After taking great pains to prepare and apply an epoxy floor coating properly, you want it to last as long as possible – thus, the importance of using a clear coat on it. Learn the best info about SmartScape Concrete Coatings.
Clear coatings protect floors against moisture, chemical spills, staining, hot tire pickup, and scratches.
Durability
Depending upon the type of coating you select, certain are more resilient than others. Keep this in mind when choosing a product for your garage floor – for instance, a penetrating concrete precise treatment will not withstand heavy traffic or harsh chemicals as effectively as an epoxy coating would.
High-quality polyurethane or polyurea clear coatings are more durable than their predecessors and will withstand forklift traffic, 18-wheelers, heavy car and foot traffic, oil, chemicals, and solvents better. Furthermore, these types of coatings last long-term while remaining scratch-proof.
Even though these coatings are more durable than most, they are still subject to damage, so use caution when moving items across them, and dragging heavy objects over the layer may scratch and scuff it. Furthermore, for added safety in environments where liquid may spill onto the floor, a non-slip additive may be beneficial.
Consider having your floor waxed and polished regularly to maintain its shine, which will prevent it from becoming dull over time in areas with heavy foot traffic. By taking these measures, the coating won’t become worn down quickly and fade, keeping your floor looking great!
An annual test should also be performed to check for abrasion resistance on your floor. A simple water droplet test can reveal whether reapplication is needed; this will protect both color and base coat and extend its longevity.
There are numerous coating and sealer products on the market for coatings and sealers. Many can be found at local hardware stores or home improvement centers and usually come in kits designed to make application easy. However, commercial quality coatings and clear coats can often be purchased from specialty vendors online who specialize in these products; these vendors will help assess your project needs before providing suitable options tailored specifically to them, as well as answer any queries you might have.
Most vendors provide a toll-free number you can call for assistance, which can be extremely useful if you’re uncertain which coating type would best fit your project and saves time by providing you with all of the information needed to make an informed decision.
Ease of Cleaning
Clear coats provide a protective surface over your floor that can help guard it against potential damage from heavy equipment, sharp objects, and wear and tear from vehicle and foot traffic. Furthermore, certain coatings may even resist chemicals and petroleum products stored or used within your workshop, garage, or carport.
A crucial part of taking good care in maintaining your floor is cleaning it immediately after making a mess, using either a broom or vacuum to remove dirt, dust, and other debris quickly. Following these tasks, a microfiber mop can be used with an adjusted strength cleaning solution depending on what kind of grime needs to be removed from your flooring surface. In contrast, harsh chemicals or acids could break down its protective coating over time and potentially harm its appearance as well.
Floor coatings that we install for our clients at their homes and businesses are usually easy to care for with just a quick and straightforward cleaning routine. High-performance colored coatings such as polyureas or polyaspartics may require particular precautions when wet; please see their pages for more details.
These coatings can become dangerously slippery when wet, so adding a non-slip additive is recommended as best practice. In order to keep the floor dry and avoid scratching the coating surface, we advise using either a quality dust mop that picks up particles without scratching or an all-purpose cleaner that does not contain harsh chemicals or acids for daily mopping purposes.
Clear topcoats provide another advantage to protect the color flakes on your floor from being removed by cleaning products or chemicals, mainly if using stains with extensive flake coverage. This is particularly important if using a dye that requires several applications of paint before it dries completely.
Home improvement centers and hardware stores do not generally stock DIY epoxy floor kits with optional clear coats from manufacturers, which makes purchasing one from these sources difficult. If you would like a rock-solid epoxy or polyamine garage floor kit with an optional clear coat from this source, we suggest visiting their website and calling their toll-free number directly for assistance.
Adds Depth
Clear coats can give a floor a richer, thicker appearance – particularly if you select polyurethane as its finish option. In addition, clear coats reflect light in the garage for increased lighting levels that provide for more accessible work environments. Water-based paints cannot be used as clear coats due to latex found within these products that will not form chemical bonds with 2-part and moisture-cured resinous coatings that form chemical bonds between their molecules, and those present in 2-part and single part moisture-cured due to latex present within their molecules do not bond chemically with 2-part and single-part moisture-cured resinous coatings.
Gloss
Clear coatings add a glossy sheen that can significantly improve the aesthetics of any floor, giving it a more prosperous and deeper hue while reflecting light more effectively and brightening up a garage or workshop space. In turn, this could also save on electricity costs by decreasing overhead lighting needs for these spaces.
There are various clear coatings available for concrete floors that come with different degrees of gloss – the higher its gloss level is, the more reflective its finish will be. Some layers also contain anti-slip additives for extra safety for people walking across them.
Though having a clear-coat concrete floor in your garage or workshop offers many advantages, there may also be downsides. Some precise products do not provide stain or chemical resistance – which may pose issues in workshops where spills and chemicals may occur more frequently. Furthermore, specific treatments of darkening concrete may make items dropped on it more challenging to detect; this could prove problematic when trying to locate tools or other equipment dropped accidentally on the floor.
Another drawback of garage floor coatings without clear coats is that micro-scratches will appear and detract from their overall look, especially those featuring color-flake epoxy coatings. With clear top coats, however, these microscopic or more significant scratches can be covered up or camouflaged so as to not detract from its overall aesthetic appeal.
Most garage floor coating companies recommend using their brand of clear coat since their testing will ensure it will work well with both coatings. Doing this can prevent compatibility issues from arising, and some clear coats even protect the floor against UV rays that cause layers to fade over time.
SmartScape Concrete Coatings
2420 Charles St, Rockford, IL 61108, USA
815-240-2384
smartscapeconcretecoatings.com
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