…and the tips and tricks to steer clear of these common epoxy flooring mistakes. Even one avoidable mistake can save you thousands in re-dos and repairs and hours of time.
Epoxy Floor Supply Company knows a thing or two about epoxy floor coatings and obtaining the most beautiful epoxy flooring outcomes. We supply the industry’s top epoxy professionals and commercial installers, and being a top supplier over the years, we get to learn best practices and share our epoxy flooring wisdom.
Epoxy floor coverings, the floor upon which it is applied (substrate), along with other epoxy floor coatings, all play within a finely-balanced scientific and reactive environment. There is an exact science to achieving the perfect epoxy floor.
Keep reading for tips and tricks to keep yourself out of pitfalls and disasters when applying epoxy flooring systems and top coats.
Clear Coats - Avoiding “Fish Eyes” or Craters
Oh the joys of top coats. That incredible shine brings out the panache of your epoxy floor showcasing its shiny, glossy brilliance. Also, the added durability of a top coat is an incredible benefit for its application. But, don’t be fooled into believing applying a top coat is easy. They are tricky and require some planning and deeper understanding for appropriate adhesion. 
When applying a top coat, you have to take into consideration the science of surface tension. Every substrate surface (an underlying substance or layer, such as concrete, metal, glass, etc.) has surface energy, and the range is based on a high to low variable. Basically, surface energy is the molecular attraction force between two materials, and the higher the surface energy, the more the molecular attraction increases. For instance, sanded concrete or epoxy has a high surface energy and strong molecular attraction. Alternatively, a highly-polished car would have low surface energy and weaker molecular attraction.
Low Energy Surface Vs. High Energy Surface
Consider the following example of high and low surface energy to further illustrate the above point. Rain-X is a genius invention for windshield water repellent (I actually love the Rain-X wiper blades). When Rain-X is applied to a windshield, it now becomes a low energy surface, and as a result, the rain water beads up instead of attaching itself to the windshield and spreading out. Alternatively, windshields without Rain-X are a high energy surface that causes the rain to “spread” over the windshield, thus requiring the frantic use of windshield wipers to remove the water. 
Regarding top coat applications over epoxy flooring, you want the substrate to have a high surface energy. This allows the top coat to efficiently and effectively “wet out” causing the top coat to spread in an even and uniform fashion over the entire floor. With a uniform spreading of the top coat, fish eyes and cratering defects are greatly reduced and avoided.
Prepping Your Epoxy Floor
As you plan and prep your floor, if there are parts of the floor that have low surface tension like silicone, wax and other chemical stains, this can cause big challenges and lead to the development of fish eyes and craters. To avoid this scenario, you must use a grinding and sanding process to remove the low surface energy area for effective application of top coats.
Top coats carry many benefits that enhance the beautification and hardiness of your epoxy floor. Take the necessary time to understand what you need to do to achieve the highest level of success. If you have questions, one of our epoxy flooring professionals can help answer your questions and guide you in selecting the best coatings for the perfect epoxy floor.
Epoxy Flooring Pro Tips:
Make absolutely sure, that whatever substrate surface on which you apply a top coat, that the surface is clean, dry and unified to ensure the highest level of molecular attraction and bonding.
The Best in Customer Support for Your Epoxy Flooring Needs
Epoxy Floor Supply Company is committed to offering the highest-quality epoxy flooring products for commercial and residential epoxy flooring projects.
We are here to help answer your questions and offer guidance on selecting the best epoxy flooring materials and accessories. Contact us today for more information at 888.713.3002.
Keep Reading:
Avoid Top Epoxy Flooring Concerns Part 2: Epoxy Floor Bubbles and Roller Texture Marks