Too Cold to Paint Concrete Garage Floors Until June

A word of caution to all from a client's

question asking if he could apply

a waterborne epoxy coating to his garage floor in

January. NO !!!

Because concrete is a relatively porous man-made

compound full of salt and aggregate rock, lye

and setting materials, it has a tendency to absorb

moisture and cold from the ground and sub-grade

which creates problems for curing coatings in the dead

of winter. Concrete is subject to hygrostatic pressure

and will release salts, moisture and vapor backpressure

which can lift coatings if they are not applied correctly

during proper temperature ranges in the 55-70 degree

range. It is the number one reason why epoxy floor

installers scarify, blastrac and scabble old concrete floors

then flush powerwash prior to coating application.

Wait for better temperatures, make sure to acid etch/profile

then flush rinse all surfaces, wait 24-36hrs to dry, then

apply a coating system. The difference in longevity will make

itself apparent in the months to come. Fail to acid etch

will result in surface failure within 90-120 days and it

will need to be redone and constantly maintained. The goal

is a monolithic coating system impervious to staining, lifting

and this is only possible with the right surface preparation.

When you are ready to choose a coating system - choose

a waterborne 2 component epoxy which is HAPS free

and cures to form a solid thermoplastic sheet membrane

which strengthens concrete below and protects against

moisture decay and oil /hydrocarbon

solvent attack from leaking engines etc.