It feels great to coat your floor with epoxy, but how do you know what amount of epoxy you need to cover the floor evenly? Well, we thought you might have this question, so we compiled a list of factors that affect how much epoxy you need to order, so you don’t run out of epoxy before your project is completed.
Epoxy Color
If you have painted your home before, you might already know that dark colors cover more than light colors. To get the best out of light colored epoxy, we would strongly recommend using a matching colored primer. Attempting to coat a bare concrete floor with a single coat of a lighter colored coating is very difficult. A general rule of thumb is to order 10-20% as a safety factor when ordering epoxy, since if you run out in the middle of the project, it can cause delays since epoxies cannot be express shipped reasonably due to hazmat regulations.
Epoxy Type
You should take extra care to order extra material if you’re using water-based or solvent based coating or coating with a thickness below 10 Mils. The risk with water-based or solvent based epoxy is that since a portion of the epoxy is not solids, evaporation occurs after the coating is applied, and you’re left with only the solids material of the coating on the floor. If the epoxy is also below 10 Mils thickness, there’s a chance your subfloor texture could show through the coating after it sets if only a single coat. The best solution to this would simply be to buy extra epoxy to ensure durability and better coverage. Also repairs to your floor must be done BEFORE it is coated since no liquid coating will fix or hide a bad floor texture.
Floor Type
Your initial floor is another big determinant of how much epoxy you need. If it is made of porous or highly absorbent concrete, you need more epoxy to cover the floor. A thicker epoxy is one solution for this but just to be safe, but at least 10% extra paint if you’re dealing with any type of concrete floor. Damaged, irregular and more porous floors can use a LOT more material than a new, smooth floor.
Floor Finish and Curbs
Concrete floors that have a broom finish (also known as brushed concrete) use up more epoxy than plain concrete floors. Always take this into consideration before you make your purchase. If your floor has a curb around it that you intend to coat with epoxy, you also need to buy additional proxy as curbs take up a lot of coating, especially if it’s made of block. Measure the square footage of your curb and multiply it by 1.5. Add the result to the amount of epoxy you’re already buying for the floor to determine how much epoxy you actually need.
Benefits of Ordering Sufficient Epoxy
- Consistent Coverage: Makes sure even application across the entire surface, avoiding patchiness that can occur with insufficient material.
- Color Accuracy: Darker colors often cover better than lighter ones. Using a matching primer for light colors improves overall appearance and minimizes the need for multiple coats.
- Avoids Project Delays: Running out of epoxy mid-project can cause significant delays. With hazmat regulations affecting shipping, ordering 10-20% more than needed keeps your timeline intact.
- Compensates for Evaporation: Water-based and solvent-based epoxies lose some material to evaporation. Extra epoxy ensures you achieve the desired thickness and coverage.
- Adaptable to Floor Types: Porous and irregular concrete floors require more epoxy. Having extra material accounts for absorption and ensures a smooth finish.
- Takes Floor Finish into Account: Broom-finished concrete consumes more epoxy than smooth surfaces. Ordering more accommodates this difference.
- Curb Consideration: Coating curbs requires additional epoxy. Calculating the square footage of curbs helps determine the total amount needed for the project.
- Peace of Mind: Ordering a safety margin means you can focus on completing the job without the stress of running short on materials.
By considering these factors, you can confidently order the right amount of epoxy for your flooring project, ensuring a high-quality finish and successful installation.
If you’re already spending on improving the appearance of your floor with epoxy, spending a little extra on a safety margin to ensure your project runs smoothly should not be a big concern. If you have other issues or questions that we didn’t address in this blog, please feel free to contact us.