PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC.

Your Host and Tour Guide:

Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.   (floor epoxies, marine epoxies, underwater epoxies, repair epoxies)

Member: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings)

Board member: Friends of the Suncook River - 501(c)(3) non profit ----- Founder: Friday Night Paddlers .

"Professionals helping Professionals"

FLOOR EPOXY SYSTEMS SINCE  1994

WHY PROFESSIONALS DON'T USE 'BOX STORE' EPOXY FLOOR  (GARAGE)  COATINGS - PAINTS

One would think that epoxy floor paints sold at superstores would be expensive. There are many links in the chain from manufacturer, distributor, shipper and store. Each needs a 'piece of the pie' to make a living. That's why you don't see epoxy floor professionals outside of Home Depot on Saturday mornings. But the paradox is they pay a lot more than Home Depot prices. Industrial grade epoxies typically sell for $75 to $750 per gallon. And those are the factory/manufacturer prices, not the inflated store prices (which can easily be 300% more than the 'starting price'). So why are the prices so low at the consumer super stores?

* some of the coatings are old technology, no longer used by professionals. Shifting them to the superstores at rock bottom prices means squeezing out a bit more profit.

* they are low end products to start with (why not everyone buys tools at the Dollar Store). Professionals need the 'good stuff' - their reputations are on the line.

You will not find our products at any superstore, or being resold (after a 60%-100% markup) by some distributor or agent. Our niche is commercial epoxies made available to homeowners (and professional contractors!) - We offer a range of different epoxy floor coatings and options, including a ready to go kit - DIY Flor-Poxy for those who don't like to make lots of decisions!

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Cement slab sealers (internal and surface), primers, tie coats help to increase the odds of a successful floor coating project. Read about the two products we recommend CLICK HERE

 

Why You Don't Want, Or Need, A Cycloaliphatic Epoxy Floor Paint (CLICK HERE)

 

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Getting Started With DIY Epoxy Floor Paints -- Info

note: these epoxy floor paint coating systems will also work on wood,

metal and fiberglass surfaces.

Step 1: Is your cement floor suitable for coating with epoxy coating?

What kind of surface prep can you do or are you willing to do? This is best discussed in our 'garage/basement page" Some folks get away with just sweeping and painting. Others do all sorts of prep. It is your call (we cannot make that call for you!). You usually don't know if you have done enough until it is too late.

What is your objective? protect the cement and easy to sweep (functional) or 'showroom'? Are you willing to take the time, effort and cost required for a fancy multi coat system? It could be a 1 to 7 coat system. Want to have that paint clip look? - there are several different application methods and different coatings to consider, not counting the color, percent of each color and how thick you want to put the chips down.

What can go wrong -

The Epoxy Floor Coating Problem Page CLICK HERE

A water based epoxy system or a thicker solvent free epoxy floor coating? You'll need to decide this before you can proceed.

"Serious" workshop/industrial/workplace often use a 2 coat quartz broadcast epoxy floor  floor. "Fancy" residential garages often like a colored chip floor system.

You can select (or may require) anything from a

1 coat system thru a 7 coat system..........

Step 2: Optional step - seal the concrete internally with our Bio Vee Seal product. Leaves nothing on the surface - reduces or removes musty odors and dampness. Cheap, easy, no surface prep needed - must be applied direct to the concrete. (about 20 cents per square foot)

USED BY ITSELF, IT WILL REDUCE, OR ELIMINATE, MOISTURE MIGRATION THROUGH CONCRETE FLOORS AND WELLS (THROUGH THE CONCRETE ITSELF, NOT WHEN MIGRATION IS THROUGH CRACKS). IT IS USED ON CONCRETE THAT IS ALWAYS A BIT DAMP AND TO END THE 'MUSTY' OR DAMP SMELL IN BASEMENTS, ETC. PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, BUT LESS OBVIOUS, IS THAT BY REDUCING OR ELIMINATING MOISTURE MOVEMENT THROUGH THE CONCRETE IT INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A SUCCESSFUL PAINT OR COATING JOB ON THE CONCRETE SURFACE (NOTE: THIS PRODUCT WORKS BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE CONCRETE, IT LEAVES NOTHING ON THE SURFACE). THIS IS BECAUSE MANY COATING FAILURES ARE THE RESULT OF MOISTURE OR VAPOR PRESSURE BUILDING UP ON THE UNDERSIDE OF COATINGS APPLIED TO CONCRETE.

BECAUSE OF THIS, BIO VEE SEAL IS ALSO A RECOMMENDED, BUT OPTIONAL, PRE-TREATMENT TO CONCRETE SURFACES THAT WILL BE COATED WITH SOME SORT OF SURFACE COATING.

Step 3: Consider applying a clear sealer over the concrete (instead of a more durable, tougher, higher quality epoxy floor paint), whether you've applied Bio Vee Seal or not. These medium quality sealers will give the concrete a shiny wet look and reduce dusting on the surface. Cleaning and sweeping will be easier. Note that this step could mean you can never epoxy coat the surface in the future.

THIS PRODUCT IS LISTED IN OUR CLEAR COATINGS SECTION (SECTION D) CLICK HERE (CLEAR EPOXY) TO GO THERE.

Step 4: Optional step - coat - prime surface with our ESP 155 epoxy primer (not for sale in S. California). LOTS MORE ABOUT PRIMERS.

Step 5: Apply 100% solids epoxy floor paint (Industrial Floor Epoxy - click here INDUSTRIAL FLOOR EPOXY) - will probably need to add anti-slip grit. You can get more fancy here: broadcast colored chips or sand (plain or colored) for thicker and/or more durable and/or more decorative look. (about 40 cents per square foot to $2 per square foot for the fancy multicoat systems). This step may include several coats of pigmented and clear epoxies with chips or colored sands in one or more of the coats.

Another option is our Rough Coat™ (thin solvent based, tan colored floor epoxy with non-skid grit already mixed in) over either the Water Bond epoxy or the Industrial Floor Epoxy.

INEXPENSIVE SPECIAL AFFECTS

FOR EPOXY FLOOR PAINT SURFACES

Step 6: sometimes people topcoat the epoxy with a more color stable urethane (i.e. a snowy white floor) or clear polyurethane (about 20-30 cents per square foot - may need two coats). We now offer a 2 part urethane clear coat with max UV blockers that should reduce or stop the UV yellowing of epoxies and maintain a good shine. Not for sale in California. It is called Acrylic Poly UV Plus.

NOTES: MANY PEOPLE DO JUST ONE OR TWO OF THE PRECEDING STEPS (#2, #3, #4, #5). RARE FOR PEOPLE TO PRE-TREAT (BIO VEE SEAL), PRIME WITH WATER BASED EPOXY, TOPCOAT WITH SOLVENT FREE EPOXY (PARTIALLY BECAUSE PRODUCTS COME FROM 3 DIFFERENT SOURCES).

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING CARPETING, WOOD FLOORS, ETC. OVER A CEMENT FLOOR - YOU REALLY DO NEED TO 'SEAL' THE CONCRETE (WE HAVE HEARD LOTS OF HORROR STORIES WHEN PEOPLE DON'T DO THIS). YOU CAN USE ONE OR MORE OF STEPS #2, #3, #4, TO DO THIS.

how much surface prep you do and which combinations of steps to do are tough decisions you'll have to make, as well as how fancy you want to get appearance-wise with steps #4 and/or #5.

The colored quartz sands and vinyl chips add a lot of 'snap' to your epoxy floor, but can be an expensive and time consuming project (for more info see links section above). There are easy and cheap alternatives: 1) our ELA link above offers a way to "faux sponge paint" a decorative finish over the epoxy using ordinary latex paint. 2) we have had exciting looking results using "American Accept" stone look spray paint from Walmart and Home Depot over the epoxy and then sealing with a clear coat. 3) really neat and cheap - using cheap spray paint and 'mist' the surface by spraying high and far away. The results are tiny droplets that fall on the dry (day or two old is best) epoxy surface. Using black, white and an deep orange (etc.) will yield a granite like look. If things go bad, immediately wipe the fresh spray paint droplets off with a solvent soaked rag and try again! Practice on a piece of cardboard or construction paper to get the look and colors right before attacking your new epoxy floor. You might want a clear topcoat over the 'spray paint' (our LPU 100 is the best product for this), but we are thinking you probably will not need it. Even if the paint droplets do eventually wear off, you can always reapply......

In a nutshell

4 kinds of floor epoxy paint

1) thick, shiny, no solvents or odor - can be slippery when wet; serious commercial stuff - called: INDUSTRIAL FLOOR EPOXY Paint ---

2) water-based floor epoxy - thin - will not hide cracks or flaws but functional and the most user friendly. Sometimes used as a primer under option #1. called: WATER BOND epoxy paint ---

3) solvent based thin epoxy with anti-slip grit - tan color only. Use by itself or over other epoxies. called ROUGH COAT epoxy paint ------

4) high solids ready to go kit - DIY FLOR-POXY (includes chips) epoxy paint

EPOXIES WITH COLORED CHIPS - you pick chip colors and percentages from online color chart. Several different methods to apply - generally a 1 to 4 coat system - you must decide! How much or how little surface prep and primer or no primer - also you decision! We only provide the products - with enough options to get your head spinning.

OPTIONAL PRIMER UNDER YOUR FLOOR EPOXY (GENERALLY A SOLVENT THINNED EPOXY) - USED MAYBE 25% OF THE TIME (RECOMMENDED - ESP 155 EPOXY PRIMER - (NOT FOR SALE IN SOUTHERN CALIF.)

In a nutshell (part 2)

coating product options

1) Bio Vee Gloss™ - a non epoxy, clear acrylic water based concrete sealer (a good, cheap, alternative). CATALOG LINK

2) Industrial Floor Epoxy™- a solvent free epoxy. Can be used as is or with chips or plain/colored sands. Add grit for anti-slip. Colors: light gray or beige. CATALOG LINK floor epoxies

2-b) various clear solvent free epoxies for sealing in colored chips, etc. Can also be pigmented (we carry several colors of epoxy pigments) for additional solvent free floor coating options (much like the Industrial Floor Epoxy mentioned above). CATALOG LINK

3) Water Bond™ - water based floor epoxy (or can be used as a primer under the Industrial Floor Epoxy). Easy to apply. Add grit for anti Slip. Color: medium gray. CATALOG LINK floor epoxies

4) Rough Coat™- a solvent based, tan colored epoxy with fine grit already in it. Nice texture. Can be painted over for a different color. CATALOG LINK

5) Acrylic Poly UV plus™ - a high solvent, 2 part urethane often used as a clear coat over epoxies because it will keep the epoxy glossy and will keep it from yellowing. Found in the Non Epoxy/Urethane section of our catalogs. Not for sale in California. CATALOG LINK More on clear topcoats (the place you are mostly likely to get ripped off - clear top coats .

6) Aluthane™ - an aluminum filled moisture cured urethane. A general purpose, high performance, high solvent, metallic coating. Often used on metal or wood structures, it also makes a touch, durable, gray/silver floor coating that can be applied at low temperature. Found in the Non Epoxy/Urethane section of our catalogs. CATALOG LINK aluthane

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	Links to Lots of MUST READ Information Articles About the Best Epoxy Floor Paints, Including Preparation, Alternatives, What Can Go Wrong, etc. floor related articles, info, links CLICK HERE
Bio Vee Seal - INTERNAL CONCRETE SEALER	SOME OF THE SITES THE ABOVE LINK WILL DIRECT YOU TO
Clear Top Coats  - FLOOR CLEAR TOP	Best Floor Epoxy - CLICK HERE
Epoxy Quartz Floor - BROADCAST FLOOR	Acid Etching - ACID
Epoxy Paint Chip Floor - CHIPS	Epoxy Paint vs. Floor Epoxy Paint - EPOXY PAINTS
Epoxy Paint - SURFACE PREP	Floor Basics/Options - START HERE
Floor Epoxy - CATALOG PAGE	Questions: ASK PROFESSOR E. POXY

 

ITEMS OFTEN PURCHASED WITH THIS PRODUCT: Industrial Floor Epoxy

* Short nap epoxy rollers * ESP 155 epoxy primer * 2 part clear poly with UV blockers (no Calif sales)  * Bio Vee Seal internal concrete sealer/moisture control * Film thickness gauge

GOOGLE SITE SEARCH

Find in 1-page summary site (marine) with links and prices

Find in 1-page summary site (non-marine) with links and prices

 

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