Why hire a professional for something you can do yourself, right? DIY epoxy kits allow you to coat your garage floors yourself for a fraction of the cost of having them professionally done, but there’s a good reason for this. DIY epoxy kits may provide you with a cheaper way to coat your garage floors, but they come at a price: less durability, a very complicated application process, and being more expensive over time, due to how frequently you will need to have them redone to keep your garage floors looking pristine.
Do-it-yourself epoxy kits allow you to cover up any imperfections in your garage floors and help to protect them from stains, such as from spilled oil or gasoline. Cheap doesn’t mean easy, though. If you decide to go with these epoxy kits, prepare yourself: you’ll need to put in quite a bit of elbow grease for these to elevate the appearance and functionality of your garage floors.
Should you decide to use a DIY epoxy kit, you’ll need to prepare yourself for quite a bit of manual labor. Prior to applying your DIY epoxy kit, you’ll need to ensure that your garage floors are properly prepped, so that the epoxy can adhere to them properly.
This involves cleaning, sweeping, and acid etching, in order to smooth out the surface and free them of moisture and stains from oil or grease. If there are any cracks, you want to ensure that you fill them, so that your coating has a smooth, even surface to be applied to. If your garage floors aren’t smooth and clean, then your epoxy coating won’t stick properly.
You want to ensure that you have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when DIYing your floors, to ensure that you’re not breathing in any concrete dust or vapors, and that you’re protected from acid and the like. Trying to apply a DIY epoxy kit without proper PPE can result in illness or injury, so take care of yourself, and make sure you’re prepared and protected before applying it.
Once your floors are prepped, you’ll need to prime them and then apply your coating. Be aware that these epoxy kits require quite a bit of patience, as you’ll need to wait days after applying for coating before you can use your garage floors again, as the coating will need time to cure.
You’ll also need to be aware of the fact that DIY epoxy kits aren’t a one-and-done, you applied one, and now you’re set for life. DIY epoxy kits are cheaper than professional coatings because they don’t last anywhere near as long, so you should expect to need to reapply your DIY epoxy coating every couple of years, in order to keep your garage floor protected and aesthetically pleasing.
Pros and Cons of DIY Epoxy Kits
Pros Of DIY Epoxy Kits:
- They offer protection against stains and moisture damage.
- They come in multiple different colors.
- They’re easier to clean than plain concrete floors.
- They’re affordable.
Cons Of DIY Epoxy Kits:
- They don’t offer much protection against chemicals.
- They need to be replaced every few years, as they aren’t very durable.
- They start showing wear and tear within months.
- They’re quite time-intensive to apply.
- They have hot-tire pickup.
- They don’t look as good as professional coatings.
If you decide to opt for DIY epoxy kits, be aware that they won’t last very long, and as such, can add up over time. If you’re looking for a garage floor coating that’s made to last and that you won’t need to keep reapplying, consider contacting the professionals at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Virginia to come out and apply one of our high-quality garage floor coatings.
