily apply a clear coat to it however. It just requires that you rough up the surface with 150 grit sandpaper to achieve the bite it needs to adhere to the surface. Cleanup the surface and then wipe it down with denatured alcohol and you are ready to go. You can read more about recoating epoxy here. You can learn more about what clear coat options you have here.
About 9 years ago I used the Supercoat epoxy garage floor coating (2 part) and then added the flakes and topped it with their Acrylic Glaze coat. Unfortunately over the years I did not reapply the glaze coat so I got some areas that peeled up and now I want to redo the entire floor again with their product. My question for you is do I have to totally strip the floor with a machine or what should I do to prep the floor for my new epoxy coating, flakes and then clear coat. Also can you recommend an alternative top clear coat that would be better, shinier and most importantly more durable. I have heard about urethane clear coats but need some names of suggested products. I live in So Calif so I know sometimes the state has stringent VOC laws. Thank you so much for all your insight and recommendations.
Hello Felix. As long as your base color coat is still adhered well, you just need to sand off the glaze coat down to the color coat and then you can reapply the epoxy. We have an article on how to do that here. As far as clear coats go, it really depends on what part of California you live in. One excellent product that can be shipped there for sure is Nohr-S by Legacy Industrial. It’s a single component polyurea that is easy to apply, U.V. resistant, and very tough.
Thank you very much for the timely reply and helpful information
Your welcome Felix!
We had to touch up a few places in our epoxy due to uneven flakes. Now everywhere we touched up is showing less of a gloss than the rest of the floor. Is there anything we can do to make the floor have an even sheen before we lay down the clear coat?
Hi Nikkie. Applying an epoxy coating is not like painting a wall. You can’t come back later and touch up without showing roller marks or having gloss issues. Any touch up should be done within the first 10 minutes of applying it. That is why it’s so important to always keep a wet line going during application. Sometimes it will blend better as it cures completely, but not always. There really isn’t anything you can do other than applying another coat. The application of the clear coat will help somewhat, however, in masking some of the differences you are noticing.
I recently did my garage after sanding it down to the bare concrete and applied a good Epoxy coating. I did not use a clear coat sealer after the first rain it started getting water spots on it cannot remove it now. What should I use to remove the spots and what sealer should I apply. Will this stop the spotting.
Hi Gus. Have you tried a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar? Moisten the spots with the solution and let is set for a couple of minutes then wipe down with a large sponge or sponge mop. Just to avoid some confusion, epoxy is a type of sealer. Applying a clear top coat will protect the color coat, but it’s not considered as “sealing” the epoxy. You can review this article on how to choose a top coat for suggestions. Water spots are generally not an issue unless it’s allowed to sit and evaporate multiple times without cleanup. If you mop down the epoxy every few weeks or so it should keep them away.
Hello,
I have a brand new epoxy floor that a contractor has installed. When it was cured, it was beautiful except for some “pebbles” in the finish which were rough to the touch and on your feet…Looked like glass and was beautiful. The contractor came back to fix the issues by sanding down the clear coat and preparing the floor with acetone and placing another clear coat on the floor. Now the finish is dull and lifeless… 🙁 Any suggestions on what can be done to resolve this and make it like glass again?? Thanks!
Hello SJE. The additional clear coat should have a glossy look as before. Was the same material applied? We suggest calling the contractor back to have them take a look and verify the same product was used. There is nothing you can do, unfortunately, for a dull looking finish but to sand and apply another coat.
I have a garage, and several areas that receive considerable sun including the garage apron and two other areas by the pool and front porch that are covered with Nature Stone that was installed as an epoxy aggregate. I never was pleased with the company provided clear coat and have tried several others over the years with sometimes less than stellar results. Looking for recommendations for a gloss/wet look product that will allow me to drive on it without tire tracking and not dull in the sun.
Hello Bob. Nohr-S by Legacy Industrial has a glossy finish and will not amber in the sun. It comes in clear with tint packs available for color.
I just finished Rolling a clear coat 2 part rustoleum epoxy shield premium series to my epoxy floor and chips – just after it was dry I noticed that I missed rolling a small 1 foot section. Are there any touch up kits or something I could do to at least get this section protected as well and have a gloss finish like the rest. So mad at myself for doing this.
I meant to add – without buying an entire gallon again. Thanks
We feel for you Rod. You are not the first to do this. Rust-Oleum does not sell a touch up kit that we are aware of, but it would not hurt to contact Rust-Oleum Customer Service and see if they have a small sample kit or something that they could send you.
I just finished adding the color chips to my floor and it looks great. It’s a one part epoxy paint that I used. How long do i have to wait to clear coat it, and what type of clear coat is best.. I don’t want a real shinny finish. Thanks
Hello Jesse. 1-Part epoxy paints are not designed for clear coats since they are not a true resinous epoxy coating. They are paint and sold as a one-and-done product with the option of adding color flakes. All the clears designed to chemically bond to epoxy coatings will not bond to paint. Technically you could apply a water based epoxy coating, but the epoxy costs twice as much as the paint and you would need to rough up the surface of the 1-Part epoxy paint before application.
I just applied epoxy-coat 2 part epoxy to my laundry room. I want to clear it to clean up the sharp edges of the flakes.. Can I use any 2 part Epoxy clear, how long do I need to wait before applying the clear and will I need to sand the floor since it’s already hardened?
Hi Dewayne. You only have approximately 24 hours after application to achieve a chemical bond with an additional coat. Once you are past that window you will need to rough up the surface before applying a second coat. Epoxy-Coat offers a clear in their product or you can use another manufacturer if you wish.
I have an epoxy floor with a Quartz finish that is showing some signs of wear. I would like to apply another clear coat application. With the rough surface of the Quartz finish will sanding it with a machine sander with 150 grit be sufficient prep to apply another clear coat?
Hello Scott. For a quartz floor, an 80 grit sanding screen on a floor buffer would be the way to go.
I’ve done the epoxy shield coating with chips and after 7 days, still have some tacking ss to two 8 foot squares of the floor. Does rustoleum make a specific clear coat for the epoxyshield? If not, what kind of clear coat can I put over this to fix it and what is the dry time?
Hello Andy. Rust-Oleum Professional makes a clear epoxy. You can see an example here. However, you are past the 72 hour window to apply it directly. It will require that you rough up the surface with 100 grit sandpaper before applying it. Also, it will not fix the problem with the tacky areas. Areas such as these have not cured properly and are usually a result of poor mixing. If it doesn’t harden up in the next couple of days it never will. Unfortunately it will require scraping up those areas and reapplying an new coat.
I just applied 2 part rustoleum epoxy, I put 2 coats on, today I put a top sealer on, should I put 2 coats of top sealer also? or is one enough?
It depends on the type of clear top coat that you used Richard. If it’s the Rust-Oleum Professional EpoxyShield clear, then one coat should be fine.
it was a Behr top coat from HD..
Was it the Behr 2-Part epoxy clear or Behr Wet-Look Sealer? If it’s the 2-Part epoxy clear then it’s compatible to the Rust-Oleum epoxy and one coat should be sufficient. The Wet-Look Sealer is a water based acrylic sealer and inferior to 2-Part epoxy. It does not do well on garage floors at. If this is what you have, we recommend that you don’t add any additional coats. Unfortunately, petroleum products and gasoline in particular soften up the coating quick and causes it to smear and stain making it very difficult to fix.
Hi, I coated my Garage floor with Rustoleum Epoxy Shield (Tinted) on 9/30. I had planned to do a clear coat but was unable to do it yet. I have few questions in relation to the same –
1. I understand the re-coat limit is 7 days, now I’m on 8th Day. Can I still apply clear top coat on Day 8 or I need to sand the epoxy.
2. I used Rustoleum Epoxy Shield (2-Part), Can I use Rustoleum Rock Solid clear Coat for doing a top coat
3. There are few areas which appear not-glossy. I’m assuming that the concrete soaked epoxy in those areas and left with thinner coat in those areas. Is it okay if I straight apply clear coat without recoating the surface with Epoxy again.
Thanks,
Gaurav
Hi Guarav. Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield has a 3 day (72 hours) recoat window, not 7. RockSolid has the 7 day recoat window. Since you are past the window, you will need to rough the surface up first before applying a clear coat. You can use the RockSolid clear coat if you like. In terms of the areas that are thin and not glossy; applying a clear coat will make the surface look glossy, but the color of the epoxy will still look patchy since the thin spots will have a different color tone. The only way to get a consistent look to the color is to apply another color coat first.
I just applied H&C Shield Crete 2 part epoxy to my garage floor. Instead of the Shield Crete Acrylic Clear Glaze, I purchased the H&C High Gloss Clear Solvent Based Exterior Concrete Sealer/Wet Look. Is it ok to apply that as the top coat?
Hello Nicole. Looking at the product data sheets it appears it is compatible with your coating. You will need to rough up the surface first by sanding in order for it to adhere properly. You may want to think twice about applying this product or the arcylic glaze, however. The reason is that the 2-Part epoxy coating that you just applied is much tougher than an acrylic coating. You really should be clear coating with a similar or better product. Your coating is only as strong as the weakest link. Acrylics need to be reapplied occasionally and can easily break down and turn gummy from gas and brake fluid. Other petroleum products such as oil can damage it if left to sit. We have an article here that you should read before purchasing a clear coat. We also have more information here about the type of clear coats available.