Winter is a great time to make home improvements. Companies often offer discounts on their products and services during the holidays. The cold can affect the installation or application of a new product such as epoxy flooring.
You might be curious if epoxy flooring is safe to be installed in colder climates.
This epoxy coating can be applied to garage floors in winter. If you are looking to improve your garage floor with epoxy in colder climates, here are some things you need to keep in mind.
Epoxy garage floor coatings are safe to use in cold climates provided that the concrete, epoxy, and surrounding areas have been warmed up and the epoxy has been properly mixed. Epoxy coatings protect surfaces from scratches, abrasions, chemicals, and other types of damage.
Why Temperature is Important
The chemical reaction that occurs when epoxy resin and hardener mix together is called “epoxy resin-hardener”. The speed and degree of cure will depend on the temperature of the surrounding environment, concrete to be coated, as well epoxy resin. The chemical reaction will be faster at warmer temperatures, and slower at colder temperatures. Both can directly impact the epoxy’s physical properties and cure time.
If the coating is applied in cooler temperatures, the epoxy may appear sufficiently hardened, but it will not reach a complete cure or achieve its designed physical properties–ultimately leading it to fail prematurely.
The temperature also has an impact on epoxy resin’s handling properties. The epoxy resin becomes thicker as the temperature drops and it will not flow correctly. In cold weather, it can be more difficult to mix epoxy resin and hardener. This can cause problems in measuring and mixing the resin. Application problems can also be caused by a thick, cold epoxy and a cold substrate, such as uneven appearances and air bubbles in finished products.
You Must take Great Care to Follow the Instructions
You must carefully read the instructions for epoxy coating. These instructions include technical information about the product, such as the temperature required for application.
Humidity
The epoxy coating will also specify the humidity level that is acceptable to start your project. This affects the product’s adhesion. For more information, contact the manufacturer if you have any questions.
Different epoxy treatments react differently to different types of treatment, so make sure you do your research before applying the floor coating.
The weather is mild when you walk outside. You may think that your garage is at a perfect temperature to be coated. The temperature of the air is not the same as the temperature on your floor.
Concrete Temperature
Concrete is the most common garage flooring material. It is usually colder than air. The epoxy coating will immediately become colder if it is applied to concrete slabs that are cold.
Also, check the areas surrounding windows and walls. These areas will be colder than the rest due to airflow.
Heating Garage Floor
You can heat your garage before you start epoxy flooring projects. Although this is an acceptable option for colder climates, you’ll still need to be patient.
Although space heaters are quick to warm up a room, it can take several days for concrete floors to reach a comfortable temperature. If you decide to use heaters for your garage floor, make sure to stick with electricity. Some heating units that use gas can release undesirable byproducts that could contaminate your garage floor.
Winter is a good time to make a garage floor. This versatile coating is available immediately, but patience is required.
It takes time to apply epoxy in any month. The effect is only amplified if the weather is colder. An entire epoxy flooring project can still be completed in cold temperatures if you’re willing to wait.
Understanding the product is essential and knowing exactly what it needs to bond properly will help you get better results.