None of us working on our new home had ever used this epoxy covering for concrete floors before. We were all concerned that we wouldn't get the results in the photos and videos the manufacturers show. Honestly, it just seemed to easy to turn out that well. This first picture is after it had dried and we were starting to move in.
I didn't want to put hardwood floors over the concrete in our basement and this epoxy was much cheaper. I figured if we hated it then we could do something else and we would have lost very little. We chose a color called Burnt Umber which is full of powdered copper. The color looked perfect, but would it turn out like we expected? All we had to do was mix the part A and part B epoxies and then add a container of the Burnt Umber copper powder.
Pouring it on and spreading with a squeegee
Next, we just literally poured it over the floor at about a gallon at a time. You don't have to paint it on as much as you just spread it around. We used large squeegees to spread it around and then a paint roller to add some texture. Later we learned it was easier just to use the roller to spread it around and add texture as we went. Oh yeah, you will need special spikes to wear on your shoes to keep from messing it up when you walk on it while applying.
Waiting on it to dry. The roller marks you see in it disappear as it dries
This epoxy is great and the simplest thing I've ever seen to get such results. It dries in 2 or 3 days and is actually harder than concrete when completed. However, there are a couple of downsides you should know about....
- If your concrete floor has already been treated with anything, it will have to be scrubbed down with an acid to allow it to take the epoxy. Ours was new, so no need.
- You need to clean the concrete very well making it smooth, then clean it with water and a sponge to ensure there is no debris. This is critical or you'll have little bits and pieces sticking up in your floor like sandpaper.
- Although the epoxy is harder than concrete, it can scratch fairly easily if you are moving furniture, etc. It's recommended you put a clear coat over it when completed to keep this from happening.
Here it's just about dry. You can see how glossy it is
This is not an advertisement, so I'm not linking any products, but if you want to google metalic epoxy floor coating you'll see several manufactures. I will say that if you see any brand names you recognize, you'll find them to be much more expensive than other brands for the same thing.
Also, we were given a quote for how many gallons we would need and it was more than double what we actually needed. They will try to sell you a metric ton of this stuff so you can make it 1/4 inch think. We went with half that much and still had plenty left to do other rooms.
Ready to walk on
Look at that shine
Here's a video of an application if you are interested.
Hope you enjoyed and learned something you may be able to use.
