The Two Rules That Determine Success or Failure

Every successful epoxy floor comes down to two things: proper surface preparation and choosing the right product for your project. Get both right and you'll end up with a floor that outperforms anything a professional installer would deliver—at a fraction of the cost.

That's exactly why we offer the range of kits we do and provide this level of detail. We want you to avoid that experience entirely.

All of our garage epoxies are ASTM pull tested before shipping. When applied to a properly prepared surface, our epoxy will pull the top layer of concrete off before it separates from the slab. Keep a small can of Xylene (available at Home Depot) handy during application—clean up spills immediately, because once our epoxy cures it can only be removed by grinding.

Watch the Transformation

See what a proper ArmorGarage epoxy application looks like from start to finish in under 60 seconds.

Choose Your Epoxy System

If you have decided or know what you need for your floor we recommend reading the full guide first, then visiting the product page for the system that fits your needs. Each link below takes you directly to the product with additional specs and ordering info.

Inspect Your Concrete

Before you do anything, take a close look at your concrete. Temperature should be between 55–95°F and it should not be raining. If room temps drop below 55°F during curing, use small electric heaters to maintain temperature.

Wash the Floor

Power washing is strongly recommended for the best results. Remove any oil or grease stains first—we've found the most effective stain remover is Liquid Tide Detergent scrubbed in with straight muriatic acid. Stubborn stains may need multiple treatments. For floors heavily stained across most of the surface, use our Oil Primer first.

Etch or Grind the Surface

Option A: Acid Etching

Etching is a simple, necessary step if you're not grinding. Dilute the provided etching product with 3 gallons of water. For new floors, poor-condition floors, or very dirty surfaces, etch a second time using one gallon of muriatic acid per 500 square feet. This is not the time to be conservative—using more acid is always better than not using enough.

Work in approximately 300 sq ft sections for smaller floors and 1,000 sq ft sections for larger ones. Always work from the farthest point toward the exit or drain. Scrub the solution into the entire floor with a stiff bristle brush or shop broom. Pool brushes work great.

New floors should always be etched twice—they have curing residues at the surface that must be completely removed. After etching, let the floor dry for 1–2 days.

Option B: Grinding

If you grind your floor, etching is not required. However, if you're rinsing to remove grinding dust, you might as well scrub in the provided etch anyway—it ensures concrete pores are clean and fully open. Our epoxies are specially formulated to form a permanent molecular bond into those open pores.

For very old or poor-condition floors, rent a floor prep machine from Home Depot or use a diamond floor grinder, then apply our epoxy flooring primer to strengthen the slab. Priming is always a good idea—it increases coverage and adds thickness for long-term durability.

What Your Floor Should Look Like After Prep

Your floor should be completely clean, dry, and have a slightly rough texture. Those tiny opened pores allow the epoxy to penetrate into the slab and lock in for an unbreakable bond. If your concrete is light in color, there should be no dark spots remaining—if there are, re-etch.

After Power Washing, Etching & Oil Stain Removal

Notice the dramatic difference between the clean side and the dirty side. Your floor should be this clean and dry before any epoxy touches it. Also notice how evenly the epoxy application and chip dispersal go when the surface is properly prepped.

Tape Off the Floor

Apply good-quality duct tape at the inside edge of the garage door. We do not recommend applying epoxy past the door opening—even UV-rated epoxies are not designed for continuous outdoor exposure. Only specially formulated coatings like our Military Industrial Ultra Fast Epoxy can be applied outdoors.

Mix the Epoxy — Do NOT Mix It All at Once

First, stir Part A thoroughly with the provided power mixer. Then measure Parts A and B according to the mix ratio on the label and combine. Mix until all streaks disappear and the epoxy is a uniform color.

Pot life is approximately 30 minutes—more than double the time it should take to complete one section. There's no need to rush when doing proper-sized batches. For larger floors, have one person dedicated to mixing who can distribute into each roller's individual pail.

Apply the Epoxy

For Military-Industrial, Armor Chip, or Armor Granite: Pour epoxy directly from the bucket onto the floor. Squeegee it out evenly for initial spreading, then back-roll over it with the supplied roller for final smoothing. The squeegee is for initial distribution only—use the roller for the final spread. We now supply a Magic Squeegee that makes this even easier.

For the Ultra Military primer, or the ArmorGarage II Commercial base coat and topcoat: These coatings are thinner and can be applied using a roller pan and the supplied rollers. Apply the epoxy coat between 6 and 20 hours after the primer.

If you get epoxy on anything you don't want coated, wipe it off immediately with Xylene (available at Home Depot or Lowe's). Once dried, it has to be ground off.

Disperse Decorative Chips (If Using)

Take small handfuls and toss them upward at a 45-degree angle so they fall randomly onto the wet epoxy. This is where the spike soles really come in handy—they let you walk right into the epoxy to disperse flakes evenly. Have a "spotter" check for bare spots from different angles.

Remember to leave that 12" chip-free wet edge so your roller stays clean when overlapping the next section. Once the floor is dry, scrape the chips with a floor scraper, ice chopper, or anything with a wide flat blade to knock down any chips sticking up, then vacuum all the loose ones.

Pro Tip: The Container Method for Perfect Chip Coverage

A customer came up with this simple, effective technique—and the results speak for themselves. Get a plastic container (one with a handle is ideal). Drill 3/8" holes in the bottom. Fill it halfway with chips, hold the container sideways until you're in position, then turn it upright and shake while walking through the epoxy with spike soles. The chips won't come out until you start shaking, and they fall straight down for even coverage. Step back to check for bare spots—a pinch and a quick shake fills them right in.

What a Wet Edge Looks Like

Notice how the flakes stop about 6"–12" before the edge of the epoxy. This keeps your roller clean when overlapping the next section. The fresh epoxy reactivates the edge, and everything blends into a seamless finish.

Apply the Topcoat

After the base coat is dry to the touch (usually 6–8 hours), apply the next coating—whether that's another layer of epoxy or the topcoat. You can also wait until the next morning, but don't let more than 20 hours pass between coats for the best bond.

• Armor Chip & Armor Granite (multiple topcoats): Add the non-skid additive to the final coat only. Let each coat dry before applying the next.
• Optional Military-Grade Topcoat for Armor Chip/Granite: Apply one coat only (do NOT apply two coats of the military topcoat). Mix the non-skid additive directly into the can.
• Ultra Military & ArmorGarage II Commercial: One topcoat only. Mix the non-skid into the can.

Before rolling the topcoat, remember to scrape the flakes to knock down any chips sticking up. Don't worry about scratching the floor—any scratches disappear under the topcoat.

Check the floor at different angles for missed spots, or have a spotter help. The topcoat is clear, so it's easy to miss an area. If you find one after the floor has dried, don't panic—scuff the spot with 120-grit sandpaper and brush on a bit of topcoat. Don't throw the can away until the next day.

What About Control Joints?

Our recommendation: don't fill them in unless the sight of them truly bothers you and your floor is at least 10 years old. Those joints exist for a reason—they prevent cracks from forming right in the middle of your brand-new high-gloss floor.

Once properly epoxied over, control joints look nothing like they did bare. They give the floor more of a natural stone slab appearance. Just lightly feather the epoxy in and out of the joint and lightly sprinkle chips on both sides. The joints become non-stick after coating, and a leaf blower cleans them out easily.

Learn from DIY Dan's Real-World Installation

Customer DIY Dan documented his entire ArmorGarage installation step by step—including what he'd do differently. We love his videos because they give you honest, first-hand experience from someone who went through the process. He also did a one-year follow-up review showing how the floor has held up.

Below are both videos, followed by our commentary on a few things Dan encountered and how to avoid them.

Our Tips Based on Dan's Experience

Dan did a great job, but there are a few things to learn from his experience. Keep these points in mind while watching:

1. Always order at least a 10% safety factor. Every floor absorbs differently. Dan's floor was 525 sq ft but he ordered only the 550 sq ft kit due to budget, leaving him tight on material.
2. High-pigment colors need primer. Dan chose black, which requires more pigment for that deep luster—meaning less coverage. Black, white, and red (red gets the least) all benefit significantly from a primer coat. Our red kits include red primer for this reason. Primer would've eliminated Dan's coverage stress—and he wouldn't have needed to etch four times. Over-etching can open pores too much, causing excess product absorption.
3. The squeegee is for initial spreading only. Dan was light on coverage and tried to stretch the epoxy further than intended. The squeegee distributes after the pour; the roller does the final spreading. We now supply a Magic Squeegee that makes this even easier.
4. Never mix a double batch. Dan got impatient and mixed double. As stated above: more mixed epoxy = faster reaction = thicker material = less spread. Stick to 80 oz Part A + 40 oz Part B per person.
5. Spot-check the topcoat from multiple angles. The topcoat is gin-clear—easy to miss a spot. Have a spotter help. If you find a missed area after drying, scuff with 120-grit and brush on a bit of topcoat. Don't toss the can until the next day.
6. Use the non-slip additive. Dan skipped it. We strongly recommend it—our non-slip will not dull the finish. Also, scrape the flakes flat before rolling the topcoat. Any scratches from scraping disappear under the topcoat.

Additional Resources

Keep learning before you start your project:

• See How an Epoxy Floor Failure Transformed Into a Bulletproof Floor with Armor Granite
• ArmorGarage Epoxy Application Suggestions & Lessons Learned — an informative write-up from a customer
• Visit our Video Library for short animated and live-action guides covering all our products
• Click the "Buyers Guide" tab in the top menu for our full series of epoxy floor coating articles