Understand The Reasons For Etching Your Garage Floor Before Applying Epoxy

Etching is a step that sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to applying garage floor paint. However, for a garage floor coating to be able to properly do most of its job, etching is absolutely necessary. Most garage floor coatings can be applied, and will probably last for a while without etching first, but there are quite a few benefits to etching that make it worth doing, in most people's opinions.

When It Comes To A Garage Floor, What Is Etching?

A definition of etching is basically cutting into a surface. An example that is not garage flooring would be glass etching. This etching is usually done for beautification reasons, though a better grip generally results as well. When speaking of garage floors, most do not etch specifically for decorative purposes, though the texturing that results is sometimes considered preferable to a slick mirror finish.

Why Should I Etch Before Applying Epoxy Garage Floor Paint?

There are a few reasons to etch your concrete garage floor before applying epoxy paint. For one thing, without etching, your epoxy paint would provide far less traction than bare concrete. This is bad for both walking and driving upon although, for show reasons, the smoother, non-etched look is sometimes considered better. If you plan to work in your garage, however, you definitely want the concrete etched before being painted.

But My Epoxy Garage Floor Paint Kit Says That Etching Is Not Required...

With some possible, rare exceptions, etching isn't really a requirement for epoxy garage floor coating so much as a strong suggestion. However, if you're wanting to guarantee any decent amount of life from your epoxy, and your kit tells you that it needs to be done, then you should definitely etch your concrete. The main reason for this is that smooth concrete will prevent epoxy paint from creating the seal that keeps it from peeling. There are some kits out there that advertise that their product does not require etching, but that's a bit of a lie by omission. These coatings aren't meant to last long and, many times, etching is still mentioned in the instructions as "strongly recommended, although not necessary", or something similar.

At What Point Should I Etch My Garage Floor?

The majority of the higher end epoxy garage floor coating packages will include a "etch-and-clean" product as well as instructions on how and when to use it. The epoxy garage floor paint kits that come with everything that is needed to do the job will usually be a better value than purchasing everything separately. Be it a kit, or if you purchase the chemical separately, you should etch the garage flooring before you do anything else. Many etching products clean as well, but if yours does not, read its instructions to see if the concrete garage floor should be cleaned before or after.