Epoxy floor coating is most often associated with concrete garage floors, but the material can also be used to apply an epoxy coating to wood floors. If you’ve always wanted to know more about applying epoxy to wood floors, here are some of the basics of this process.
What is Epoxy?
Epoxy is a mixture of two parts. The base of the mixture is a resin, which can be liquid or a powdered form. The other part is a hardener, and once the two parts are combined, they will begin to solidify almost immediately. Other names for epoxy include cement paint, floor enamel, and concrete coating. Overall, epoxy is a tough compound that can be applied in several different contexts.
What are the Benefits of Epoxy Floor Coating?
Aside from being very durable, epoxy is easy to apply and will not damage your existing flooring. Unlike other types of coating, which might require sanding or stripping away an existing coating, epoxy does not need this preparation work before it can be put down. It’s possible to apply epoxy over hardwood floors without causing any damage. In addition, you could even use epoxy on tile flooring if you wanted to give it a great new look with added protection against scratches and water damage.
Applying Epoxy to Wood Flooring: Is it Possible?
Luckily, it is possible to apply epoxy over wood. However, you can’t just put on any type of epoxy. The right type of epoxy for wood flooring needs to be specially designed for wooden floors so that they will not become stained or warped by the material. There are many epoxies designed for this purpose, and they do a great job of coating and protecting wooden floors.
Epoxy Over Wood Flooring: Learn the Steps
It’s always recommended that you hire a professional contractor to apply epoxy over wood flooring. The best contractors can apply all types of epoxy, and they know exactly how to use this material and prepare the wood before applying it.
There are several steps involved in applying epoxy over wood floors:
1) Clean and sand your wooden floors. This means removing all furniture and any other items from the floor, taking care not to damage anything while you do so. It’s important that you carefully sand the floor to remove dirt and grime, as well as any existing coatings that might be on the surface.
2) Use a solvent to clean your floor again. If there is residual oil or grease from your previous flooring, you want to get rid of it before applying the epoxy coating. Make sure that you wipe down your floors several times with this material so that they are clean. You want to avoid any type of tackiness on the wood once you start working with epoxy because it will ruin your project if it occurs.
3) Let the wood dry for at least 12 hours before work resumes. Make sure that everything is fully dried out so that there’s no moisture left in the grain of the wood at all. If the wood isn’t fully dry, epoxy won’t adhere to it, and you’ll have a mess on your hands.
4) Apply the epoxy coating to your wooden floors. The epoxy should be applied in several thin layers that are then allowed to dry for about an hour between each coat. This will give you plenty of time to apply the material before it begins solidifying, but not so much time that your floor is going to warp or curl from any moisture leftover in the pores of the wood. In addition, make sure that when you add another layer of epoxy, you add it at a right angle across your last pass with this material in order to get the best results.
5) Allow everything to fully dry for at least 24 hours. The epoxy will need this time to fully cure before you can put any furniture or other heavy objects back on the floor.
6) Sand down the excess areas of your floor if necessary. This only applies if there’s any excess epoxy that might have gotten onto parts of your wooden floors that you don’t want to cover with this material, such as the edges around the room. Use fine sandpaper in order to remove these sections without damaging or wearing away what already has an epoxy coating on it.
Can You Use Epoxy on Other Types of Flooring?
Absolutely! If you wanted to, you could even use epoxide paint on your concrete garage floor for added protection against oil spills and chemical damage. Just like with wood floors, if you want to give your garage a whole new look, a coat of epoxy paint would be a great improvement for this type of floor.
Will Epoxy Increase My Home’s Value?
According to many experts, epoxy coatings are definitely able to increase the value of your home. This applies whether you use it on wood floors, garage floors, or any other part of your house where you want a strong, durable coating that gives the entire place a professional look.
There are many great benefits associated with applying epoxy over wood in order to create beautiful flooring that is both highly functional and visually appealing. If you have wooden flooring in your home but aren’t happy with how they look or how easy they are to maintain, adding an epoxy coating could completely transform their appearance for the better!
In general, it is possible to use epoxy on any type of flooring as long as the type you have in mind is one that can withstand this specific compound. In addition, if you decide to apply epoxies over top of another substance, be sure to follow all of the correct precautions and instructions from the manufacturer.
If you are ready to learn more about having an epoxy floor installed over your wood floors, reach out to our team at Epoxy Flooring Austin today! We can provide you with any information you might need and help to install the epoxy coating of your dreams.