If you have a concrete surface in your garage, patio, or even your basement you have probably ran into this problem. It is a safety a issue which can be very dangerous. Have you ever lost your footing when the concrete slab has water on it and becomes slippery? If so, then you will know why people use an epoxy floor paint with nonskid additives. Concrete can be very slippery when water is applied to the smooth surface.
An epoxy based paint works much better than most other types because of the adhesion properties it possesses. An epoxy paint is a two part system that must be mixed together before application. The two liquids, the resin and the hardener, form a chemical reaction once they are combined and this turns the mixture into a very hard material that chemically bonds to the concrete surface. For really tough applications, like truck shops and auto dealer repair shops, you can actually etch the surface with a weak muriatic acid before spreading out the paint. This will facilitate even stronger bonding and you can often times expect a life span of years when this method is used.
When applying the floor paint you do not want to do the entire area at once because the resin mixture is going to start setting up, or curing, within about ten minutes. You really want to apply it as a liquid because otherwise it gets very lumpy and will not bond properly. Therefore, mix only enough to cover about a six foot by six foot square at a time. This will give you plenty of time to spread this amount out and then apply the nonskid material, either paint chips or industrial sand, to the surface. Don’t forget this step because cured epoxy is even more slick than concrete.
For the best garage floor coating you can’t beat a two part epoxy system applied properly.
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