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Beware Of DIY Epoxy Floor Suppliers Online
DIY Epoxy Floor Products Available Online
Earlier this month we got a call to come out and take a look at a 2000 square foot DIY epoxy floor project that needed to be re-done, since the epoxy floor was failing. We agreed to come out and take a look and see if we could be of assistance. We asked a few questions and found out that he had replacement product to redo the job, he just need the concrete preparation work done.
This gentleman advised us of the process that he had gone through. How he did a diamond grinding with a buffer machine, as many online suppliers advise. He applied a primer, an epoxy, and then a polyurethane topcoat. He had many areas that were peeling, and others that were bubbling up, ready to fail with any touch. It was clear that the diambrushes didn’t work. The concrete was will smooth and appreared completely unprepared. There simply isn’t enough weight to the machines to effictively prepare concrete when on a buffer or swing machine. Professionals can and will use these, but with much heavier grinders, and less diamabrushes (more head pressure).
The company did replace the three DIY epoxy floor products that he had purchased, but advised he needed to install a vapor barrier. They were happy to sell him the product he needed too! So now he just needs somone to remove this 2000 square feet of failed epoxy floor products. He will then apply the vapor barrier, primer, epoxy, and polyurethane, again. Of course this would be after he moved out all the contents of the building.
We surveyed the floor and asked some more questions. It was clear that there was very little of the 3 layers of the DIY epoxy floor he applied on the floor. I asked him what the thickness of this floor was. He advised it should be about 23 mils thick. It was clearly more like 5 or 6 mils. If the floor was going to be 23 mils think then finished, as he believed, he would have needed at minimum of 30 gallons of 100% solid epoxy materials. Since he applying 4 coats now, and the vapor barrier would count, or count as very little, I would expect to see at least 50 gallons of epoxy there. He had a little over 20 gallons sitting there.
Sorry if I lost anyone with the math there, but it not nearly enough product for a floor that thick. However, it may not have need to be that thick. I was not really clear on the goals of the system that he had purchased. This is an important factor, that often is not considered. He was building an airplane in the building so he probably did expect some heavier use.
We completed his request to give him a price on preparing the floor. I also advised of what he could do if he wanted to do it himself. We let him know of a local rental store that he could get the equipment to do it himself. He can get a small/mid-size grinder for about $300/day and larger for about $600/day. Diamonds would likely be extra, and a vacuum should be about $100/day to control the dust. Didn’t know if they rent a grinder, but advised a good hand grinder with everything he needs for about $200 off of Amazon.
We also advised that since it is our slow season we could likely get it cleaned up and prepared in 1 day at a cost of $2000. I really hate to see this happen, and don’t enjoy the clean up work-it’s the worst! We also advised that the work will be high quality, but we don’t know what the epoxy will do.
By the time we were ready to leave, he asked how much for us to do the whole thing. From the preparation and clean-up work to the finished epoxy floor. We gave him a price and he’s going to talk it over with his wife.
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