I have a sunroom that used to have indoor/outdoor carpeting. I removed the carpet to find a black foamy underlayment and adhesive. I have used a 4 inch scrapper and adhesive remover to take 99% of the materials away, however there are many very little "stuborn" spots of adhesive that remain due to the floor being unlevel. Can I apply the epoxy over this?

It may or may not cause problems, it's one of things where you don't know until after you do it. I'll bet you can dissolve it with a bit of acetone (you know, nail polish remover!). Not exactly the environmentally friendly thing to do and the stuff stinks to high heaven. I presume you'll be cleaning the floor well too before you apply the epoxy, right?

Love this site! Two questions: Thinking about this in kitchen - if I did it myself should I look like an astronaut when I apply it, if I do it myself? And should I (due to allergies) stay somewhere else for a day?

Secondly, could I apply this to my front porch? I had a smooth particle board surface put down two yrs ago. What do you think?

Hi Carole,

Chances are you won't need to look like an astronaut when using an epoxy coating. Eye protection is a must, wear old clothing and clean it off of your skin as soon as possible if any gets on you - remember, this stuff hardens. Gloves wouldn't be a bad idea. Ok, I guess you need to be as covered as much as possible, but not quite as much as an astronaut! ;~)

Depending on how sensitive you might be to the product you might be better off having somebody else do it and stay away until it's fully dried.

Unfortunately, there won't be any way to tell if you are sensitive to the chemicals in it until after you're around it. Many products are low VOC. The "Part B" is what can irritate skin.

Epoxy coatings best on concrete, I don't know how well it would work (if at all) on particle board. I do know that it can be used on wood floors, but I don't have specific data to compare concrete vs. wood.

I hope that helps you, if you have any more questions, feel free to drop back by.

I would like to replace the flooring in our motor home with the epoxy/pebble flooring. Any thoughts on this? Should we put down a thin wood base before applying the epoxy/pebbles? Or should the sub floor in the RV be OK for bonding?

Do you know what brand you intend to use? A new 'sub floor' would be best as the old one probably has grime on it that would interfere with the adhesion of the epoxy. Without knowing what brand you're thinking of using, I can't tell you for 100% sure. It'd be close, but not 100%. ;~)

Most of the time, this product is used on concrete flooring, so it'd be best to check with the epoxy manufacturer to make sure it'll work for your project.

Hello to everyone. I am an installer of epoxy and other polymer floors and liners and thought I might ad some advice here. Most epoxies can be applied over wood subfloors - I have installed many residential jobs over wood subfloors. Having said that, I recommend using a solid wood subfloor and be sure to screw both the old subfloor and then the new one to ensure as little movement as possible. Make sure that any surface whether concrete or wood is profiled (light sanding for wood and etching for concrete (diamond grinding is best for concrete) then cleaned properly to make sure there is zero dust or lose particles. Epoxy is very strong and will last a long time ONLY if the proper prep work is done. A primer can also be used - it is a little thinner and soaks in to the surface to seal - this gives a good solid base to apply your coverings to.

You can get some very unique designs with epoxies as there are many additives and colors you can use.

There are many different epoxies out there and you should seek a 100% solids product so that you do not have to worry about flames and your brain cells! But I would still advise a Organic Vapour mask. Nitrile gloves are best protect as epoxy will eat through latex and vinyl gloves.

100% epoxies are 2 part mixtures and harden quicker than solvent or water based. Keeping your epoxy in the mix can with speed up hardening so it is best to pour a bead on the floor or if you have to use a paint tray but try to use a couple of them so the material volume is less.

One helpful tip is to use a rubber squegee to move your material quickly then back roll with your LINT free paint roller to remove lines and puddles. You will get a smoother surface in the end.

Tape walls and other areas where you do not want coatings as it gets messy.

clean up while wet with xylene or toulene sometimes laquer thinners work. Once dried, you will have to grind/sand of any materials.

I hope that helps someone but if you have any specific question feel free to ask.

Steve - liquidfloors@sympatico.ca

I am looking to do a "pebble" type of floor in my bathroom, but I know the downfall of grout in a bathroom after several years have passed. I'd like to put something like a thin, clear acrylic over it. Any suggestions?

Thanks for listing all those tips Steve!

What kind of pebble type flooring are you referring to - something along the lines of Epoxy Chattahoochee? It's usually covered with something along the lines of Rock Glaze - a urethane product that is specifically formulated for sealing the new pebble/epoxy floor.