Epoxy Flooring

I am looking for a epoxy finish for my linolum floor ,that will last a long time can you help me

I'm not sure we are using the concept of epoxy flooring in the same way. Why would you want to put epoxy, as discussed in this article, on a linoleum floor?

Linoleum flooring will last a long time with proper care -- without putting an epoxy finish on it. Or any finish, for that matter.

i'm looking for a epoxy for a sport court

Look in the phone book. Check with various flooring stores. Ask commercial builders. When you see a floor you like, ask who installed it, and contact them directly.

Good luck!

How well does epoxy perform over a plywood surface? Concrete is a better choice but when you can't add a concrete base over plywood, how long can you expect the epoxy floor to hold up? Will it crack?

You don't say what room your plywood surface floor is in or what the room is used for. The answer is going to have to be as vague as the question and information provided.

Epoxy can be a good finish on a plywood surface, if the plywood surface and flooring joists are solid and in an enclosed area. If the joists are too far apart and/or the plywood is thin, floor flexing could cause any flooring surface installed on top to have problems.

If, on the other hand, you have a solid subfloor you can expect the flooring material to hold up as designed.

Epoxy flooring is a durable surface when applied right and to a good subfloor.

Sorry for being vague. This application is for the first floor of a 1 story small office building (3000sqft; built in 1970) that has a plywood floor over wooden joists. I imagine there is some motion caused by traffic and wooden floor, but I don't have a way to quantify that. What thickness would you recommend for the subfloor? And what are the ways that epoxy can fail? Thank you!

Regarding subfloor thickness it really depends on what kind of flooring is being applied. For heavy flooring materials -- tiles, flooring bricks, stone -- I think a 3/4" subfloor is the absolute minimum. For carpet, linoleum and wood flooring 1/2-3/4" is most typically used

But your subfloor is your flooring, from what I understand you to say and it is what it is, and that's probably 1/2". There will be some give in the flooring as people walk across it, but I think the epoxy flooring you seem to be considering should hold up fine. But ask your installer and even the manufacturer.

Linoleum would also be a good flooring choice for you to consider. I'm pretty sure it would hold up nicely too.

I too am interested in an epoxy floor over wood subflooring.

I'm interested in failure points. With application being with a roller, I don't see thickness as being an aspect I should count on, and am concerned with cracking. Solid subflooring is an absolute must. But wood absorbs water seasonally, and can be subject to minor swelling. Does the epoxy flooring have fibrous fillers to help with expansion/contraction laterally?

Is this a material where I should consider building up a "frame" around the entire room and "pouring" in an epoxy floor, or is that cost prohibitive?

Where can I find the raw materials, any tools necessary for application, etc? I have local stores that market epoxy flooring for garages for a very pricey sum! Are there expected "barriers" for purchasing materials for application sort of like certain counter tops which require "factory training"?

I also think that a valuable addition to your web site would be to have a matrix that has materials on one axis, and a number of qualities/attributes on another axis (durability, cost, variety, experience for application, special tools required, area of application (all rooms, garage, kitchen, entry, etc), susceptibility to damage (water, stains, heat, dents, sharp objects, etc).

Perhaps also have links to how-to sites or industrial suppliers (you can make money via advertisements and referrals).

While I see an effort to be vendor neutral, independent and free of marketing hype, your site and descriptions often prompt more questions than answer them. Having pictures of samples may also help to visualize what some types of material are or what they might look like. Reading about bamboo flooring is interesting, but what does it look like?

Anyway, I'd like to hear more about epoxy flooring and durability of it over wood floors. We have lots of kids and traffic is horrible over vinyl flooring. Too many spills lead me to shy away from wood flooring products that may swell around seams or where sharp objects have penetrated the top layer finish.

I am pulling the vinyl up in my bathroom. Under it is finished 80 year old quarter sewn pine. I am pretty serious about finishing it and have a pine floor. We have had all kinds of spills in the rest of the house and mop it up and the pine is fine. I am looking for a clear epoxy to( like you would see on the deck of a boat) to water proof the floor.

I am interested in using the garage epoxy for my sons bedroom floor. I know it sounds crazy, but that's what he wants and I know where I can get it at a fraction of the price. The subflooring is plywood. I'm assuming I need to prime it first. What would you recommend to prime it with, Kilz, flat paint? Also, should I be concerned about chemicals in the epoxy causing any problems for my son? We will not be moving into the home for a week or so after applying the epoxy.

Thanks,

Amanda

For sealing your old pine flooring you could use Defy Epoxy, though it doesn't come in clear anymore, or Diamond Coat Varathane Urethane. The Diamond Coat is a low VOC product, unlike the Defy, making it better for indoor use in my book.

A basketball court finish would also give you the durability you may be seeking. Just watch out for the air quality impact.

Read the directions on the can to see how to apply the epoxy to a plywood subfloor. The can will also tell you about the offgassing of the product. But yes, I'd be concerned about the air quality for your son, and everyone else in the house..

You can try to force the offgassing, which you can then vent, by closing off your son's room after the epoxy application and turn the heat on high, baking the chemicals. That will go a long way to getting rid of some of the chemical compounds, but it could offgas for years.

I think the concept is great for your son's room. See if you can find a low VOC epoxy to use. And let us know what you do, and how it turns out.

i'm a 1st time homeowner and would like to epoxy the living & dining room floors. My concern is applying it to the hardwood floor and then not liking it(I'd like to get a little creative with the colors). If i put down vinyl flooring and then epoxy over top of that, would that work?

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to cover over the hardwood flooring? Why are you going to put epoxy over vinyl or linoleum? What do you have in the living and dining rooms?

I just bought a house with an aging epoxy pebble pool deck. The pebbles are coming loose and I wanted to know if there are any new techniques to cover and seal it, as I'm in Florida the UV is a major detriment.

Can the epoxy be tinted? Is there a rubberized coating that can seal over the pebbles? Any information on the best approach would be appreciated.

I actually haven't heard of anything to do for resealing that epoxy pebble pool dock. There are various rubberized coatings that are supposed to be UV resistant (though very little actually is), but I don't know if that's the best approach.

I'm thinking of doing something like I see in restaurants and bars where they put things on their tables and then pour epoxy on it to keep it safe, but don't know if that would work in your case. And that stuff can be bad for the environment, and the people working with it.

Let us know what you learn and do.

pebble flooring on pool deck...I think I can help you! I,lock down the pebbles with a moisture insensative uv epoxy.then,you may apply a polyurethane..I have done this many times before,with great success..For help with epoxy flooring,call or e-mail me at 412-478-1328 or e-mail me at pete.pawlikoski@nationalpolymers.com
thanks,pete pawlikoski (npi sales rep.)

I just got epoxy floor with all the extras done in my Garage. I hear a light cracking sound when I walk on some parts of the floor, not other parts. There are also patches missing the top shiny coat exposing loose color chips. My contractor says he will sand and redo. Does that make sense ? with all the color chips, it is hard for me to picture repairing.

Something's not making sense here. I can see that sanding and redoing will take care of the imperfect top surface, but I don't see it taking care of the cracking sound.

Have your installer figure out what the cracking sound is about. My hunch is the epoxy hasn't adhered to the concrete and the sound is a reflection of the epoxy moving. Or the epoxy wasn't mixed thoroughly and you are finding the bad spots through the sound.

What kind of warranty do you have with this installer? If he can't fix the sound issue and the floor goes bad a few years down the road, will he repair it then?

I have a pebble pool deck. I want to change it to a paver or tile type surface. Is it possible to lay the pavers or tile over the top of the pebbles without removing them from the entire pool deck since removing them will be a massive job?

I believe you can, if the substrate that will hold the pavers or tiles will stick to the epoxy. And if it will, then be sure to put a thick enough material down to give you a smooth surface for the tiles or pavers to adhere to.

Cracking flooring: 3 year warrenty. yes, that is exactly my thinking, not stuck to the floor. It is a brand new "never used" concrete floor. The frustrating part is the contractor not even coming over to see - just want to send his guys. I suppose, I should insist on getting him to come. it does not feel loose, but just that sound. floor looks and feels good.

I agree with your thought you should insist the contractor visit personally. The concrete may not have been clean -- either from dirt/dust, moisture or chemicals -- before the epoxy floor was installed.

After you've been using the floor awhile, let us know how you like it. I've thought of doing that to my garage floor.

could you put an epoxy resin floor over old asbestos vinyl tile in a kitchen area?

If the tiles are in good shape I don't see why you couldn't. Be sure to properly prepare your floor. If the tiles are breaking and crumbling you won't really be able to cover that.

If the epoxy isn't low VOC be sure to keep the house aired out, especially during the application and curing time so you don't create air quality problems in your home.

I put aggregate throughout my home but the bathroom is now one big hard water mess. Is there a good way to clean this and then possibly have a better sealer applied? Also, are there any home shampoo machines that can actually tackle the cleaning?

Hmmmm......have you tried cleaning it with a vinegar/water solution? Vinegar will tackle lime, which is what hard water leaves behind when it evaporates. For cleaning floors, I usually use a 1:10 ratio (one part vinegar to 10 parts water). You may need to go stronger than that though. Give it a try and let me know how it does for you.

Be sure to check with the manufacturer to see which sealers are recommended.

Since water seems to be Debbie's problem, maybe she should use distilled water, or store-bought water for her floor cleaning. That's what I had to do with my hard-water issues before I bought magnets to put on my incoming water line -- the hard-water stains are hardly an issue any more.

Our kitchen has ugly tiles placed over hardwood that is rough and used. We were wondering whether it might be feasible to put epoxy over the rough hardwood floors (which is rather distressed) to create a smooth even layer once we've removed the tiles. In other words, would the epoxy bind well to a distressed hardwood floor (which we would of course sand and clean beforehand)? Thank you for your advice.

I would think that would work, do you plan on doing it yourself?

How do you recommend cleaning the epoxy floor in a gymnasium setting?

most cleaning compounds will not adversly affect epoxy floors if they when used properly and the you rinse the floor thoroughly afterwards. Some cleaners contain chemicals which may can damage low quality epoxy floors, like water-based epoxy floors, especially if cleaners are left on them for a longer time. It's a good idea to do a small cleaning test in an inconspicuous area before the use of any cleaning product.

Using soft bristle scrub brushes, (either hand types or mechanical types) with a product specifically made for cleaning epoxy flooring will be the best.

After the surface has been scrubbed properly, you then remove remove the emulsion of the cleaning solution and soil that resulted. To do this, you simply rinse the surface thoroughly with clean water and wet-vac it, or use a squeegee to remove if there are floor drains. It is recomended to do a second rinsing with clean water to minimize the possibility of leaving any residue.

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.

We are preparing to do a garage floor with "Roll On Rock" with the chips coating product. The floor was originally painted with epoxy paint and then had peel and stick tile over the paint. We have been able to remove the residue tile adhesive, but we're having trouble removing all of the original (30yr.old) epoxy paint to get to the bare concrete. Can we apply the product on the roughed up surface if we can't get all the epoxy paint to come off. Is there a product that would remove the old paint. Thanks Gary

Hi Gary,

Might be best to give the manufacturer of Roll on Rock a call to see if this is feasible. As far as removing epoxy paint, methylene chloride will remove it, but the room must be well ventilated and it takes about
one to two hours to remove all the coating. Acetone can also be tried as well as commercial "cured-epoxy dissolvers" - they're both dangerous to use too.

Dynaloy has developed a line of safe, effective epoxy solvents specifically for the removal of cured and uncured epoxies (according to their website). You can view the products and MSDS sheets at the link provided.

You can also use an abrasive to remove it, with dust mask & proper ventillation of course. Good luck!

Why would an epoxy floor be put in a daycare center kitchen that is only used for distribution of food items. Food is catered in. Isn't it quite a bit more costly? How much so?

Hi Laurie,

Epoxy floors are super durable for starters and easy to clean. For such light traffic as you're referring to, the floor could very well last the lifetime of your business.

I don't know if it would be more costly, mainly because I don't know what other options you are considering -- more costly than *what*?

Please inform me about the compatibility of epoxy
floor and floor heating central heating.have you noticed any disatvantages?

I have not noticed any problems personally. Epoxy is super durable and resistant to just about everything.

i amgoing to apply epoxy to a wood floor what primer can i use. i was going to put on rust-oleum epoxy shied premium clear coating for a finish coat

Hi Mike,
I have no idea what product you are using. You need to follow the manufacturer's instructions. If it doesn't suggest what to use, you should check out their website or give them a call.

We have off-white porceline sp? tile with antique white grout in out kitchen...horrible mistake, as the floors look dirty all the time and this is a high traffic area. My husband is not in favor of ripping it up and putting down a more dirt- concealing vinyl alternative as I would like.
Is it possible to do an epoxy flooring coat over the existing tile?

Hi Kelley,
I'm not really sure if epoxy would adhere to tile well. If you're really set on vinyl, I'd suggest just grouting the tile to make it more even before laying the vinyl. Actually, I'd recommend linoleum as the colors go all the way through the material, rather than sitting just on the surface as with vinyl.

Do you have a good sealer on your tile & grout? If not, I think you'll find that it works wonders! Porcelain is rather easy to maintain so long as it's been treated properly first. Cleaning is a subject that has been addressed previously, you can use the search function in the upper right hand corner and look for vinegar microfiber - you'll get some handy tips to make cleaning your porcelain floor easy! Good luck!

Hi Flooring Lady, Actually there is an epoxy flooring by Everlast Epoxy that does adhere to tile. It is made from natural marble chips, and would be a nauural stone-looking alternative to tile. It could also be used to overlay the tile in a shower to seal it up where there is water leaking problems.

Thanks David!

I have an Irish Pub that has 3/4 red oak flooring. The poly finish keeps coming off after 3-4 months. I am looking for a finish that will stay on the floor, resist liquor/beer spills, and stays shiny. I don't care about a smooth household finish, just want something that is iron clad. What do you suggest that I use? Epoxy - what kind?

You could try a clear epoxy (any kind). Have you tried Diamond Coat Varathane Polyurethane? You really need to be sure to use several coats and make sure the floor is clean (free of grease especially) before you apply anything.

Where can I buy just the resin and hardener? I have some craft projects I'm doing that I want to experiment with. My flooring guy charges WAY too much for this type of tinkering. :)

Hi Shane, I would have to suggest Googling for that because I wouldn't know where to direct you about that.

Hi Flooring Lady,

I want to paint our unfinished basement floor with an epoxy paint. The house is ten years old and the basement has never had a moisture problem. The concrete floor is not in great shape - rough in some areas and even chalky/dusty in some spots. Should I use some type of sealer first or just clean the floor and paint? Do you prefer a certain brand of epoxy paint? Thank you for your help.

Harry Elam

Hi Harry, it would probably be a good idea to patch up any rough spots in the concrete and allow those repairs to dry adequately before applying the paint. I don't see any need for applying a sealer first and I don't have any particular brand to recommend.

I want to replace my porcelain tile floor with white resin epoxy. The room has lots of light and windows, can you confirm if the color will fade to yellow over time. Will I have a complete finish look of one big slab of glass?
thanks!

Christina,

If considering a white resin floor a polyurethane resin that is totally UV stable would be required to prevent yellowing. I also suggest you contact a professional who is familiar with the installation of such a floor as it can be a wonderful addition to a home but if installed improperly can lead to several headaches down the road.

Flooring Queen...
I am purchasing a home that has expoxy pebble tech flooring throughout the living areas of the home. We would like to put hardwood flooring in the living/dining area. Would I have to float concrete or some sort of subsurface material over the pebble tech or can I install the hardwood right over the pebble tech??? Not laminate or engineered...but actual hardwood plank flooring.
Thanks!

Jeff,

That would depend on if you want to retain the epoxy pebble tech flooring for future use.

I would contact a local professional and or the manufacturer to determine the installation needs of your wood flooring.

What is the difference in epoxy chatahoochee and epoxy pebble stone? And where can I find it in Northern California?
Thanks,
Leona

Leona,

They seem to be the same and their names are different based on region.

I would suggest looking for concrete installers or local professional in your area who specializes in epoxy flooring. They would be your best resource to find the flooring you are looking for!

We have a kitchen floor done in Armstrong Impact in 1998. The surface is still good, but the image is worn off under the table and in front of the sink and refrigerator. Is it possible and realistic to put a epoxy floor over the laminate??
What type would you recommend.

Phil,

From what I've read and understand, no, you can not put an epoxy floor over laminate. To install you would have to prep the surface, normally concrete. There is also the base coat, color coat, texture, and clear top coat. There are many colors vailable as well as textures! The standard finishes are smooth, glossy, and totally seamless. It looks great, and is very clean and modern!

Hello, I was wondering if epoxy can be put over sub wood flooring. Would it be the same kind you use in a garage?

Marilyn,

No, epoxy should be applied to clean,debris free concrete that has a moisture content below 4%. Yes, it is the same type of epoxy flooring used to cover garage floors.

We just purchased a home that has 1000sq ft of pebble tech flooring and we want to put down tile instead....Do we leave the pebble tech and install over or do we have to remove it and how is the best way to do that?

Ty,

That would depend on if you want to retain the epoxy pebble tech flooring for future use. Floor height is another consideration. It will surely be easier to leave it than rip it up. I assume the pebble is in good shape.

I would contact a local professional and or the manufacturer to determine the installation needs of your tile flooring.

I have heard others say they put Expoxy over subfloor without issue. You say this cannot be done. I do not understand why not. You;d think it would adhere to subfloor better than concrete being more pourous especially when clean and dry.

Jeff,

I don't know that I would agree that concrete is more porous than wood. I think there are a lot of different factors there that could vary.

If the joists are too far apart and/or the plywood is thin, floor flexing could cause any flooring surface installed on top to have problems. Where this would not occur with concrete.

I would read through this thread and see what others are saying.

I have exposed aggregate decking in my backyard around my pool. It has large aggregate rock that is very hard on the feet. I am looking at some kind of epoxy coating or epoxy aggregate that can be installed over this that is inexpensive to cover a large area. Any ideas? What kind of epoxy is used with the aggregate?

Aaron,

Hi. I do not have experience with this process. Normally exposed aggregate is created with concrete, and the top is left exposed by wetting the top of the concrete before it is completely dry.

I would suggest calling a local concrete mason, and asking what type of epoxy would work well to cover the top of this, or if there is better solution.