How to Prep for Epoxy Paint

Choose a day to paint your floor when the humidity outdoors is low. This will ensure that your epoxy paint dries as quickly as possible.

Use a drum sander to sand away any old paint on the floor. Your floor must be completely free of paint before your being laying the epoxy.

Allow 30 minutes for the dust created by sanding to settle to the floor. Once the dust has settled completely, sweep it away.

Mix an all-purpose cleaner, such as liquid dish soap, with water in a bucket. Scrub the floor with the cleaning solution and a tough-bristled brush.

Rinse away any remaining soap on the floor.

Mix and apply an acid-etching solution if your floor is concrete. The acid-etching solution should be prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions and applied to the floor while it is still wet.

Scrub the acid-etching solution into the floor in 10 x 10 foot sections. This is best done with a bristle broom with a long handle to avoid touching the etching solution.

Rinse all traces of the acid-etching solution away. Give the floor at least four hours to dry properly before you begin applying the epoxy paint.

Tape sheets of plastic to the walls of the room with painter’s tape. Should you make a mistake, this prevents the epoxy from staining your walls.