Surface preparation and coatings application education is my specialty. Promoting best practices for quality installations, every time, is the most enjoyable part of my job.
Can I use sand and 100% epoxy to achieve this? I have to make a small slope for transition from driveway to garage It’s 8’ long, would it be the same process?
@@spiritualdispensary8214 sure. The benefit to using a thickened epoxy for this purpose is the mixture holding its form until it hardens. Regular 100% solids and sand tends to sag. Still, your idea will probably work. If you have time, I would recommend you do a small test to verify the mixture and the performance.
@@gennadiisemiuglov6817 sure thing. The product is called PolyJF. Here is an online supplier: buymanufacturersdirect.com/shop/manufacturers/smith-paints/poly-jf-semi-rigid-joint-filler/
@@eb9832 that’s a good question. A grinder “could” do this but 3/4” is quite a bit to grind down. For that much removal I’d bring a scarifier to remove the bulk and then grind it the rest of the way. An alternative to this is remove some of the high spots and fill up the lows with underlayment. This isn’t a perfect solution either but it’s another option.
Great video. At 1 min you say because the holes were large you decided to seal it with epoxy and marble powder. Is that correct? You mixed marble powder with the epoxy? Would silica sand done the same?
@@michaelpechbrenner614 Thank You. The epoxy and marble powder are used because they polish well enough to blend with the concrete. Silica sand tends to stay dull despite the polishing. It would be durable but not reflective. Thanks again-
@@stickymonsters5158 when you say “resin patio” I’m assuming there’s a decorative coating already installed. If you can degloss the surface by sanding (make a mechanical profile), the linked water based product below will work. If making a mechanical profile is not possible, then a solvent based urethane or acrylic product for exterior use would work. Products like these usually only require a good cleaning or pressure washing. A few terms to search on google that might help narrow down your options would be “decorative concrete sealer”, “urethane floor coating” or “exterior acrylic sealer”. Hope this helps. Water based urethane: www.smithpaints.com/?ae_global_templates=polyurethane-wb
Which do you like better for an automotive shop floor? I have a hobby shop where I maintain 10 cars. My 80x40 shop has a sealed floor, but it stains from all the oils over the years. It's a working shop, so it will take a lot of abuse. I like the ability of the epoxy to repel oils, but don't like it's propensity to chip and mar. The polished floors I've heard stain.... Where is your business located?
@@davidedwards3052 thanks for the request. For a shop and chemical repellency, I’d choose for a coating. Regular maintenance and correct cleaning chemicals will help to extend the coating’s appearance but they will eventually need to be replaced. Our business is located in Morris IL.
Great information. I have a floating staircase that I wish to urethane coat, but I'm not sure how to flake coat the bottom of the treads. I'd appreciate any advice.
@@sulaimanalzubairy193 thanks so much. Flaking the bottom of the treads is possible but it likely will take a few thin coats to build up a uniform appearance. I would mix a small amount of resin and apply a thin layer. Then, with a gloved hand, press the flake. It will be time consuming but I can’t think of a better way to do this.
Hard to say since there are many ways to make a similar finish. A rough guess is $10/SF minimum. This would depend on market and job size. Sorry I can’t give a more definitive answer.
Which sanders were used to smooth it after the second top coat. You have probably mentioned it, but I am new to this and still trying to understand the tools Thank you 🙏🙏
@@srushtimachhi4327 happy to help. The diamond tools under the grinder were 80 grit. Under the sander, the grit was also an 80 grit. This combination was done for flattening the epoxy and flake (grinder) and smoothing the metal diamond scratches (sander).
Thank you for making this video! What kind of screen was that? Does it have a name or a number? And would screening my polyaspartic garage floor (over flakes) remove the 18” wide roller lines that were left behind when my contractor did my floor?
@@YouDontTalkAboutFightClub you’re welcome. Glad to read that it helps. The product is made by 3M and it goes by the name Hi Pro Strip. This one is a 17”. For removing roller lines, it’s hard to say if it will work for this. It depends on how thick the line/ridge is and also the material type. One thing to note about de-glossing a floor is that it’s ready for another protective coat. If only left de-glossed, it will be more prone to stains and reduced resistance to regular abrasion caused by use. Thanks again-
@@joshjones8047 Very well said. Thank you so much! I’m torn on what to do. My contractor had cut the coat of polyaspartic with Xylene and thus it went on a little thin. I like the texture of the flakes but it’s almost as if the texture is too much as in just a little too much flake protruding. The aluminum oxide powder made the sheen not so shinny-which I like. I’m a tad worried about the long term durability of my thin coat of polyaspartic…and the faint roller lines (only seen when standing outside the garage looking in) bother me. I might just bite the bullet, scuff it, and re-coat it. Only problem I can think of is if I can mix the 2 gal 1:1 polyaspartic kit, adding the aluminum oxide, pouring it on the floor in lines, using a squeegee to spread it and then back rolling it with an 18” wide roller…all by myself. And I’m just a regular dude who happens to be a little handy. But I’m not a pro. The floor was poured on 8/7/24. If I plan it out and have everything in place and ready to go, all while wearing the proper PPE and putting safety first I think I can do it : )
@@YouDontTalkAboutFightClub you’re welcome. Happy to help. Turns out I can’t post the pic of the same test over the flake. The flake I have isn’t probably as glossy as yours. I’ll edit what I did to prep the flake and the results. Then I’ll post that separately. Hopefully it will help to give an idea how to change your finish gloss. Thanks-
@@joshjones8047 If I need to pour a second layer of polyaspartic over my first layer of polyaspartic (which was poured over flakes) can I simply scuff the surface, then clean the surface and then apply a new coat of polyaspartic? Thanks.
@@fightclub-rule-1 good question. The other video I did showed the scuffing. Still need to edit it. There is one I did last year. Let me find the link and share that. To answer your question, they might appear a bit more flat but not cloudy. The scuffing will be wetted out by the fresh layer of Polyaspartic.
@@fightclub-rule-1 here’s a way I was shown to scuff Polyaspartic. There’s a video I did the other day but need to edit a bit to post it. This one is a few years old: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iiqIKLTjNBo.htmlsi=dN8bDVhRNmeXrGU6
@@VK-pc4vn good question. There was no scratch test done. It was probably a six or seven below the surface layer. The choice was a 10 segment 30 grit with no weight to lightly grind it. The only purpose of the work was to knock down the trowel marks and random rough spots. It seemed like a solid concrete mix but the top needed some smoothing.
Hello, I need some help. A crew applied a polyaspartic coating on my 2 car garage floor yesterday. It’s way too glossy for my taste. Do I have any options at this point to somehow make the floor be less glossy? Please help. Thank you so much!
@@YouDontTalkAboutFightClub that’s a good question. There is a way to make it less glossy but I only know how to do it with another product. The options would be another coat of Polyaspartic with anti-slip additive (to reduce some of the gloss) or a water based urethane that is rated a semi-gloss or satin. I have some shiny flake floor at the shop. Tomorrow I’ll throw a coat of water based over it and share the pics here on Monday.
@@YouDontTalkAboutFightClub this morning I finished a video comparing satin urethane to a Polyaspartic. It shows the difference in clarity and the plastic look. The flake I have here isn’t as shiny as yours probably is, but I’ll post those pics shortly. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wPZxZWxCHg0.htmlsi=GReZ4s-M7SEeF2th
You got way too much time on your hands if your shot blasting after your diamond grind it lol does shot blasting remove the dust or does the shot blasting “shot blast the floor?”
@@LuxuryEpoxyForCement that’s one way to put it. From the perspective of the coating it needs a surface fully clean and absorbent. A grinder does great to clean a surface. The dust it leaves behind, though, gets packed into the pores it just opened. Blasting extracts the dust. For some it may be excessive. In my view it’s extensive.
@@martindekker8203 good question. If the surface is well troweled and flat, and the spec is a light salt and pepper, a copper bond will do well enough to open the floor. The grits would be 100 copper, 200/400 copper (both steps wet), 800, 1500 and 3000 resin (these steps dry). These days most floors seem to be getting finished up to a 800 and then guarded. For the same polish result as in the video, it would be a five step system of pad type tools only. No metals would be necessary. This assumes the concrete is well placed and fine sand aggregate is all that’s to be exposed.
@@martindekker8203 “seal” it? No. Densifier would still be needed for abrasion resistance, but polished concrete doesn’t require a film forming product to perform. In a bathroom/shower, I’d choose a different system. One option would be what’s called a “Grind and Seal”. This amounts to grinding the concrete to expose the sand/aggregate. Then it’s coated with a clear urethane or other chemical resistant product made to protect concrete.
I had no idea you could flake into wb epoxy. I always worried it wouldn’t have enough body with the low solids content. Advantages and disadvantages you think vs a poly flake or epoxy base and poly top flake system? Great videos as always!
@@dougkooistra6265 that’s a good point. This stuff is formulated for holding flake. It’s not really useful for a solid color floor, but it has a viscosity high enough to support flake. As far as advantages, I like it because it’s easy to apply and gives plenty of time to work it. The other benefit is it cures quick (after working time) similar to a Polyaspartic. The drawback would be it’s only a 46% solids epoxy. Maybe this is a moot point when used in a residential garage, but it is less solids than a traditional 100%.
@@Kinglivs that’s a good question. The concern about an epoxy skim is the difference in color once sealed. If a solvent based sealer is used, then an epoxy grout would blend fine. An epoxy would be a more comprehensive grouting product, but the floor would take on the darker look attributed to solvent based systems.
Hi Josh. I don't know where you are located but are you available for a remote consultation? I have a project that I feel your expertise would greatly help me. Thank you either way!
Love it, love and support from SWFL. What tape is the green tape? When I do garages or decks I always have a little epoxy seep through the tape onto the pavers or drainage gutters... Any tips?
@@morristhe3rd thanks so much. The tape is called Clean Green from Bron Tapes. buymanufacturersdirect.com/shop/manufacturers/bron-tapes/bt-4736-clean-green-roll/ As far as the leaks, it can leak too if the surface is too textured. It does work pretty well and pulls easy enough as long as the resin doesn’t harden. Thanks again-
I am a pro when it comes to cedar decks. Concrete , well, I'll probably just wheel pressure it , maybe add a simple sealer which will need to be repeated yearly
The material is steel shot. This is the abrasive the machine uses to clean and profile the concrete. The machine is called a shotblaster. This one is made by IMPACTS GmbH: substratetechnology.com/product/impacts-s210e-shot-blaster-8-inch/
@@Andrew-nq7oy thanks so much. I appreciate it. Outside I forego the mask but in garages I do use one. Not an excuse but the reason I didn’t have one here. Also, this is a low-odor formula. Thanks again. I appreciate it.
@@matthewryancorsiglia8695 this one is made by Walt Tools. Here’s a link to the product: www.walttools.com/product/polyaspartic-polyaspartic-coating-copy/
Hey i want to do this but with a tinted natural concrete grey colour with the shiny gloss like you have, may i please somehow send you a photo of what i currently have and what i am aiming for, so i can have your advice please 😊🙌
Yes. This is the Jr. The slab is much more dense from polishing than a traditional troweled slab but it still achieved more than 200SF/hour average. On a slab that’s simply dirty and non-coated,400SF/hour is the average expectation.
What is the full name of your filling? Sorry I am not a professional and I would know the exact name. I wonder if I can use this filling for my concrete pavers (not slabs). I am tired of polymeric sand that always fail after a year or two and weed start growing after. Much appreciated!
The product is called PolyFlex. It’s a modified urethane. While it might work for your application from a performance standpoint, it’s not UV resistant. If left uncovered it will chalk and turn amber/orange. Sorry I can’t help with exterior sealants for your need. Exterior work is not something I have much experience doing. Here’s the product info for your reference: www.smithpaints.com/?ae_global_templates=poly-flex
When you use a Wet Extraction High Pressure wash system with Recovery. Like the Hydroforce Gecko Wand System. You can apply 1300psi 1800psi also in Hot Water mode. As you pass the Gecko Wand on the Dust Floor. You will be able to pick up all the Dust trapped in the Concrete Floor. You Don't make any mess at all And the Floor will be just like if you pass a Wet Mop That will Dry very Fast.
That’s a good question. The material is made for interior/exterior use. Its elongation and compression capacity is within a range to handle expansion and contraction of the substrate below it. If it’s prepped properly, adhesion to the wood will be good enough to prevent delamination. Of course everything has its limits, but seasonal substrate movement will not cause the product to fail from its own stress. As for the topcoat(s), a Polyaspartic or similar would need to be used for its UV and abrasion resistant properties.
That’s a good question. A Polyaspartic or water based epoxy would be my choice. Polyaspartic is much faster and needs more workers to keep up with it. The epoxy affords more time and therefore needs less workers. Either will work, though.
@@nicoleryan5436 this is the only one I’ve done outdoors. It has enough grip thanks to the quartz and it’s not along the pool’s apron. If it was a flake floor, I would probably opt for a water based urethane top coat to allow more texture provided by the flake. There may be some resources available from the manufacturers you use that give some guidance for slip-resistant additives. The way I do it, and so far on a limited basis, may not work the same for each of the different systems available. In other words, keep doing market research for reliable sources of info to avoid costly re-coats or slip-fall complaints.
Two questions Josh, 1) if you need a MVB would you put that down first and then the urethane and 2) did you just roll the base coat or was that a squeegee as the video was to fast to see?
That’s a good question. For the MVB, I’d still do the repairs first. The urethane product is moisture and alkalinity resistant. This and the fact that a slab like this needs a repair product to fortify the weak or missing concrete, the MVB would follow to only do its job of moisture mitigation. The base/flake coat epoxy was spread with a notched squeegee and then back-rolled.
Thanks so much. The product I prefer for stuff like this is made by Smith Paints: buymanufacturersdirect.com/shop/manufacturers/smith-paints/smiths-poly-flex/
