Professional Epoxy Flooring in Bexley North, NSW

Coastal humidity affects epoxy in two ways. First, high ambient humidity during application can cause amine blush on solvent-free epoxy surfaces — a greasy film that prevents proper inter-coat adhesion. We monitor dew point and relative humidity before and during application and schedule jobs to avoid high-humidity windows where possible. Second, moisture vapour in the slab itself can cause adhesion failure from below. We test for this before specifying a primer, and where vapour emission is elevated, we use a moisture-tolerant epoxy primer system rather than a standard one.

Yes, but the oil contamination has to be dealt with properly before any coating goes down. Oil penetrates into the concrete and will prevent adhesion if it's left in place. We treat oil-affected areas with a commercial alkaline degreaser, allow dwell time, then grind the surface to remove the contaminated layer. In heavily soaked areas, this process may need to be repeated. Once the grind is complete and the surface tests clean, the primer bonds to bare concrete rather than oil-saturated material. Skipping this step is the most common reason DIY epoxy jobs fail.

A standard double garage — around 35 to 40m² — typically takes one full day on site for preparation and coating. The grinding and prep work usually runs 3 to 4 hours. Primer and base coat application takes another 2 to 3 hours. The topcoat follows the next morning once the base coat has cured overnight. So the physical work spans parts of two days. You can walk on the floor lightly after 24 hours and park a car on it after 72 hours, assuming temperatures stay above 15°C during the cure period.

The main differences are film build, hardness, and chemical resistance. A residential garage floor typically gets a 2 to 3 coat system with a total dry film thickness around 300 microns — more than enough for foot traffic, bikes, and passenger vehicles. An industrial floor in a warehouse or manufacturing facility needs a thicker build, often 500 microns or more, with a topcoat specified for forklift tyres, pallet jacks, and chemical spills. Some industrial applications also use a quartz or aluminium oxide broadcast to improve slip resistance under wet conditions. The surface preparation process is the same — thorough grinding and profiling — but the product specification changes significantly.

Standard solvent-based epoxy topcoats will amber and yellow with UV exposure — this is a known characteristic of the chemistry, not a defect. For areas with natural light exposure, like garages with open doors or commercial spaces with skylights, we specify a UV-stable aliphatic polyurethane topcoat instead of a standard epoxy clear. This product is formulated to resist UV degradation and holds its colour significantly better over time. It costs a little more per litre but it's the right product for any floor that sees regular sunlight.