Need to Know

First, Armor Chip and Armor Granite are base color epoxies with colored chips while Armor II is a base color epoxy with a color topcoat. Armor II has a little thinner base coat that is not suitable for applying chips. The epoxy for Armor Chips is a thick 100% solids epoxy to provide a good base for the chips and Armor Granite's epoxy is even thicker since you are adding in 20lbs of chips as opposed to 8lbs for Armor Chip. Armor II has a much heavier duty topcoat than either the Chip or Granite kits making it suitable for forklift use and other commercial duty applications. Chip and Granite kits come with two and three layers of topcoat respectively. If you want the equivalent in durability to Armor II with Armor Chip or Armor Granite than upgrade the topcoat to the military grade version.

1. Surface prep is the MOST important step of any coating project. An improperly prepared floor will result in either a failure, or shortened performance life. Prepping can be done by either using the acid etch method, or grinding. New concrete MUST be prepped the same as old concrete.
2. Acid Etching: Etching is an excellent low cost way to prep. Etching removes any surface lime which all concrete has, and also creates millions of microscopic pores in the surface for adhesion. If you plan on acid etching you can use our Armor Etching acid(supplied with our epoxy kits)which is a kinder/gentler buffered acid and has less fumes and does not affect the skin like standard acids, or locally-purchase muriatic acid. Power washing prior to etching will yield the best results. Normal mix is 4 parts water to 1 part acid, but you can use less water if your floor is sealed or particularly dirty. If your floor is older or extra dirty you must purchase additional etching, either our etching kit or muriatic acid locally. You can etch the floor twice or add the additional etching product to make more volume and or a stronger solution. Always rinse well to neutralize any acid and allow to dry fully before coating with epoxy (for best results allow 48 hrs for drying. A solution of water and TSP (trisodium phosphate, available at any paint or hardware store can also be used to neutralize the acid). To neutralize, simply sprinkle powder over floor while wet and prior to rinsing. Scrub in lightly and rinse the TSP and Etching solution off thoroughly. Your concrete should resemble newly poured concrete and have a slight rough texture when you rub your hand across it To Etch your floor simply wet a section of floor(do in sections from back to front)mix etching solution and sprinkle evenly over wet floor. A Garden Watering can works great for this. Scrub in vigorously with a stiff bristled shop broom. Let sit 5-10 minutes and rinse off. Try to avoid as best as possible of running rinse water over an already etched surface. You do not want to over etch. If it is unavoidable keep the already etched section wet and before rinsing the new section neutralize the acid. This will prevent over etching. If rinse water is running over finished driveways, keep surface wet and or neutralize prior to rinsing.
3. Sealed floors: Many floors have sealers added to them when poured or applied at a later date. To determine if your floor is sealed, walk around and dribble water droplets on the floor. If it beads up’ like on a hood of a waxed car, then you have a sealer, and sealed floors will resist all coatings. The sealer must be removed by acid etching (normally at higher concentrations, or multiple times), or mechanical means such as grinding or sanding. Repeat prep steps until water does not bead. Sanding a sealed floor prior to using acid etch helps to open up’ the floor to allow the acid to penetrate and etch. A strong muriatic acid solution of 2 parts water to every 1 part acid is usually need to remove sealers. Fortunately most sealers are of a retail nature and are easily removed with the above methods.
4. Mechanical methods: You can use a rotary type sander or diamond grinder to prepare your floor. These types of tools are available at most tool rental places. If using a grinder rent a good quality grinder with at least dual heads equipped with 20 grit diamond blades. If a Vac System is available with the grinder we recommend using it. It will minimize the dust. Do not try a shop vac since they will simply clog up after a few minutes of use. Make sure to vacuum well after this step as sanding or grinding creates a lot of dust. If possible do a light etching to remove any leftover dust.
5. Oily/greasy floors: No standard coating can stick to an oily floor. If your floor is oil soaked and/or stained, after degreasing and etch, check with the water drop test to see if still beading or if the water displays a rainbow color. You may need to degrease and etch several times to remove oil stains, they can be very stubborn and difficult to remove. Another effective method is to clean oil stains with Tide Detergent, scrub some Tide into the stain and then scrub some dilute muriatic acid into the Tide, the stain should start bubbling out. You may have to do it more than once. Make sure that after using any cleaning agent that you rinse and clean the spots thoroughly with TSP to remove any cleaning residues. Some stains are impossible to remove, if all of the above has failed, then you need to use our Oil Stop Primer which is a special primer designed to stick to oily floors. This is an excellent product that is patent-pending.

Priming is never a bad idea. You should prime if your floor area is very close to or slightly over the stated coverage of the Armor Chip or Armor Granite Garage Epoxy kit you intend on using. Priming will extend the coverage of the epoxy by up to 20% thus alleviating the need to purchase a half kit in some cases. A primer will add extra adhesion, increase the coverage and provide you with an overall thicker coating for more durability. Priming is also a good idea on older, poor condition floors. Use our Epoxy Flooring Primer for these applications.