DIY Vs Professional
Epoxy Floors

It is no secret that DIY projects have become a hot topic in the recent minimalist trend of the last few years; however, there are times when doing it yourself simply doesn’t mean it is the most economical choice. Below we are going to discuss DIY vs professional epoxy floors because it is important to weigh your options. The truth is, if you want the floors to last for more than two years, you need a system that can be professionally installed because store-bought kits simply don’t provide you with the same resistance as professionally purchased products do. What do I mean by that? Continue below…

This is the first step for any amateur or professional because you need to know what type of canvas you’re working with. To achieve a lasting coat your surface must be prepared to cure with an epoxy coat. There are a few starting points, make sure that the surface area is clear of any foreign objects, for now, that means simply removing all furniture which is something anyone can do. Then, a professional would inspect the floors to take note of any previous coatings, paints, or sealants that need to be removed before installation. Cracks, spalling, and/or stains will have to be repaired before the installation because the epoxy coating is picky and needs to be able to adhere to your porous concrete properly.

If you are doing this on your own, then you must remember that opening your concretes pores can be time-consuming if you’re just using sandpaper! A professional will more than likely shot blast or diamond grind the surface in preparation for the epoxy coating to be spread on. This process will ensure that your concretes pores are ready to cure with the coating. Once this has been done be sure to know the moisture levels in the area and the floors, a professional would test this for you, and any leftover dust and debris must be swept and cleaned off-post grinding. If you do not properly test for moisture levels in the concrete itself, the chances of your DIY kit working are very slim.

Sadly, unless you can go directly to an epoxy coating manufacturer, the store-bought kits contain a mixture that is over 50% water. A professional can specially buy products that contain much more solid material that once cured with your concrete enhance the strength of the surface, instead of it just being spread on like a thin coating. Professionals will prime the surface with specialized products and then apply 100% epoxy coatings to your floors without sacrificing the integrity of the surface long-term.

Simply put, most people don’t have specialized epoxy equipment laying around ready to use when they want to apply epoxy to their home or business. This is also extremely time-consuming when you do it on your own, so why not hire a professional? Professional epoxy contents cannot be mixed by hand and some type of mixing power tool will be necessary if you aren’t using the traditional store-bought DIY kit. With this and the grinding or shot blast process, the equipment rentals become more and more unrealistic and expensive.

All in all, professionals are licensed and need special training before even purchasing a strong epoxy product! This is their job and installers want your floors to last for years to come so they can add floors and services to their portfolios. Doing this process on your own is not only time consuming, but once you break it down and realize the time and skills it takes, it is also extremely expensive.