Get matched with top epoxy flooring pros in Chevak, AK

Yes, you can seal old or existing concrete, but proper preparation is crucial. The concrete surface must be clean, dry, and free of any incompatible old sealant. To check if an old sealer is present, drip a few drops of water onto the surface; if the water is absorbed in under five minutes, it's ready to be resealed. If you plan to use the same type of sealer that was previously applied, you may not need to remove the old layer. However, if you are using a different type of sealer, the old one must be completely removed. Before applying the new sealer, thoroughly clean the concrete and repair or fill any cracks to ensure a smooth, well-prepared surface.

Resurfacing a garage floor takes about eight hours on average, with another couple hours over three days to do the epoxy. Epoxy goes on in three coats, with each coat taking 24 hours to dry and cure. You’ll need to keep foot and vehicle traffic off of your garage floor for around 4 days in total when replacing your garage floor, so be sure to plan ahead before you start. This is a great time to organize your garage since you’ll need to move everything out to apply the epoxy.

Most garage floor paints are epoxy-based and available in DIY kits. One-part epoxies are simpler to apply than two-part epoxies, which have a more involved process. Sometimes, people also use latex-based paint because it’s easier to clean up mistakes with soap and water. Either way, make sure your paint is specifically designed for concrete garage floors. It should say so on the label.

You can paint concrete with paint rollers. In fact, using paint rollers is considered one of the easiest ways to evenly apply paint on concrete. A paint roller with a 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick nap—which is basically a fabric paint roller cover—is best for painting concrete. The thicker the nap, the more paint it can hold to fill those pesky concrete cracks and crevices.