Due to the numerous emails, comment questions, and some unfortunate mistakes made when purchasing clear top coats for garage floor coatings, we have decided to post this article to help clear things up (no pun intended). Our objective here is to prevent some of the confusion, disappointment, and poor results some people have encountered when choosing a clear coat.
As a refresher, clear topcoats have many advantages when applied to a garage floor coating. Besides creating a nice, semi-gloss to glossy finish to your color coat, clear coats lock in and protect the color flakes and act as a sacrificial layer that protects the underlying base color coat.
The problem, however, is that some people are unknowingly purchasing the wrong product, poor product, or trying to apply a clear coat to paint.
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No Clear Coats for Garage Floor Paint
The first mistake is purchasing latex acrylic concrete floor paint or 1-Part epoxy paint for your garage floor with the intention of applying a clear coat to it. Paint for concrete is designed as a one-and-done product and is not intended to have a clear coating applied.
Technically, paint is not a coating. Unfortunately, marketing practices by the large companies that produce these products intentionally do not make that very clear, especially when they call it epoxy paint.
Coatings are thicker and actually seal the concrete of your garage floor while paint does not. Read here for more information about the difference between paint and coatings.
The other issue that comes up is that people tend to be unhappy with the matte finish that garage floor paint and 1-part epoxy paint provides. They then set out to find a glossy clear coat to increase the shine.
The main reason that most clear coats will not work with paint is that the majority are solvent-based. The moment that you apply it to your water-based garage floor paint, the paint may soften and sometimes even bleed into the clear as you are applying it.
Yes, we did say most clear coats will not work. However, there is a way to apply a properly performing clear coat to garage floor paint.
It requires that you rough up the surface of the paint with 120-grit sandpaper after it has dried. Sweep and then damp mop with clean water to remove the dust. Once dry, you can then apply a water-based or 100% solids epoxy clear to it.
Water-based epoxy clears designed as a topcoat are hard to find and usually expensive. A better option is Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield 100% solids clear coat. You can find it here at Amazon.
Be careful not to confuse this with the optional EpoxyShield solvent-based clear coat. It needs to say 100% solids in the description.
As you can see though, it’s still three times more expensive than paint. If you are going to spend the money for an epoxy clear coat, then you should spend the money for an epoxy color coat initially and not paint.
Some of these paint companies do offer an acrylic clear that can be applied to paint. Do not use it!
These acrylic clear coats are water-based and inferior for garage use. They are designed for foot traffic such as patios and walkways.
They will soften, smudge, and/or peel the moment you spill any gasoline or brake fluid on them. Most petroleum-based products such as oil or transmission fluid can cause them to break down if it sits on it for more than a small length of time as well.
Unfortunately, we have seen some online vendors of actual 2-Part epoxy garage floor coatings offer what they call a “clear glaze coat” for a clear coat. This is an acrylic product as well. People often complain of poor performance. Again, we recommend not using it.
Home Improvement Centers Don’t Sell Clear Coats
With some exceptions, home improvement centers and hardware stores do not offer the proper clear coats for concrete coatings. They do a good job of carrying the traditional DIY epoxy garage floor kits, but most do not carry the manufacturer’s optional clear coat to go with them.
Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield is a good example. You generally need to special order the clear coat from the stores or purchase them from vendors online such as Amazon.
However, we have noticed that this trend is slowly changing. Home Depot, for example, has started carrying RockSolid’s new Polycuramine garage floor coatings and some sell the optional clear coat to go with it. Menards is another example.
What they don’t carry are commercial-quality clear coats such as polyurethane and polyurea. In addition, they do not carry high solids commercial quality epoxy color coats, and clear coats. We suggest reading our article on how to choose a clear topcoat to get a better idea about the difference between clear coats and which type may be best for you.
As a rule, home improvement centers in general are not the best place to start your search and gather information for garage floor coatings. While they may have the product that you ultimately decide is best for you, do not rely on the information that they may provide. This article will help to explain why.
Don’t Buy Polyurethane For Wood Floors
This is an unfortunate mistake that we’ve received quite a few emails about. We do applaud the fact that these people took the time to research and learn that polyurethane has many advantages over epoxy. However, they didn’t take the time to read the product label of the polyurethane that they purchased and applied to their garage floor coating.
Can you guess where these polyurethane coatings were purchased? You got it — home improvement centers and hardware stores.
The polyurethanes we are referring to are water-based and oil-based polyurethane for wood floors and furniture. Varathane and Minwax are good examples.
This type of polyurethane is not compatible with epoxy and certainly not compatible with concrete for that matter. If applied to epoxy during the recoat window, you will end up with a yellow-tinted mess that you will need to scrape up off the surface. If you are lucky, it will not have contaminated the epoxy color coat in the process.
Where Can I Buy A Clear TopCoat For My Garage Floor Coating?
If you want a clear topcoat and are thinking of purchasing a traditional garage floor epoxy kit from a home improvement center, verify first that the clear coat is available from them. If not, here are some epoxy clear coat examples from Amazon that are available.
The higher-performance clear coats such as polyurethane and polyurea are generally purchased through concrete coating vendors online. Many of our sponsors are good examples.
These vendors specialize in concrete coatings and carry a wide variety of quality products. They specialize in garage floor coatings and are a great source of information as well. This link here will provide a great list of where to purchase coating products online.
Sherwin Williams is another source if you are looking for a brick-and-mortar store to purchase from. They won’t sell their best commercial quality product to the general consumer, but they do offer some decent quality epoxy and polyurethane coatings with their ArmorSeal line of coatings.
The reason you will not find commercial quality epoxy and clear coatings at home improvement centers and hardware stores is the simple fact that they require some attention to detail to apply properly.
Home improvement centers cannot provide the type of assistance and information required for applying these types of coatings. Most kits offered by major retailers are designed to be easily applied. This is why the quality isn’t the best when compared to products offered by concrete coating vendors.
Final Tips
If you are considering a particular type of garage floor coating and are unsure about your clear coat options, take advantage of the toll-free number that the manufacturer provides and ask for assistance.
Stay within the manufacturer line if possible. For example, if you apply a garage floor coating by Rust-Oleum, then the Rust-Oleum clear coat will work with your coating. This ensures that you will not have any compatibility issues with your clear topcoat.
If you opt for a higher-performance clear coat such as polyurethane or polyurea, contact the vendor you are interested in and ask about compatibility.
If you are considering the higher-performance garage floor coatings available from online vendors, take advantage of their knowledge and experience. Give them a call or email them for information. They can help qualify you and provide options based on your needs. Plus, they are great for assisting you with questions about application and concrete preparation.
Finally, if you ever have the slightest doubt about your clear topcoat options, compatibility, or application, make sure to seek help from the vendor or manufacturer before you make your purchase. That way you are ensured a successful outcome instead of a poor and potentially costly experience.
I recently painted my garage floor with Behr 1 part epoxy concrete and garage floor paint. I need to know what I can put on the floor after the proper drying time to seal it from tire marks when the vehicles are put back on same. Your comments will be appreciated.
Hello Martin. As stated in the article, paint is not a sealer and it’s not designed to have one applied over it. It is a one-and-done type of product. If you want to spend the money, Lowes sells a clear epoxy coating by Valspar for just under $100 per kit. After the paint has completely dried, you will need to rough it up with 100 grit sandpaper before applying the clear epoxy. This doesn’t seal the concrete though since the paint is what is adhered to it to begin with. Also, though you may prevent tire marks, it will do nothing to prevent hot tire pickup since it is the paint that is adhered to the concrete, not the epoxy.
I’m with the concrete floor coatings business unit for Sherwin Williams and we definitely sell commercial grade epoxy and urethane coating products to the public consumer (DIY) – under our Armorseal product line. We carry this line at our commercial stores located in all medium-large cities in the US. There are countless aircraft hangars, municipal facilities like fire stations and others that have Armorseal floor coatings.
Thanks for the reply Phillip. We are familiar with the Armorseal line of products and do realize they are sold for commercial projects as well as for DIY residential use. They make for a much better quality alternative over the typical DIY epoxy kits available at home improvement centers. Plus, it can be purchased locally in most cases as you state. This can make a big difference to someone who wants good product but doesn’t want to order it online. We don’t have any issues with recommending the Armorseal line for most people. However, most of the Armorseal line that we are familiar with does not compare quite as well to other high performance commercial quality products that are available from other vendors. The data sheets speak for themselves in this regard. The drawback though is that it requires a little more effort to apply properly.
Well, I did exactly what your article said not to do. I prepped my floor really well…degreesed power washed, filled cracks, powers washed again, and etched. I then apparently made the mistake of using Behr’s 1 part epoxy garage floor paint thinking I could finish it off with a clear coat epoxy to protect the flakes and make it shine. (Note: I also applied Behr’s concrete primer to seal the floor before painting) I’m now very confused. Can I use any water-based epoxy or polyurethane coating? Some say they’re 2-part applications and water based. Rustoleum(sp?) said they don’t have any product that will work and Behr said to use there gloss sealer, which I’m skeptical about.
I regret not using epoxy to begin with, but what’s done is done. Do I have options? I appreciate any advice.
Don’t beat yourself up too hard Brett, you are not the first one to do this. The Behr gloss sealer is just a water based acrylic coating that performs very poorly in a garage environment. It’s not recommended. Your best choice is to use a water based 2-part epoxy. Most clear coatings used as a top coat that are not water based epoxy will have solvents in them which can soften the paint. The least expensive option is Valspar Premium Clear. It’s a water based epoxy that will not harm your paint. You will need to rough up the surface of the paint in order to create a mechanical bond for the epoxy to adhere properly. 100-150 grit sandpaper will work. You will lose some color flakes during this process, but not too many if they are affixed well to the paint. Don’t worry about the color flakes getting roughed up and deglossed. They will gloss out once the clear is applied over them. Keep in mind that the epoxy will do much better at resisting stains than the paint will, but it will not reduce the possibility of the entire coating peeling or suffering from hot tire lift. That is still dependent on your initial coating which is paint and not epoxy.
Thanks for your quick and thorough reply, Shea. I think I’ll give the Valspar product a try.
BTW: I’m super impressed with your site here. Tons of helpful info.
How did your floor sealer do. I used the same Behr 1-part product & want to seal it.
What did you end up using???? HELP!
I have a new garage and the concrete has not been sealed. After building the garage I priced the two part epoxy from Sherwin Williams and right now it is a little bit out of my price range. Can I just use a two part polyurethane to seal it and later on apply the epoxy? What would be your choice for the best polyurethane to use? Thanks for your help!
Polyurethane does not adhere well to bare concrete Richard. You would need to put down epoxy first for the polyurethane to adhere to. ArmorPoxy, Legacy Industrial, and Garage Flooring LLC all offer a 1-part polyurea that adheres extremely well to bare concrete and is available in clear. You could apply that, but it will be at a similar price point or higher than the Sherwin Williams epoxy. You can learn more about 1-part polyurea coatings here where we did and article about Nohr-S from Legacy Industrial.
I made the classic mistake of putting down the 1 part Behr and then was asked about the clear coat. I found this site and I decided to get the Valspar. Unfortunately Lowes said they dont carry any longer? Do you recommend another water based clear? Does Sherwin Williams sell anything?
Hello Andrew, that is interesting. I was just at one of our local Lowes a few days ago and they still had some on the shelf. They must be clearing it out. Walmart sells it and you can find it online here. If that fails, we suggest contacting Valspar and ask them how you can source it locally.
Do you recommend rust bullet clear as an option?
No, that won’t work Andrew. Rust Bullet clear is solvent based and will soften the paint. You need a water based option which is difficult to find at a reasonable price point.
We recently painted the garage floor with Valspar latex garage floor paint. We don’t actually use our small 1-car garage for our vehicle, but we’d still like to seal it with something a little more glossy and durable… we are using our garage as a dog grooming station, so it will be subject to a lot of sweeping, vacuuming, and some water drops. Do you have any ideas?? Thank you.
Hello Ryan. One option that would provide such a finish would be to apply a water based acrylic sealer. Seal-Krete Clear Seal is an example. While we do not recommend this for a traditional garage floor, such an option would performs better under the conditions you state. If the sealer gets scratched, it can easily be repaired by lightly sanding and recoating the affected area. Most important to remember is that these type of sealers need to be applied thin with each coat. The other option that would be more durable, but more costly, would be to use a water based epoxy as we discuss in the article.
Thank you so much for the reply. So will either a water-based acrylic or a water-based epoxy adhere to the latex paint? Or will it require sanding first? I’m not sure how well the latex will take to sanding..
You would need to rough up the surface for the epoxy Ryan. 100 grit sandpaper on a pole sander works well. The idea is not to remove any of the paint, just degloss it and provide a bite for the epoxy. Check the manufacturer’s directions for the acrylic sealer. Most can be applied directly to the paint without having to rough up the surface first.
I have done my garage floor overkill to this point but I need some advice…Two separate grindings, 2 muriatic acid etching, 3 degreasing washes, epoxy filer on the spider cracks, and then one coat of a water based epoxy (Armorseal 8100). After the second coat I did a full covering of flakes about a half inch deep. Living in CA the epoxy started to dry and after picking up the excess flakes, it needs to be done again in places where the flakes did not attach. The web is silent on the how to correct the problem or advice on the best product to use. Obviously, any coating needs to be clear and I have polyurea for the final coat when I get to that point. Any guidance would be helpful.
Hello Ron. It sounds like you waited a little too long before applying the color flakes. What you can do is scrape the excess flakes off the surface and apply a coat of clear. You can then toss flakes into the bare areas and then recoat with another coat of clear to lock everything in.
Thank you for taking the time to educate the home owner on the details, pitfalls and advice with clear coats for garage type settings. I will be cautious and talk with a professional dealer before I attempt to clear coat.
I bought a Rutoleum two part epoxy which is professional grade (solvent based) for my garage floor. I need some recommendations on what brand epoxy primer to apply before the top coat and what clear coat I should apply to finish it off.
Thank you!
P.S. This site, by far, has the most helpful and comprehensive information on applying epoxy correct the first time!!! Thank you so much!
Hello Andy. You don’t need a primer for the type of epoxy you are installing. The solvent based Rust-Oleum Professional is not a high enough solids epoxy to require one. Because it goes down thin, it does a similar job as an epoxy primer of helping to eliminate pinholes and bubbles from outgassing. The solvent base helps to penetrate well into the substrate as well. If anything, you could use one coat as the primer coat (sometimes called ugly coat) and a second coat as the build coat. In terms of clear coats, a polyurethane would be a good choice and fairly easy to apply. Rust-Oleum makes a clear, but only in epoxy. We have an article here that explains how to choose a clear coat.
I moved into a home with an epoxy coating on the garage floor. There is about a foot of floor that is exposed to the elements when the garage door is closed. On this section of floor the clear coat is wearing and flaking off. Any ideas as to what I could re-coat this with?
Hello Casey. Epoxy doesn’t do well outside with U.V. exposure. You could sand the clear coat off with 80 grit sandpaper and then recoat with a different product. The problem is that it may be noticeable where the new clear overlaps with the old. Coatings don’t blend like paint does. Legacy Industrial makes a product called Nohr-S that would work. It’s a single part moisture cure polyurea that does well to U.V. exposure. You can read about it here. Legacy Industrial actually sells it in 1 quart containers which should be enough to do the strip outside the garage door.
Hi
I painted my exterior concrete car park floor with water based acrylic paint which Is now requiring reprinting due to tyre marks after 3 months, I did not seal the paint after completing the finish paint.
What is the best product to use to protect the Repainted acrylic surface?
Thanks
Regards
Mike
Hello Mike. Paint can’t be sealed as there really is no such product specifically for that. As stated in the article, you could prep the paint and coat it with a clear water based epoxy, but you are just throwing good money at bad by doing that. And since your project is exposed outdoors to the elements, epoxy can’t be used anyhow. Paint really isn’t meant to be driven on for any length of time.
Welp, found this AFTER using the Seal-Krete Epoxy-Seal Paint and the recommended Clear-Seal with an anti-skid additive (I used two coats for added protection). I just finished last week and it looks good but we will see how it lasts. The immediate problem I have is that when it is wet it becomes extremely slippery. The anti-skid additive seems to have not helped. I intended to use the garage as a photo gallery and cannot open now because it is a definite hazard.
Is their a way to roughen up what I have or should I try a different clear coat with more anti-skid additive?
Thanks for any help!
Hello Brian. You can’t roughen up the surface as is without deglossing the finish. Our guess is that you did not use enough of the anti-slip media in the final coat. Unfortunately because of the product you used, you don’t have any other options other than applying another coat of the clear acrylic with more anti-slip media. The acrylic clear is a very thin coat and should work well with the grit if enough is used. One option with the anti-slip is to toss it into the top coat as you go, but it generally stands out that way and does not look as nice as when it is mixed in before hand.
HELP!
Okay, so “should’ve” found this site first…my bad. I have applied the Behr concrete dye to an outdoor patio and our garage floor. I am fairly happy with the coloring and not wanting to remove at this point.
Do I use 2 different products now? Maybe the Wet Look sealer forbthe patio and a water based poly for the garage? Sorry for the confusion but I have now been reading your articles for about an hour and I am a bit upside down. Happy to go with whatever is recommemded. Our garage will be used as normal car park and the patio, probably light to medium traffic.
Thank you so much for your help!
Jay
Hello Jay. Other than cleaning, did you do any prep work to the concrete in your garage prior to applying the dye? Most durable coatings require a minimum of an acid etch before they can be applied.
I did. I used a prep & etch product and diluted muratic acid. The surface had a nice “etched” look and feel. I then pressure washed. The Behr “Dye” looks different than the concrete “paints” I’ve used before on patios. The real problem is that it is in the garage so in retrospect, a high end marblized epoxy product would’ve been best for the color scheme I wanted but I don’t think I want to strip the existing behr product off at this point unless I have to.
I was hoping based on these comments and articles I’ve read I could get a decent top coat from either a 2-part WB expoxy or poly product but really want to research before I buy. I found an online auto place that sells the Valspar 2-part expoxy but still not sure if a nicer poly would be better. There is a small strip of concrete that will be exposed to sunlight for part of the day, everyday so UV prot is probably better.
Being in this rabbit hole isn’t much fun but I am hopeful I can find something that’ll work.
Thx for your assistance.
I looked into this today, Jay, because I remembered this issue with Behr Concrete Dye before. The problem is that the Behr product technically is not a traditional concrete dye. It’s actually a very low solids, acrylic that has been tinted. It doesn’t actually stain the concrete. The tinted acrylic adheres to the concrete creating the dyed look. This is why there is the occasional complaint of the dye “peeling” off a poorly prepared surface. True dyes actually stain the concrete and cannot peel. As a result, for a clear top coat you are limited to a water based acrylic sealer (Behr Wet-Look Sealer) or a water based clear epoxy. The Wet-Look Sealer will not work well at all in the garage, but it does OK on surfaces that only see foot traffic (patio). If you decide to redo the garage a few years later, you will need to grind the concrete back to bare and then you can apply what ever you want.
Shea,
Well that stinks.
I take it the Nohr-S is out then. I reached out to Scotty thru your site and was leaning that way. I guess I’ll use the wet look for the patio and I may consider leaving the garage untreated and just redo it in a couple years with a better product. Thank you very much for your time and efforts. Great site and message board!
Thanks for the kudos, Jay. Sorry the answer wasn’t what you wanted to hear. At least you know what to do when the time comes in a couple years!
Could I apply a clear epoxy over a properly prepped floor and then do a full coverage with paint chips, let it tack off, remove excess chips and apply another coat of clear within the recoat window and avoid doing a layer of color epoxy first?
You could, Ed, but it’s not recommended. Though the chips are applied to full refusal, the underside color of garage floor will still bleed through. It’s more noticeable under certain light conditions as well. A colored base coat of epoxy is generally no more expensive than clear (or very close), so it wouldn’t make sense to do it with a clear anyways.
Hi Shea,
I just applied Rocksolid Polycuramine and did a newbi mistake of going all the way to the break when my garage closes about 4″ short of it. I painted the floors dark blue and the entire exterior of my townhouse neighborhood is beige. Needless to say my HOA will likely not like this. Is there something I can do? Paint over the 4″ exposed area in light gray to match the surrounding concrete (if so, what kind of paint)? Sand it down?
Hi Newton. It’s a fairly easy issue to fix. What you need to do is degloss the section of coating that is exposed outside the garage door using 120 grit sandpaper. You can then Purchase some latex acrylic concrete paint or better yet 1-part epoxy paint that is matched to the color you think best and paint over the coating. Though the paint is not nearly as durable as the coating, you will only be driving over a small 4″ section and not parking on it. It should actually last a long time. If at any time it starts to look worn, you just clean it and paint right over it.
Hi Shea,
I was wondering if I want to spread paint chips on my porch floor using a water based floor and porch paint
Thank you
Roy
Hi Roy. Yes, you can apply paint chips (color flakes) if you like, but you might have an issue or two. Unlike an actual coating (epoxy for example) paint goes on thin. You will need to apply the paint chips soon after the paint is applied in order for the chip to sink in and adhere. If the paint is too thin, the chips won’t adhere well. Expect to loose some along the way from normal wear as well.
We have installed concrete countertops, they are currently natural and unsealed. We would like them to be solid dark grey in color, and would like a glossy finish. What products do we need to buy to achieve this?
Hello Andrea. Assuming that your countertops are going to be exposed to U.V. light (natural light from windows), we would suggest a polyurea or polyaspartic coating. These type of coatings will not amber (get a yellow tint) when exposed to U.V. light and they are generally very glossy. An optional clear coat of the same product will provide some depth as well. We suggest contacting ArmorPoxy to discuss your needs. They are very experienced with interior design regarding concrete coatings and can provide you with the information and product that you need.
I have a basement concrete floor that I’d like to paint/coat. It’s about 25 years old and has stains, etc. Etching would be impractical because I cannot flood the floor with water to remove the acid. Area is subject to light foot traffic only. Will a one-part epoxy such as Behr “Concrete & Garage Floor Paint” # 902 work under these circumstances? Other suggestions?
Hi Bill. Many times a 1-part epoxy will work well for foot traffic. Some still recommend a etching the concrete, but if your concrete absorbs water well, you can get away without it. If any of your stains are petroleum based, you will have to clean them first. Just make sure to do a moisture test first before you apply it.
Hello Bill,
Thanks so much for your time!
I have a cottage with a 25 year old concrete floor that will be tested for moisture, grease removed,etc. I’d like to
have it acid stained to bring out the natural qualities and then coated with the most durable, longest lasting sealer
on the market. What specific products are good for this? I want to be educated before hiring a pro. Thanks! DB
Hi Dana. Since the concrete will be acid stained, this will allow you to use a much more durable resinous coating instead of an acrylic coating. We recommend using either a single-part polyurea clear coating or the high solids polyaspartic polyurea coatings. These can be applied directly to bare concrete, they are extremely durable, and they provide a nice glossy finish that will make your stain colors pop.
Hello Shea,
Thanks for helping all of us.
I had large cracks in garage floor. Being little lazy I just filled them with polyurethane for filling crack floors.
It worked well but i have about 4 -5 inch wide polyurethane marks now.
I wanted to do a coating and I did behr granite grip. Unfortunately it did not adhere to polyurethane where cracks were filled.
Do you have a solution for me.
Harry
Hello Harry. As you found out, self-leveling polyurethane crack fillers are not compatible with coatings. They are also too soft to use under a coating. What you need to do is remove the polyurethane crack filler and replace it with the appropriate product. The easiest way to do this is to use a crack chasing wheel. This article here highlights the correct product to use as well as how a crack chasing wheel works.
Please excuse my questions but Does any kind of floor covering sticks to polyurethane?
No, not the self-leveling crack filling polyurethane. There are polyurethane coatings, but they are completely different. The problem with the product that you used is that it is non-paintable. It is designed to be used alone as a flexible crack and joint sealer. Nothing will permanently stick to it. Also, you should never use such a filler when applying a coating. The reason is that those type of fillers are too soft. Coatings do not flex. If you drove over a large crack that was filled with such a flexible product, the filler would flex and the coating would crack.
My question is I used Rust-oleum basement epoxy water based 2part floor paint for my basement and I would like to put a clear coat over this. The only product they sell is a clear coat that is not water soluble and They recommend turning off your pilot lights for the fumes that’s why I used this product to begin with. Is there a 2 part water based product that I can use and would I need to sand the floor at all and not need to turn off my pilot lights. Thanks for your help Randy
Hi Randy. Rust-Oleum offers EpoxyShield Premium Clear which is a low VOC clear coating. It doesn’t have nearly the amount of solvents as the Professional version and they do not require that you turn off pilot lights. If it’s not available at your local home improvement center, you can always purchase it here from Amazon. Keep in mind that it still is not water soluble if that is what you want. Rust-Oleum doesn’t offer such a product in clear. You have a 72 hour recoat window with the Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield products. Once you are past that, you will need to degloss the coating and rough it up with 120 grit sandpaper beforehand.
Valspar has a water based clear coat that you can use. Lowes used to carry it. If you can’t find it from them, Amazon has it as well right here. Just know that the Rust-Oleum product will have a slightly higher gloss and better wear characteristics.
I was planning on usually Epoxyshield on my garage. I purchased two kits. Floor paint had been previously applied 15 years ago. I degreased and etched. I then realized that the paint was still slick and would probably cause the Epoxyshield to delaminate. The Epoxyshield instructions said to use a primer. HD recommended Behr bonding primer. Then I read that it is not compatible. Should I switch to epoxy floor paint or try the Epoxyshield?? Thank you for any advise. BTW. I already applied the Behr bonding primer.
Hi Marion. Unfortunately you’ve been given poor information by a home improvement center regarding floor coatings. First, etching can only be completed on bare concrete. The etching solution reacts with free lime in concrete to open up the pores for the coating to penetrate in order to achieve a good mechanical bond. You cannot etch paint. That is why you correctly determined that the surface felt too smooth. All you did essentially was clean the surface.
You are also correct that an actual 2-part epoxy coating is not compatible with paint. This article explains the difference between epoxy and paint. Since you have already put down the Behr Bonding Primer (latex paint), then the only option you have at this point is to apply a concrete floor paint – not an epoxy coating or equivalent. I hope this helps.
I have applied epoxyshield clear coat to my garage floor. After a week, the clear coat is still tacky in some places. I think the floor was too cool. I am at my wits end on what to do. Can i apply another coat of clear on top of the tacky area of the floor,or what is the answer.
Hello Dave. Sometimes applying another coat will help to activate the tacky sections. Rust-Oleum does recommend this for certain circumstances. Since you are past the 76 hour recoat window you will most likely need to degloss the floor by roughing it up with 120 grit sandpaper first. We recommend that you contact Rust-Oleum and discuss your situation.
So found this article after I covered my floor with poly made for wood. We are experiencing th poly tearing holes when we set heavy items on it. What is the best step now?
Hi Chuck. Unfortunately, your only recourse is to remove the polyurethane down to the color coat and then recoat with the appropriate polyurethane concrete coating product. We would suggest using a floor maintainer with a 60 grit sanding screen. It’s OK for the color coat to get roughed up. It will allow the polyurethane to adhere properly.