Epoxy Coating Specialists uses over 27 years of experience to deliver the best epoxy floors in the Midwest and nationwide. We have thousands of projects under our belt, in a wide variety of industries and home settings.
Our team is ready to tackle any project, no matter the size.
The one thing we can’t do: be there for the daily epoxy floor care that can make that floor last not just years, but decades. However, you can always contact us for advice, and read on for our list of the 7 best tips for epoxy floor care.
What is an epoxy floor system?
At Epoxy Coating Specialists, we provide expertise in the installation of high-performance seamless floors for industrial, military, and decorative applications. That means you get an even, smooth floor designed to stand up to however you use it.
We call it an epoxy floor “system” because of the systematic steps involved in creating this highly durable, long lasting epoxy floor coating:
Step 1: prepare the substrate
Epoxy floor care starts even before the floor is laid down. We begin by cleaning the floor all the way down to the concrete substrate. That means down to the original cement or concrete surface. We check for, clean out, and seal major cracks and old floor joints.
We also remove unnecessary materials bonded to joint walls and bases.
Step 2: build the surface
How much we build the surface depends on the level of epoxy flooring you choose. Thin Mil epoxy flooring provides an economical choice, with 3 layers put on a substrate that’s already in good condition. If the area has light traffic, this is a good option to save on cost.
From there, the systems move all the way up to our amazing Heavy Duty Epoxy Floor System. This top-of-the-line mortar system performs excellently for both new construction and the rejuvenation of an existing concrete slab.
The Heavy Duty Epoxy Floor System involves five layers:
- Primer
- Mortar
- Grout coat
- Build coat
- Top coat
It’s the prime choice for busy warehouses, airplane hangars, stadiums, and government facilities. Basically anywhere that will see heavy traffic or chemical challenges, we build up this epoxy floor to handle those hard-core applications.
Whether it’s your home garage, your restaurant’s floors, or your football stadium, we’ll talk about the way it’s used, how you want it to look, and of course—your budget. We’ll come up with the best plan using the best materials in the business to make sure your epoxy floor system walks the walk where you walk.
Step 3: let it cure
Depending on the number of layers you choose, your installation will take:
- Up to a full day for a Thin Mil Epoxy Floor System.
- Up to 4 to 5 days for the Heavy Duty Epoxy Floor System.
That time applies to very large facilities too. We have over 60 installers on hand, along with all the tools and supplies in-stock. We take on over 600 projects a year, with more than 30 million square feet of floors installed to date. From man-caves to massive airplane hangars, there’s no project that we can’t complete on time and in-budget.
We’ll also work nights and weekends to ensure that your project is completed within the timeframe provided.
The 7 Best Tips for Epoxy Floor Care
So now that you’ve got your beautiful new epoxy floor, how do you maintain it to keep it looking great and lasting for years to come?
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 1: It starts with the installer.
All epoxy floor companies are not the same. Too many cut corners for profit, providing what appears to be a “lower” price, but in doing so, delivering the lowest in quality and effort.
When that happens, parts of the floor can “pull up.” Heavy usage causes the epoxy flooring to lift and chip or flake off—like when a forklift turns to move a heavy pallet and the tire pulls up some of the epoxy flooring.
This is a sign the installer didn’t put the floor in correctly. The layers haven’t adhered properly to the substrate, leaving the customer with an issue waiting to be discovered by daily wear.
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 2: Choose the correct floor.
You know what your floor is going to face. If it’s in your home garage, you have an idea what kind of vehicle(s) will be parked on it, and how often they’ll be moved.
You also might like to work on them. So you’ll have an idea of the equipment you’ll use, the solvents, oils, and chemicals that might be spilled, and the tools that could occasionally be dropped.
At Epoxy Coating Specialists we’ll walk you through all your uses, and then determine which level of epoxy flooring best suits your unique needs. One of the problems that occurs with floor care is when the incorrect product is specified by an installer. They might have the “one size fits all” package, or tell you what everyone else in the neighborhood is doing.
The fact is, the floor must work for your situation. If the company can’t offer multiple levels of epoxy flooring systems, or the ability to customize the system to better suit your needs, you’re not getting the floor that’s right for you.
Budgeting for the right floor
If you’re like most people, you have a current budget in mind. But also think about the future when designing a floor around your unique project.
Choosing the least expensive option might look great now, but is the money you save worth the money you’ll spend later to repair it?
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 3: Customize your floor system for the usage.
When choosing your epoxy flooring system, keep in mind that Epoxy Coating Specialists can customize your system, or even combine multiple systems on a single floor. In heavier workload areas, high traffic areas, and areas where more chemicals could affect the flooring, you can put down a more heavy duty epoxy floor than in other spaces.
This allows you to put the correct epoxy floor system in the correct place. You can save money where possible, and still achieve long-lasting, durable floors.
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 4: If it fails, fix it.
Epoxy flooring can be patched to repair flaking or lifting issues. We do this frequently for businesses and individuals who have used the lowest bidder.
Because low-ball companies have to use lower quality materials and “good enough” execution, the floors they put down have a tendency to wear poorly. It could be because they didn’t clean the substrate well, causing poor adhesion.
Or they didn’t provide proper moisture mitigation for the substrate. Moisture under the epoxy flooring system ruins the floor. If the failed area isn’t repaired, it will continue to chip along the edges. These debris particles can then cause increased wear in traffic areas until the next cleaning, decreasing the floor life and possibly causing work hazards.
At Epoxy Coating Specialists, we can identify the issues efficiently and provide you with alternatives for fixing the problem. And if necessary, we can redo the flooring to properly address your usage and make sure you have an epoxy floor system that lasts.
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 5: Don’t let chemicals sit on your floor.
When you’re sure your floor is correct, cleaning is the biggest tip you can take with you for epoxy floor care.
A top layer of chemical-resistant urethane protects your layers of epoxy and mortar from erosion. However, allowing chemicals and solvents to stay on the floor can, over time, eat away that urethane. Should this happen, it opens up the resin in the epoxy to damage, weakening the flooring system and causing stains.
We always recommend cleaning your floors and getting rid of spills as quickly as possible. Use neutral cleaning agents that aren’t extremely acidic (bleach is a good example of an acidic cleaner).
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 6: Sweep up the dirt!
Nothing grinds away a surface like constant traffic on top of grit. It could be human traffic, with shoes grinding particles into the epoxy floor. Or the wear could be heavy-duty traffic like forklifts, cars, trucks, and airplanes rolling over that grit and turning their wheels on top of it.
The dirt left on a floor acts like sandpaper, just waiting for the traffic to come along and rub it against the epoxy floor. From schools to industrial plants to man caves, this is the number one floor killer.
Cleaning the dirt works best with vacuum systems to non-abrasively lift the dirt/grit, and then dust mops to remove any left-over dust. Hard bristle brooms can wear a floor over time. You’ll add years to your epoxy floor’s life with this care tip.
Epoxy Floor Care Tip 7: Follow Six Sigma standards.
A lot of businesses, especially ones in the industrial space, enforce Six Sigma standards for the workplace. This strategic process analysis can help a business run more efficiently.
For example, one of the suggestions we’ve seen—and highly recommend following—involves moving pallets with forklifts. Some businesses use the forklifts to shove the pallets across the floor. Over time, that causes major damage.
A Six Sigma rule we’ve seen requires forklift operators to lift the pallet and move it correctly. This saves significant wear and tear from the epoxy floor, allowing a much longer lifespan before repair.
This kind of floor care—finding the ways to simply but effectively use the floor—makes the rest of the care easier.
How to get the most life from your epoxy floor.
Using the 7 best tips for epoxy floor care can help you enjoy an amazing epoxy floor system for years to come.
- Choose the best installer for proper preparation
- Apply the correct floor system
- Customize the epoxy floor for usage areas
- Fix failures immediately
- Mop up spills
- Sweep up dirt every day
- Follow best practice protocols (such as Six Sigma)
FAQs
Do I have to buff the floor?
No. Epoxy floors don’t need to be buffed. For cleaning, if you have a very large expanse to cover you should consider a Tennant machine (kind of a mini-Zamboni). We will be glad to help you secure this excellent maintenance and epoxy floor care tool.
Can I use OTC cleaning products?
Yes. Dust mops and other non-abrasive tools are preferred. You can even use a Swiffer® at home! For liquid cleaners, we recommend Simple Green®. Just make sure you use a cleaning agent with a neutral PH level.
How do I clean a texture floor surface?
A heavily textured floor, like in food and beverage, can be cleaned with a power washer and room temperature water. You can easily mop decorative flake epoxy flooring.
How long should my epoxy floor last?
With regular, proper epoxy floor care and maintenance, you should get 10 to 20 years of excellent floor life on average. The length depends on the severity of use and the consistency of maintenance.
Epoxy floor care tips from the company that cares about you
When you work with Epoxy Coating Specialists, you partner with a team dedicated to providing excellent service.
We’ll go above and beyond—day, night, weekend, or even holidays—to complete your project on-time and on-budget. There’s no project too big or too small for us, thanks to our wide product inventory and years of experience.
Contact us today with questions, or request a quote online. We look forward to flooring you, at ECS!