Fixing Bubbles in Your Floors
Sand the bubbles using medium-grit sandpaper and a rotary scrubber. For small groups of bubbles, you can use a palm sander and 60-grit sandpaper. For larger bubble clusters, it may be easier to use a floor buffer. Locate the area of your floor with bubbles, and place the sander over top for 5-15 seconds. Move on to the next area until all bubbles are sanded. Palm sanders cost $14 a day (£9.94) or $56 (£39.76) a week to rent. You can rent a floor buffer for about $33 a day (£23.43) or $120 a week (£85.19). Sanding over your floor scratches up the bubbles, making it easy to apply a fresh coat of epoxy.
Use a sand blaster if you have bubbles in the entirety of your floor. You can rent a sand blaster to remove all of the epoxy coating. Connect your sand blaster to the air compressor and your watering hose. Turn it on and select the medium or hard blasting option. Then, start at the edge of your floor, and pull the trigger to release the sand. Walk your blaster in a straight line across your floor, and continue until all of your epoxy is removed. The sand blaster shoots finely ground silica at your floor very quickly, and this removes any unwanted substance from your floor. You will need to rent an air compressor as well as the blaster and purchase sand to use. In total, this will cost about $100 (£70.96 for the day). Make sure your sand blaster is full of silica, and fill up the holding tank if needed.
Vacuum the dust and wipe your floor with clean cloth dipped in solvent. Using a shop vac, go around your floor and get rid of all dust and debris so it doesn’t get trapped in your epoxy. After you vacuum up as much dust as possible, pour some solvent onto a clean rag, and wipe the entirety of your sanded floor. Solvents help the epoxy adhere to your floor evenly, which prevents bubbles from emerging. Solvents come in many varieties, but for great results you can use a heavy-duty degreaser specifically for epoxy. It costs about $10 (£7.10) at most home supply stores.
Apply another coating of epoxy. Once you sand away all the bubbles and clean up any dust, you can easily recoat your epoxy. Touch up small repair areas, or recoat your entire floor, depending on how much of your floor had bubbles. Use a ⁄4 in (1.9 cm) wide roller, and pour your well-mixed epoxy into a paint tray. Spread the epoxy over your floor starting in the back and working your way towards the front. Apply your epoxy in thin, even layers for best results. If you want to apply additional coats, wait 24 hours for your epoxy to dry.
Repairing a Peeling Floor
Hire a professional to help you fix your floor if you need assistance. The main reason your floor peeled up is due to inadequate preparation of the concrete below your epoxy. The concrete must be correctly prepared so the epoxy sticks to the concrete completely. To help with this, it may be easier to hire a professional who can clean and sand your concrete for you. You can find a contractor by searching online for “Floor epoxy installation contractors.” Look at the reviews and ratings of different contractors in your area, and go with one that seems experienced with concrete work. This is a good idea if most of your floor is peeling up.
Scrape away the peeling epoxy from your floor using a paint scraper. You should remove the existing epoxy sections if you have patches missing from your flooring or notice certain areas beginning to peel. To do this, press a paint scraper against your flooring at a slight angle. Your epoxy should easily peel away with moderate pressure. If your epoxy is not coming off easily, move your scraper back and forth quickly to loosen it up.
Use a palm sander and 60-grit sandpaper if repairing small areas. To prevent epoxy peeling, you must prepare your concrete properly. To do this, use a palm sander to mark your concrete so the epoxy sticks to it easier. Once you’ve removed the loose epoxy, plug in your hand sander, and place it on the floor over top the damaged area. Move your sander over the area in small circles about 1 ft (0.30 m) wide. Work on your section for about 30 seconds or so, then move any other damaged areas. Your epoxy will not peel away if your floor is properly sanded. Palm sanders work great to sand the edges next to your walls. You can purchase or rent a hand sander from most home supply stores. Make sure you wear a respirator face mask, safety glasses, and ear protection when using your sander to prevent any breathing issues.
Use a floor buffer and 100-grit sandpaper if replacing most of your floor. For larger floor repairs, you can get the job done quicker if you use a floor buffer rather than palm sander. Start on an outer edge of your floor, and walk your floor buffer slowly until you reach the far side. Push the buffer as you walk, and the buffer will automatically sand down your flooring. When you reach a far side, pivot and start going the opposite direction. Do this until you cover the entirety of your floor. You must prepare your concrete so the epoxy will not peel off your floor again. Sanding the floor gives the epoxy something to stick to when it is applied. This way, it will stay on your floor without peeling up. Wear safety glasses, a breathing mask, and ear protection while operating the floor buffer.
Vacuum up the debris using a shop vac. Go around the entirety of your floor and remove any dust or debris caused from sanding your surfaces. This is helpful because dust will not get trapped in between your concrete and layer of epoxy. Do this if you used either a hand sander or a floor buffer.
Wipe down your floor with a clean rag dipped in denatured alcohol. Purchase denatured alcohol from a home supply store, and pour about 1 c (240 mL) into a bucket. Be sure to wear protective gloves when you do this. Dip a clean rag into the alcohol, and wipe down all of the surfaces you just sanded. Move your hand in a circular motion as you wipe across your floor. This helps prepare the floor for the epoxy coating. You want your rag to be thoroughly saturated but not dripping with alcohol. You can ring it out over the bucket to get rid of excess alcohol.
Mix your epoxy properly following the instructions to prevent peeling. Use the same type of epoxy you used for your first coat, either water-based or solvent-based. Read over the directions on your epoxy package, and mix your epoxy carefully using a drill and stirring bit. Place the tip of your stirring bit into the epoxy mix, and pull the trigger to mix it up. Do this immediately before you install the epoxy. If your epoxy is not mixed properly, it may lift up and peel away again. Water-based epoxy is clear in color and does not give off hazardous fumes. Solvent-based epoxy adheres will and comes in many colors. Epoxy usually comes in 2 pre-measured parts that should be completely mixed together.
Reapply your epoxy over all of your floor. After your epoxy is mixed, pour some into a paint tray, and use a paint roller about ⁄4 in (1.9 cm) wide to apply the epoxy. Start in the back of your room, whether you are repairing minor spots or a full flooring. That way, you will not have to backtrack over your floor. Dip your roller into the paint tray, and paint a thin, even layer of epoxy over top of your floor. Try to keep the roller wet with epoxy the entire time you apply it. If the roller dries out, it may inconsistently spread the epoxy. If applying epoxy to your garage, it is helpful to leave the door open to help with ventilation.
Let your epoxy dry for at least 24 hours. Once you have repaired all of your peeling spots, let your floor sit undisturbed for about 24 hours, depending on the temperature of your environment. You can test to see if your epoxy is dry by placing your thumb on the surface. If you do not leave a print, your floor is dry. You can apply a second coat of epoxy if you’d like once the floor is dry, though this is optional.
Apply a top coat to prevent any further peeling. To get started, mix together an epoxy clear coat just like you did the color coat. Pour this into a clean paint tray, and apply it with a clean, ⁄4 in (1.9 cm) nap roller. Start at the edge of your floor, and cover all of your floor in an even, thin layer of top coat. Wait about 4-10 hours for your first coat to dry, then apply a second coat to finish your top layer. To check the application of your top coat, lean down over top of your flooring and look for any areas that are not shiny and wet. Because the top coat is clear, it may be difficult to see if your application is even. If you can, apply a third layer of top coat for best results. This ensures your epoxy will not peel up again.
Addressing Discoloration
Apply a tinted sealer to your floor to hide minor discolored blotches. Pour 2-4 cups of your sealer into a paint tray, and dip a clean ⁄4 in (1.9 cm) nap roller into the sealer. Spread the sealer over your entire floor starting on an edge towards the back. Pour more sealer into the tray as needed, and continue spreading the sealer until all of your epoxy is covered. You can purchase premixed colored sealer from most home supply stores. Choose a color you like so you can touch up small areas with blotches or blemishes When you coat the entirety of your floor, you cover up any small areas of discoloration. If you used a solvent-based epoxy, use a solvent-based tinted sealer. Solvent-based sealers give better consistency during application. If you used water-based epoxy, use a liquid pigment sealer.
Use a water-based stain or dye if you need to darken light patches. Purchase a water-based stain safe for epoxy flooring from a home supply store, as well as a palm sprayer to help you apply it. Pour the stain into your palm sprayer until you reach the fill line, and hold the sprayer about 3–5 ft (0.91–1.52 m) away from your floor. Pull the trigger on the palm sprayer to release the stain. Move the sprayer over your floor to saturate all of it. You can pick a stain in any dark shade you like, like dark brown or gray, for example. If you still have discolored spots after you apply the stain, simply use more stain to apply another coat.
Let your sealer or stain sit for 4-10 hours so it can dry completely. After you cover all of your floor with the stain or tinted sealer, leave it undisturbed for at least 4 hours so it can dry. Once the it dries, you may apply additional coats if you'd like. Adding another coat will darken your color and help cover up any remaining discoloration.
Hire a professional to recolor your floor if it is majorly discolored. If your floor has major color inconsistencies after you apply your epoxy, first try using a stain or tinted sealer. If that doesn’t fix your coloring, you should search online for an epoxy contractor who can give you a professional opinion. They may recommend applying a new coat of colored epoxy or offer suggestions for darker stain colors. Alternatively, a professional may recommend applying a microtopping to color your concrete, rather than using epoxy to color your floors. Microtopping can be used to recolor concrete surfaces.
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