Dale R. Hamilton
02-19-2008, 08:54 AM
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif Experience with EPOXY-COAT
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8dc34
So I have an 18oo sq ft boat building shop with attached 300 sq ft drive -in paint booth. Shop floor was badly cracked and heaved- so I had it broken up and repoured as a new smooth floor. I waited 30 days to cure. I intended to coat the concrete with epoxy to make it as smooth and dust free as possible. I studied the options carefully and selected EPOXY-COAT of Mt. Clemens, Mi as the best system. Not cheap- I paid $1500 for the 5 kits. Anyway I did the prep work carefully- which calls for acid cleaning, scrubbing and then a triple rinse. I mopped it 6 more times, vacuumed it and made sure the shop was 70 degrees for several days so the slab would be warm. I coated it exactly according to directions. When I had completed about 1/4 of the slab, I noticed the new epoxy was bubbling and forming little craters. I called their tech line and they told me to take a leaf blower to it. I told them I tried that and it didnt work.The girl ( yes- girl on the tech line) told me the craters would go away. So I completed the shop floor. Next morning it looked like the surface of the moon- see attached picture. I called the company again- got same girl- and told them I was highly displeased- and what to do about this mess. She said it would have to be ground off and recoated. They said I didn't blow it enough- or maybe I stirred it too much and got too much air in it. Hmmmmp. Anyway I asked how they were going to stand behind their product given that I had applied it faithfully to their instruction. BTW- we make epoxy composite boats- we are VERY experienced handling epoxy. Anyway- girl goes gets guy- and I explain all over again- and point out to him how very difficult it is to grind epoxy off an 1800 sq foot floor. TO THEIR CREDIT- the company offered me one free kit, and $40 off each additional kit I would have to buy. I then go out and ground off bubbles and craters from first layer and apply new epoxy. This worked well- no bubbling- but only because concrete was still coated-or at least sealed with the first layer. I then went to the 300 sq ft paint booth. This time I had two bubbas standing by with 12 amp leaf blowers- the most powerful I could find. I coated as before- and YUP still cratered and bubbles as before. Blowing wind made no damn difference at all.
This is my experience with this product. I don't know how I could have handled it differently- in fact second time I gave them the benefit of the doubt and had two leaf blowers going. I think new concrete must be first sealed with something- even if just shalleck. This point was not agreed upon by their tech girl. Also, in retrospect, I think the company should have done more. I paid nearly $2000 for this experience- lost more that 2 weeks in boat production, went to a GREAT deal of extra work, and am left with a floor in the paint shop at least that will be a nightmare to clean.
Be happy to discuss this further.
Dale
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8dc34
So I have an 18oo sq ft boat building shop with attached 300 sq ft drive -in paint booth. Shop floor was badly cracked and heaved- so I had it broken up and repoured as a new smooth floor. I waited 30 days to cure. I intended to coat the concrete with epoxy to make it as smooth and dust free as possible. I studied the options carefully and selected EPOXY-COAT of Mt. Clemens, Mi as the best system. Not cheap- I paid $1500 for the 5 kits. Anyway I did the prep work carefully- which calls for acid cleaning, scrubbing and then a triple rinse. I mopped it 6 more times, vacuumed it and made sure the shop was 70 degrees for several days so the slab would be warm. I coated it exactly according to directions. When I had completed about 1/4 of the slab, I noticed the new epoxy was bubbling and forming little craters. I called their tech line and they told me to take a leaf blower to it. I told them I tried that and it didnt work.The girl ( yes- girl on the tech line) told me the craters would go away. So I completed the shop floor. Next morning it looked like the surface of the moon- see attached picture. I called the company again- got same girl- and told them I was highly displeased- and what to do about this mess. She said it would have to be ground off and recoated. They said I didn't blow it enough- or maybe I stirred it too much and got too much air in it. Hmmmmp. Anyway I asked how they were going to stand behind their product given that I had applied it faithfully to their instruction. BTW- we make epoxy composite boats- we are VERY experienced handling epoxy. Anyway- girl goes gets guy- and I explain all over again- and point out to him how very difficult it is to grind epoxy off an 1800 sq foot floor. TO THEIR CREDIT- the company offered me one free kit, and $40 off each additional kit I would have to buy. I then go out and ground off bubbles and craters from first layer and apply new epoxy. This worked well- no bubbling- but only because concrete was still coated-or at least sealed with the first layer. I then went to the 300 sq ft paint booth. This time I had two bubbas standing by with 12 amp leaf blowers- the most powerful I could find. I coated as before- and YUP still cratered and bubbles as before. Blowing wind made no damn difference at all.
This is my experience with this product. I don't know how I could have handled it differently- in fact second time I gave them the benefit of the doubt and had two leaf blowers going. I think new concrete must be first sealed with something- even if just shalleck. This point was not agreed upon by their tech girl. Also, in retrospect, I think the company should have done more. I paid nearly $2000 for this experience- lost more that 2 weeks in boat production, went to a GREAT deal of extra work, and am left with a floor in the paint shop at least that will be a nightmare to clean.
Be happy to discuss this further.
Dale