There are lots of reasons to want an epoxy floor installed in your home, commercial facility or retail space. An epoxy coating is unique because it provides a trifecta of aesthetics, durabilityandmoisture mitigation not provided with other flooring options. Vinyl, tile, engineered wood or carpet, won’t provide all these benefits. But what I love the most about epoxy flooring is the ease of maintenance!
What Do You Need?
To maintain your epoxy floor, you’ll need a broom, a bucket with wringer, and a string mop at the very least. I use a few additional things to make my life even easier, like a leaf blower, Wash & Wax automotive detergent, and a microfiber dust mop. I also have a foam squeegee and I’ll tell you why shortly.
One thing you should never use on epoxy flooring, however, is detergent (other than the Wash and Wax suggested above). Detergents leave a soapy residue that diminish the natural beauty of epoxy floors. In turn, the residues attract dirt and grime over time. This is especially true for driveways and garages.
How to Clean Your Epoxy Floor
I use a leaf blower (although you can use a broom) to first rid the space of loose dust, dirt and debris. Then I fill a bucket with warm water, and in my case, add 1 oz of Wash & Wax automotive detergent per gallon of water. You can buy this product at any auto parts store or Home Depot. The Wash & Wax automotive detergent provides a “just-installed” shine that can’t be obtained with water alone.
I then immerse the string mop, wring it out, and begin mopping. Allow the floor to air dry after mopping. However, for safety reasons, I like to use a microfiber dust mop to dry the floor thoroughly. This is just an added precaution that I use to prevent possible slips.
On days where I feel less ambitious, I use an even simpler method. I’ll hose down the coated space and use a foam squeegee to push away the excess water. For obvious reasons, this method is for outdoor installations only (garages, driveways, walkways, patios). However, you can use either method. Both are effective, quick and simple.
Other Tricks of the Trade
There are other tricks that I have learned over time that might help out.
Use WD-40® to remove sticky deposits such as tar, chewing gum, etc.
Don’t place non-porous, rubber-backed mats (doormats) on your epoxy floor because the rubber backing may cause a chemical reaction and discoloration.
Battery acid can damage even the most durable epoxy floor. If you’re going to park a golf cart on your epoxy coated garage or driveway, use a specialized floor mat available for use under vehicles to protect your flooring from battery acid.
The Wrap
There’s so much to love about epoxy flooring. Aside from the durability, moisture mitigation and almost infinite array of beautiful coating system styles and colors, it’s the ease of maintenance that I find appealing. I like my weekends and epoxy floors allow me to spend more time relaxing and less time cleaning. Call GarageFloorCoating.com to have one of our industrial epoxy, polyurethane polyurea-polyaspartic coatings installed in your residential, retail or commercial space.
About the Author
GarageFloorCoating.com
Robert Hanson is the President and founder of GarageFloorCoating.com (GFC), an ISO 9001-certified company that has specialized in the installation of epoxy, polyurethane and polyurea-polyaspartic flooring for over 25 years. Robert’s evolving knowledge and experience pertaining to concrete coatings and installation techniques culminated in GFC’s impressive line of commercial-grade Eco-Corflex floor coating products, flake epoxy flooring blends and unique coating systems. His proprietary floor coating products and flake blends are sold to over 35 franchisees & authorized dealers across the United States.
