What Causes Your Garage Floor Epoxy To Peel- A Discussion

Epoxy floors are always great in their appearance, durability and longevity. But with years and years of use (and abuse), they tend to get dirty, drab and even start to peel off.

In fact, there are instances when property owners have complained of their garage floors peeling off with just a year over its installation. However, an interesting thing here is that most of these issues are a result of improper DIY installations.

Still; it pays to be well informed on what causes these decorative epoxy floors to peel. And this post will explain those chief reasons in details.

The Epoxy Garage Floor Consists Of Moisture:-

Your epoxy floor paint will peel if there is existing moisture underneath the slab. The hydrostatic pressure that results due to the trapped water vapour can create enough force to raise the existing epoxy and make it come out from the floor.

What you can do is search for any existing signs of moisture. Generally speaking; efflorescence is the first sign of such moisture issues along with dark patches on the concrete surface. If you find the slab being below grade on any specific side, then you can perform a moisture test prior to starting your fresh epoxy paint.

The Surface Level Consists Of Oil & Contaminants:-

In words of notable residential epoxy flooring specialists in Melbourne- You should make it a point to check for existing oil stains or contamination- especially in areas previously cleaned to ensure they aren’t repelling water. Perform a water drop test when checking those areas.

You can identify them as areas darker in patch as to its surrounding concrete surface. If those areas soak up the water drops, then the chances are that they will soak up the epoxy too and present a quality adhesion.

Moreover; you also need to check for other contaminants like polymer compounds, silicone, etc.; which disallow the epoxy to sit. If you don’t have the time to do it yourself, then call in the experts. They will thoroughly inspect your concrete driveway path and present it the necessary treatment it deserves.

If It Consists Of Excessive Laitance:-

Laitance is usually a weakened top-most cement layer which can sometimes have fine cracks or cripples. And, in most cases, they are caused by concrete finishes who apply water to the concrete surface and make it smooth.

Many property owners acid-etch the concrete surface to clean it- a grave mistake on their part. They roughen it up more and make the concrete surface softer, thus making it difficult to bond properly with the remaining concrete.

When you apply epoxy over to the surface, the weakened mechanical bond causes the surface to peel up with more use and exposure to outside elements.

Usually, too much of concrete surface dusting is a clear sign of laitance. But, if you don’t have to dust too often, then there’s another way to check the laitance of your concrete surface by using a screwdriver tip to scrape the concrete surface.

It should not leave a mark on the surface, but if it does, then you should consult with your epoxy floor paint specialist serving in Melbourne to treat it again, properly.