How to Concrete Over Epoxy Floor Coating
Epoxy floor coating provides a strong, stain-resistant, colorful flooring material that can easily stand up against heavy traffic, with little maintenance required to keep it looking fresh. There are those situations, though, when concrete makes for a better flooring choice. Rather than strip away the epoxy coating, you can cover it over with a new concrete overlay. A concrete overlay is an easily spreadable concrete material that dries in place as hard as a concrete slab. Applying the concrete successfully over the epoxy though can pose a few problems. The same property that makes epoxy flooring stain-resistant makes it difficult to use as a bonding surface. To counter this, you’ll have to prepare the epoxy first, creating a surface that accepts the overlay without someday causing it to chip away.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You’ll Need
- Prybar
- Broom
- Concrete degreaser
- Scrub brush
- Rope mop
- pH-neutral cleanser
- Concrete grinder
- Latex bonding agent
- Paintbrush
- Low-nap roller
- Wheelbarrow
- Hoe
- Squeegee
- Steel trowel
- Magnesium float
- Hand pump sprayer
- Concrete sealant
-
- 1
Remove any baseboards along the wall by pulling them away with a prybar. Slide the prybar between the wall and the baseboard at the locations of the securing nails, and apply pressure to pull the board away. Continue along the length of the board, moving from nail to nail until you’ve pulled the entire board free.
- 2
Sweep the floor clear of any loose debris with a broom and then remove any oil from the coating using a concrete degreaser and a scrub brush. Mop the surface clean with a wet mop and a pH-neutral cleanser, then rinse with clean water. Allow the floor to dry out completely before continuing.
- 3
Prepare the floor for the new concrete by scarifying the epoxy floor coating with a concrete grinder. Run the grinder over the surface of the floor using a light amount of force to create a series of scratches throughout the coating to which the overlay material can bind. Sweep up any loosened coating after the grinding run.
- 4
Roll a layer of latex bonding agent onto the floor with a low-nap paint roller and paintbrush. Apply the coating around the perimeter of the floor against the walls with the paintbrush in a strip about 3 inches in width. Cover the rest of the surface in rows using the roller. Overlap the sides of each row by about 2 inches to avoid leaving gaps in the coverage. Wait overnight for the agent to dry.
- 5
Mix the concrete you intend to apply over the coating in a wheelbarrow using a hoe to fold one part Portland cement and three parts sand with water until you have concrete the consistency of peanut butter.
- 6
Pour the concrete over the floor, spreading it out with a squeegee to a depth of about 1/4- to 1/2-inch. Level the concrete with a steel trowel, spreading it out evenly to avoid high or low areas.
- 7
Float the concrete to settle the aggregate and pull water to the top of the mix by dragging a magnesium float over the surface in rows. Wait while the concrete reabsorbs the water. Test the surface occasionally with the tip of a finger for the concrete to cure enough that your finger leaves a shallow depression.
- 8
Finish the concrete with a simple broom finish. Drag a bristled broom over the surface of the concrete, leaving random lines in the material. In addition to breaking up the smooth surface of the concrete, a broom finish helps make the concrete somewhat slip-free.
- 9
Fill a hand pump sprayer with concrete sealant and spray the floor with the sealant to protect the material from moisture. Allow the sealant to dry 12 hours, then apply an additional layer to ensure that no portion of the surface was missed.
- 10
Wait 10 days to two weeks for the new concrete surface to dry before use.
- 1
Tips & Warnings
- Wear work gloves, safety goggles and a face mask throughout the project to avoid contact with hazardous materials.
