There are a few people for whom DIYs are welcome challenges that keep their minds engaged and hearts pattering. And so, for you, DIYers and professional epoxy floor applicators, Ontario Specialty Coatings has introduced a line of specialty epoxy resins, flakes, primers, sealers, and tools. Therefore, this comprehensive selection ensures you have everything needed for successful projects. Additionally, these high-quality products provide the durability and aesthetics required for top-notch results.
Please keep in mind that you can only apply epoxy coatings to existing concrete surfaces.
Epoxy is not the easiest coating system to learn how to do. Although online videos make its application look straightforward, applying it properly requires skills and experiential knowledge to create a finish that looks professional. Indeed, mastering the technique is essential for achieving top-quality results. As your first project, you may be intimidated tackling an expansive floor; a small concrete area allows less reworking if you miscalculate.
This may be your first epoxy rodeo, so it’s good to think of chemical mixing as akin to applying the proper ingredients in exact proportions for a baking recipe. If things go wrong, unlike a failed cake, you won’t be able to simply scrape your floor into the waste can. Therefore, precision is crucial to ensure a successful application and avoid costly mistakes. Additionally, carefully following instructions can save you from having to redo the entire process. Instructions for two-part products are not wishy-washy suggestions; your measurements must be precise.
You must read the product description, surface prep advice, and application guidelines entirely. These details are found on each of the product PDF pages.
Since some of these products require additional products to maintain their open work time and unique chemicals to remove them, you should read these pages before the start of your project so that you have everything that you may need on hand.
It is incumbent to keep these instructions with you, you DIYers.
Choose from a low VOC (solvent-less) 2-part epoxy, chemical-resistant epoxy, 2-part fast cure resin retarder, 2-part crack filler, 3-part sealer or an application tool that makes your DIY (and commercial professionals’) lives easier.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approves all products, meaning your dog or hungry spill-prone child could lick any food off the floor after the cure time has passed.
Our coating products have excellent adhesion qualities for concrete, wood, metal, masonry, and plastic. Please be aware that certain products can only be used on top of specific base layers, such as concrete only. Therefore, it is crucial to follow manufacturer guidelines for proper application. Moreover, adhering to these specifications ensures the longevity and effectiveness of the product.
While some products will dry to the touch in 2 hours with a 7 day cure time, others may require longer dry times. Additionally, this variability emphasizes the importance of following specific product guidelines for optimal results.
Would you like to know more about Cure times? Please read our article Epoxy Floor Cure Times.
Would you like help to decide if an epoxy floor is right for you to install? Please read our article Epoxy Flooring: Five Things to Help You Decide.
Harmful reaction vapours are always possibilities; therefore, it is essential to have proper room ventilation and breathing filter apparatus.
A list of just some of the products available for your professional epoxy floor or DIY coating project.
2-part epoxy floor coating systems:
2-part epoxy floor coating systems based on cycloaliphatic polyamine technologies and have numerous advantages. They are available in unlimited colours, have excellent UV resistance (very slow yellowing over time), and long open-working time with variations that allow certain chemical impedances.
They are abrasion-resistant, withstand challenging physical requirements, are VOC-free, and are environmentally friendly with LEED potential.
Read our article on Epoxy Floor Colours.
Topcoat epoxies are excellent for high-demanding applications:
Residential
Offices
Retail stores
Industrial warehouses
Food processing plants
Hospitals
Schools
Pharmaceutical companies
Farming, commercial, and military
Parking garages
2-part floor coating systems:
2-part floor coating systems are polyaspartic or polyurethane systems:
This may be your first epoxy rodeo, so it’s good to think of chemical mixing as akin to applying the proper ingredients in exact proportions for a baking recipe. If things go wrong, unlike a failed cake, you won’t be able to simply scrape your floor into the waste can. Therefore, precision is crucial to ensure a successful application and avoid costly mistakes. Additionally, carefully following instructions can save you from having to redo the entire process. You can add vinyl chips to the base coat, after which a secondary application of a high-gloss topcoat can be added. The applicator must sand the base coat to ensure proper adhesion. You are allowed to apply both coats on the same day.
2-part floor polyaspartic or polyurethane systems are excellent for high-demanding applications:
Residential
Offices
Retail stores
Industrial warehouses
Food processing plants
Hospitals
Schools
Pharmaceutical companies
Farming, commercial, and military
Parking garages
Crack fillers:
Crack fillers are a 2-part, somewhat aromatic, polyurethane crack repair system with a fast cure-time. They effectively repair horizontal holes and fissures in concrete with minimal surface preparation, providing a cost-effective solution for addressing structural issues. Additionally, these fillers prevent water infiltration, which can cause further damage over time. Furthermore, they ensure a smooth and durable surface finish, making them suitable for use below grade and at very low temperatures. Furthermore, they cure exceptionally quickly—often within 15 to 20 minutes—and can be ground thereafter. Additionally, these fillers provide a cost-effective solution for addressing structural issues and prevent water infiltration, which can cause further damage over time.
Sealer products:
Sealer products are a 3-part silicon-ceramic-based treatment used as a final application on your epoxy finish.
These are applied with a roller, brush, or sprayer, and they cannot be immediately over-coated.
If you’re unhappy with your topcoat result, a chemical is required to remove the coating. Reapplication must follow within a specific time frame; moreover, sanding the cured surface also permits reapplication. Additionally, this process ensures that each layer adheres well, enhancing the overall durability and effectiveness of the treatment.
Sealers have several uses beyond sealing epoxy floors, including sealing vertical surfaces.
Topcoat sealers, our 3-part coating product, can be used for several applications:
Epoxy
Grout
Patios
Driveways
Pool decks
Entryways
Exterior windows or doors
Columns
Brick walls
If you choose to have professionals install your floor, please visit our Epoxy Flooring page, Rubber Surfacing page, or Stone Coating page. Ontario Specialty Coatings Inc. is a professional coating company with many flooring options. Please call us at the number below.
You can find examples of some of our work on our Gallery Page.
Please call our staff at Ontario Specialty Coatings Inc. at (519) 203 8800 or contact us online and let us know how we can help you with your project.
-We are professional concrete refinishers, pool refinishers and surface specialists in Southwestern Ontario.-
October 6, 2021 3:40 pm