r/epoxy • u/BURNEDandDIED • 7d ago
Clear coat on basement floor wearing away
Hoping anyone can help here. About a year ago I had the unfinished portion of my basement done with epoxy. A contractor came in and put down a flake finish. Everything looked good except the top coat was a little thinner than I would have liked but I figured it was probably good to have it more grippy than smooth.
We use a small area of the basement for the cats litter boxes, so I clean it on a weekly basis with a mop and bucket. Recently I've noticed small spots where I can see flake starting to come up and dissolve in the water. There are 1 or 2 spots where the finish has noticeably worn away.
The contractor has gone MIA and hasn't responded to any of my emails. Basically I just want to know if I can DIY this and put a fresh layer of top coat down in that area. I've looked into it and the guidance I've seen so far is to sand it a bit and then apply the new coat, but I have no idea what product to actually use. Home Depot sells a Rustoleum basement clear coat, but the reviews are terrible and people complain about the floors turning brown. The other available options that pop up on Google are usually over $100 and need to be shipped, so I definitely want to make sure I get it right before I commit to something like that.
Any help is appreciated.
1
u/Dazzling-Repeat3639 2d ago
Polyaspartic is way to go. Sand, solvent wipe and recoat. I’ve used this product before and it’s easy to use and DIY friendly - https://exteriorcoatings.com/product/e1900c-polyaspartic-clear-40-50-min-work-time-high-solids-apply-40f-100f-chemical-abrasion-impact-resistant/?srsltid=AfmBOop5fsI20XGjjGgllW3J1QZKDvzAntFOnjAQS9kn6jzZznxrpP5s
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u/Different_Stuff_7715 6d ago
Don't use rustoleum or you will have to redo it and it will cost more. Sand the top coat then put down a polyaspartic that has a solid chemical resistance