The main cause of epoxy failure in the garage floor is due to improper surface preparation. Burning concrete with an acid gel minimizes the risk of breaking the coating.
What is the failure of the coating
Concrete has unique characteristics very different from other building materials. As a result, you can not only paint the floor and expect long-term performance.
Concrete is porous and is subject to moisture pressure that pushes up through its concrete slab. Just because you don’t see water on your floor doesn’t mean it isn’t. If the floor of your garage is at ground level, chances of water vapor rising through the small ventilation holes in the tile. You may even notice white dust on your floor. This is the result of water vapor that pushes salts through the concrete. If the coating has not adhered properly to the surface, you will begin to see chips and seam. Gradually, your coating will deteriorate and fail.
The importance of engraving your concrete
The most important step before applying an epoxy coating to garage floors is to profile the surface by increasing the surface to be bonded. A properly profiled surface will feel like 100-inch junk paper and all link switches will be removed. Adhesion switches are salts, oil, dirt, grease or oxide.
Professional industrial epoxy applicators profile a floor with a flying machine. It is a tool that can bring to the surface thousands of small ball bearings. Hydrochloric and hydrochloric acid will give a similar result. Most Do It Yourself flooring manufacturers recommend a liquid acid solution to profile the surface. This method has been used for years with minimal success.
Why Liquid Acid Engraving Does Not Work
The acid works for the etching of concrete, but not the method of application. Since liquid acid is dangerous in its pure state, manufacturers dilute the liquid for added safety. Then they suggest diluting it further with water. By the time this diluted solution is applied, there is not much left to burn your soil.
There are other problems. When you fill the bucket with acid and water, it is heavy. The natural tendency is to pour too much into the ground at first to lighten the load. This means inconsistent application. The next step is to use a brush to shake the surface.
Using a broom will push some of the small acid particles into the pores of the concrete. When the soil dries and a coating is applied, the tiny acid particles trapped in the concrete holes reactivate. This breaks down the chemical cross-linking of your coating. The result is small chips that come off your floor.
The other problem is that the concrete is never flat and the acid water solution will flow to the low points of the soil. This means that any engraving that can be produced is minimal at high points. At best, the profile is inconsistent. You will notice that when the coverings fail, they start at the high points of your floor.
Gel technology has created an effective concrete etching solution
Acid is very effective in molding concrete, it is the application method that fails. In recent years, Gel technology has advanced, allowing the acid to be mixed into a gel. The result is an acid gel that has the consistency of a thick shampoo. It comes in defined amounts of acid. For example, you can buy a 20% or 24% solution that does not need dilution.
The application is made by winding on concrete with a 3/8 “roll that follows the contour of the surface. The edges and narrow areas can be engraved by applying with a brush. The acid effectively grips the surface while removing the concrete bond breakers. on the gel, which is important Liquid acid rips the link switches from the surface, but they go directly into the pores. A solid solution ‘a partial job.