Dy-Mark 8L Onyx Black Epoxy Coat - best option for top coat?

[joells101]

I plan to epoxy the floor in my garage. I've heard the included acid isnt the strongest for etching so ive got myself so hydrochloric acid. Off topic but would be it best to neutralise this with baking soda before rinsing or just rinsing with water is fine?

After i've applied the epoxy, I'd like to apply a clear coat but im not sure what product to use or how long after i've applied the epoxy do i wait to do the top coat

thanks in advance.

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @joells101. We're pleased to have you join us and look forward to seeing your garage floor transformation.

Let me tag one of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts in @EricL to assist you. I suspect that he might say to strictly stick to the manufacturer's instructions to ensure best results.

Other members who have shared epoxy floor transformations include @maknilsin with this very popular project, and @prettyliving who shared a step-by-step guide.

Jason

[Akanksha]

Hello @joells101,

Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! We hope you find this site a wonderful resource containing useful advice and inspiring ideas for improving your home and garden. 

Many thanks for your question on applying epoxy to your garage floor. Let me also tag one of our other members Carl (@CSParnell) to see if he has any thoughts on your question. 

The Bunnings team has also shared a guide on on How to apply Dy-Mark epoxy to your garage floor in case that helps.

Keep us updated with your project. We'd love to see the final result.

Akanksha 

[EricL]

Hello @joells101 

My apologies for the late reply, I've been speaking to the technical department of Dy-Mark and they don't recommend putting any clear coat on top of the product. Although it is possible to put a third party clearcoat on top of the product they don't recommend it as they don't know how it will react with the epoxy product. 

I recommend using only the etcher that comes with the kit. The purpose of the etcher is to open the pores of the cement surface. The etcher has been tested to work with the epoxy paint. It does not need to eat into the concrete surface like hydrochloric acid. 

Using hydrochloric acid creates more work as you'll need to neutralize it with baking soda which produces salt. 

All that baking soda will now have to be bagged and disposed of properly. You then have to wash the concrete surface and remove the salt layer that was left behind. You'll need to wash the floor twice to make sure that there are no salt deposits left on the surface of the garage floor.

I encourage you to have a look at the links that were provided in the previous posts.

Please make sure to follow all the safety guidelines recommended at the back of the can and make sure to wear PPE such as gloves, goggles, and a mask when working on your garage floor.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[CSParnell]

Hey @joells101,

With mine I ended up floor concrete grinding because the concrete was so bad, I didn't need to etch after that but I do plan on doing my garage floor with etch. The supplied one should be ok as long as you don't have have a lot of oil and paint on it then go hydro.

From there follow manufacturers instructions is best.

Only thing I'd say if you want lots of flake purchase a large 5kg box off ebay so you can throw double handfuls on it as you go.

As for clear coat you should be using the same product but in a clear, make sure to use a non slip in it though otherwise rainy days will be a slip and slide.