What’s happening in this video… A water-based concrete floor sealer [Garon’s Tigerskin™] is being applied by a flat squeegee to spread the coating evenly, then rolled with a 3/8″ hair nap roller for additional smoothing.

This application method for this epoxy floor coating is perfect for the “inexperienced maintenance crew” because it is very easy to apply.

Frequently asked questions about a sealing concrete floors…

What areas are best suited to water based epoxy floor sealers? How is the surface prepared before application?

When preparing a floor for water based epoxy coating you would stay close to the ICRI guideline 03732 and use a concrete surface preparation (CSP) two to three on the floor, preferably a three. You want to give it a nice textured profile that of like sixty grit sand paper. This will provide a good mechanical bond for the water based epoxy coating.

The ICRI 03732 guideline will tell you what to do to prepare the floor. For example, a mechanical walk behind vacuum shot blast machine would be used. Ideally a 110 steel shot would be used. Stay away from the 330 steel shot that would be too big for a thin mil water based epoxy.

If it’s a smaller area being coated with a concrete sealer that has tighter flooring spaces like a home residential garage or even a firehouse, you may consider using a walk behind vacuum shot blast machine that typically has a 10 inch blast width as compared to a 13 or 14 inch blast width when using the bigger machines on these types of concrete floors.

For the bigger areas for example, 20,000 square feet and above, a contractor will use a ride on shot blast machine. This equipment cuts down floor preparation time significantly. The next step would be to apply the water based epoxy coating.

The best areas suited to a water based epoxy floor coatings and sealers are dry good storage areas. These coatings are not good for any area subjected to chemical attack or even areas subject to intermittent splash and spill.

Even assuming that an area receives daily cleaning, water based epoxy should not be used. There are other epoxy coating products or urethane coatings more suitable to these conditions. Some concrete sealers contain solvent so be sure to consult the product data sheet for information on how to determine the best coating for your needs.

Best areas suited for an epoxy floor coating

Water based epoxy coatings are typically used in warehouse storage areas and aisle ways and are the perfect choice for warehouse floor maintenance. These areas can be high traffic areas but under these circumstances the selection of a 20 mil thick water based epoxy coating should be considered to afford adequate protection.

Areas beneath racks that see little or no traffic can be coated with a thin mil water based epoxy system. Typically in these areas a 3 mil water based epoxy coating would be used. These thin mil systems are in no way related to any type of concrete stain. A stain product utilizes an entirely different method altogether.

Encapsulating these floors helps to keep air born dust at a minimum. In turn, inventory on the shelf is kept clean.

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	See how to protect concrete winery flooring.
	See what replaced this old VCT commercial kitchen floor.

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