NEW OR UNPAINTED/UNSEALED CONCRETE:
Note: Newly poured concrete must ‘cure’ first. Moisture in the floor may cause coating failure. New concrete normally has to cure generally at least 30 days. Test any concrete to be coated by taping a 4’ x 4’ sheet of clear plastic on the floor with duct tape. If moisture under the plastic sheet or floor dampness/darkening appears the next day, then do not coat yet. Older concrete with moisture issues can also create problems. If you have a continuing moisture problem then we recommend doing an inexpensive moisture test (we sell these test kits) and using either a standard primer or a moisture barrier primer. Call or email for details and technical advice.
The floor must be properly prepared to accept the coating by one of several methods:
1. Sweep and/or power wash the floor to remove any dirt, dust, or debris
2. Sanding - Sand the floor with arotary type sander (similar to a buffer). This roughens up the floor. Vacuum well to remove any dust.
3. Acid Etching -(make sure to wear proper protective gloves, goggles and clothing as acid can be irritating to skin and eyes) Use the included Armoretch etching solution by diluting the acid 4 parts water to 1 part muriatic in a large empty 5 gal pail. Power wash area first to remove any dirt and dust. While still wet, apply to floor with a stiff bristle broom or mop. Let stand 45 minutes or until it stops foaming (normal). Rinse well to neutralize the acid/water mixture. Let Dry for at least 24 hours or when visually dry, whichever is longer.
4. Surface Grinding: You can rent a diamond head floor grinder or ‘shot blaster’ at local tool rental stores. These methods work well for removal of old paint and sealers and ‘open up’ the surface very well for adhesion. Make sure to vacuum very well to remove any remaining dust. Often when concrete is poured the contractors either add in or apply a clear sealer. This can create adhesion problems with a floor that is going to be painted or coated. To test to see if your floor has been sealed, dribble a few drops of water on it. If it does not ‘bead up’ and ‘soaks in’, then most likely it’s not sealed. If it does bead up then you need to re-etch at a higher acid concentration or grind the floor per above, and then test with water droplets again. If it still beads up then repeat as necessary. Failure to do this could result in significant floor failures
PAINTED CONCRETE
Painted concrete ideally should be stripped prior to painting, and then etched per above once stripped. ARMORPOXY CAN ONLY ADHERE TO WHAT IS UNDER IT, SO IF YOU EXISTING COATING IS COMING UP, THEN SO CAN THE ARMORPOXY! Armorpoxy carries an excellent cement floor stripper that dissolves the paint and allows for easy, safe removal. See our website under the ‘Strip and Clean’ link of the ‘Buy Now’ portion of our website store. If you are unable or unwilling to strip your floor, at the minimum it must be power washed, lightly sanded or etched with Armoretch acid per above. Let dry once etched and neutralized and then apply the coating. Please note that floors that have some, but not all, of the paint removed, and have some paint remaining now have different ‘porosity’ areas since the painted areas will absorb less epoxy than the areas where the existing paint has worn off or been removed. This can lead to ‘blotchiness’ in surface appearance unless you apply 2 coats of epoxy or prime first with our Armorpoxy Primer (included in ArmorUltra kits, optional with Armorpoxy II kits)