How to Apply DaiHard 100 Garage Floor Epoxy Kit

Garage floors need to be one of the most durable floor surfaces in any house. They have to take the punishment of hot tires on vehicles parked in the summer or dripping road salt in the winter. And in between those extremes, garage floors serve as the prime storage spot for a host of household possessions, tools and home maintenance products. That’s why choosing a tough, durable and slip-resistant garage floor finish is key to creating a surface that can really stand up. The DaiHard 100 Garage Floor Epoxy Kit is an all-encompassing product that can do just that.

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Before You Begin
Cleaning and Prep Key to a Successful Application
Mixing the Epoxy
Applying the Epoxy Garage Floor Coating+−
- Before…
- After…
Final Tips for a Perfect Finish

DaiHard 100 is available in gray or tan. The roll-on floor coating refreshes and rejuvenates concrete surfaces. The epoxy resists salt and chemicals, plus has no hot-tire pickup. Once applied to a clean concrete surface, the strong epoxy coating locks onto interior concrete floors with exceptional adhesion capabilities. The low-odor, zero VOC epoxy delivers professional-grade, heavy-duty performance. It also resists spills and impact.

DIY or Go Pro?

While DaiHard 100 kits are intended as a DIY project for homeowners, using a pro can speed up the process and add a layer of experience to the job.

Wayne Whitley, who heads up the team at Tri City Commercial Services in Hampstead, North Carolina, has relied on DaiHard^®100 kits for all his projects. He orders the kits — which cover up to 250 square feet of space each — from Daich Coatings and puts his team to work.

During the past three years, Wayne has installed more than 600 residential and commercial floors. While his business mainly focuses on garage floor resurfacing, he’s also done basement and retail floors. His customers are so pleased with the results, that he’s never received a single callback.

Before You Begin

DaiHard 100 Garage Floor Epoxy Kit is priced below $90 on The Home Depot^®, Lowe’s^® and Daich Coatings websites. The kit is a two-part finishing system where epoxy resin and hardener are combined and then applied to the surface with either a roller or squeegee application.

One coat generally covers an area of 250 square feet and everything you need to prepare and apply the product is included:

Concrete Cleaning Crystals to loosen dirt on the floor before applying the epoxy
2.7 quarts of DaiHard epoxy resin (part A of the formula)
One quart of DaiHard epoxy hardener (part B of the formula)
Decorative Flakes
Stir Stick

Cleaning and Prep Key to a Successful Application

Cleaning and prep work is everything for a project like this. There are a variety of ways to prepare your garage floor for application of the new finish. If the floor hasn’t been previously painted, it can be cleaned and readied for a new finish to be applied. However, if the floor has been previously painted, it’s best to “peel back” the layers and get down to the original concrete floor surface. Then “build it back up” again with a reliable, industrial-strength epoxy floor coating.

“In an existing environment, a homeowner would need to thoroughly clean and let their concrete surface dry before applying DaiHard,” says Wayne. “Our professional equipment actually grinds off the existing layers of stains and dirt. This way there’s no moisture at all on the floor when we apply the epoxy. This system speeds up the process and makes it easy to complete a garage transformation in just one day.”

If you’re tackling it yourself and not fortunate enough to have access to commercial equipment, the process is still pretty easy — even for a novice DIYer. Here are the prep steps needed:

Step #1 – Remove everything from the floor of the garage.

Step #2 – Use a pressure washer to loosen and remove surface dirt from the floor.

Step #3 – Dissolve the Concrete Cleaning Crystals in 2 gallons of water or a strong TSP (trisodium phosphate solution).

Step #4 – Scrub the surface with the solution to remove dirt, oil, grease and other chemicals. A second scrubbing may be required for more soiled or impacted floors.

Step #5 – Rinse surface fully. Remove all the rinse water with a wet vac and then let dry completely, at least for 24 hours.

Step #6 – Once dry, vacuum off any loose debris. If a moisture meter is available, make certain the flooring is below 12% moisture content before proceeding.

Mixing the Epoxy

Mixing DaiHard 100 Epoxy — Placing the can in the box while mixing helps avoid any splatter.

Step #7 – Mix the Part “A” epoxy base for about 30 seconds before blending with the Part “B” hardener. Pour the entire contents of Part B into the Part A container, scraping the sides and bottom of both containers to ensure that all is incorporated during the mixing process.

Step #8 – Stir the combined mixture for 3 minutes. Use a drill mixer on medium speed for best blending. Immediately after blending, begin application.

Applying the Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

Step #9 – Immediately pour the activated epoxy into paint trays and begin the roller application (using a 3/8” roller) OR pour some mixed epoxy directly onto the floor and spread it out with a squeegee applicator in manageable 100 square foot sections. Backroll with a 3/8” nap roller to even out the coating. (For more specific details on this step, download the installation instructions HERE.)

Step #10 – Continue the coating process until all the mixed epoxy is applied. Do not overwork the applied coating or disturb already applied sections as this may insert air bubbles or impact color uniformity on the dry finish.

Decorative chips added to the garage floor finish — Decorative flakes help hide dirt and provide texture.

Step #11 – If you desire a slip-resistant surface, sprinkle a light and uniform layer of Decorative Flakes into the wet epoxy as you move along to create a light surface texture.

Before…

After…

Final Tips for a Perfect Finish

Tip #1 – For most residential garage floors, one coat is all that’s needed. Optionally, after about 6-8 hours (or before 24 hours have passed) you can also apply a second coat at the same thickness over the surface to lock down the additive and complete the floor finish.

Tip #2 – Ambient air, material and floor temperatures are all important factors which will determine the “pot life” and work time of the blended epoxy coating. Download the online instructions for more specific details.

Tip #3 – If you’re looking for a high-gloss showroom finish, it’s easy to get. Order the DaiHard 100 Industrial Strength Epoxy Clear Coat and apply it over the top of the broadcasted flakes about 24 hours after the epoxy has set.

For installation videos and more details on this project, go to www.DaichCoatings.com.