Epoxy floor paint prep
Q. How should I prepare my concrete basement floor for painting with epoxy?
The floor is about 40 years old and has a slightly rough surface. I pressure washed off the remnants of someone else’s old paint job and the entire basement is dry all the time. Should I start by applying muriatic acid to etch the surface?
A. Different epoxies have different prep requirements, so I’d take a look at labels first. I’ve never seen an epoxy floor coating that required muriatic acid treatment, but some epoxies do recommend using a proprietary preparation liquid. It sounds like you’ve got a good floor for coating. Cleaning with a powerful shop vac is an excellent final prep step because it pulls all the dust out of the pores of the concrete, boosting adhesion.
All epoxy coatings have two parts that get mixed together to trigger the hardening process. Use a mixing paddle in a drill to stir the epoxy thoroughly, then let it sit for five minutes before rolling it on the floor. The nicest epoxy floor coatings use flakes of coloured plastic strewn on the floor while the epoxy is still wet. Put on a pair of golf shoes with cleats and you can walk out on the wet epoxy to spread the flakes. You’ll have about an hour’s time after mixing for the epoxy to remain liquid enough to flow out and cover the little marks made by the shoes.
REFINISHING A TABLETOP
Q. How can I fix the streaks on a table top I’m refinishing?
I’ve used your buffing technique as I saw it on Youtube. The surface is smoother but the streaks still remain.
A. From the photos you sent it looks to me like the bare tabletop was not sanded as smoothly as it should have been. If you run your fingers over the surface, can you feel a raised texture? It looks like there would be something to feel there. If so, no amount
of buffing will make things nice and smooth. To work properly, the underlying surface must be perfectly flat and smooth. Only then can buffing create that great, glasssmooth finish that makes any table look and feel so good.
Another issue looks like the water-based urethane you used and the brush marks these products often leave behind. How do you feel about sanding back to bare wood incrementally through all the main grades of sandpaper, then applying four coats of non-water-based urethane? I guarantee that you can achieve a glass-like result this way.
CARPET OVER VINYL BASEMENT FLOORING?
Q. Can I install carpeting over the luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring in my basement?
The floor is dark in colour right now and makes the place feel like a dungeon.
A. Do you happen to know if your LVP is installed over some kind of subfloor panels? If so, you can safely install carpeting over your existing floor. If the LVPS are installed directly on the concrete (perhaps with a foam underlay), then carpeting could be risky because of the hazards of condensation and mustiness in humid weather. You could always install subfloor panels on the LVT, then carpet and underlay. That would work well, and it would make the floor warmer and less mouldprone.
A new type of subfloor panel is very promising for applications like yours. It’s called Insul-armor and it’s new on the market. These allfoam panels are twice as large as traditional subfloor panels but weigh a fraction as much. Insul-armor is made for use under rigid flooring like laminate or engineered click hardwood but can be used underneath carpeting if some plywood is placed on top of the foam first.