Is Epoxy Coating A Good DIY Project?

Epoxy coatings add beauty, elegance, and long-lasting protection to many different surfaces. People often add them to floors, countertops, cabinetry, and more. Epoxy beautifies and protects to an extreme degree, so it’s no wonder it has gained worldwide popularity in both homes and businesses.

But as wonderful as an epoxy coating can be, there’s more to this procedure that you need to know; it is complicated. It’s a chemical process that requires skill, training, special equipment, and technique to get it right. When you do it wrong, it can have vast, costly repercussions on multiple levels. No matter how talented you are at DIY improvement projects, this is one that you should leave to the professionals.

It Is A Sticky Situation

Epoxy is a blend of polymers to which a hardening agent is added. It must be mixed exactly right, not just in quantity but also in how it is blended. The timing of the process is critical as well. If you get the amounts wrong, don’t blend it correctly, or mess up the timing even the tiniest bit, you could end up with a permanently sticky surface.

Unsightly Bubbles

Even if your surface doesn’t end up sticky, improper blending can create unsightly bubbles throughout the coating that get trapped there permanently. (And those bubbles are unavoidable, so if you think maybe there won’t be any, think again.) This is because you not only need to know how to mix the epoxy properly, but you also need to know how to eliminate those bubbles before the coating cures. Eliminating bubbles takes know-how and sometimes even special equipment)

Warping And Unevenness

As soon as a hardening agent is added to the mix, the epoxy starts to thicken. It then must be properly blended but also quickly applied before it starts to set up. If it hardens before you finish, you can end up with more than just those unattractive bubbles. You’ll have lumps, bumps, warping, and unevenness. Plus, if it’s flooring, those imperfections can be a tripping hazard, too.

It Can Make You Sick

And speaking of danger, the substances used in many epoxy coatings are chemicals that give off hazardous fumes. Epoxy fumes have been linked to breathing and many other health problems. This includes asthma, allergies, neurological issues, and more. It is imperative to ventilate the work area properly and to wear PPE gear, including a professional-grade breathing apparatus.

It Costs Too Much

A professional epoxy coating treatment indeed saves you money. It can eliminate the need to replace a floor or surface and extends the life of the coated item with the superior protection it provides. It would be difficult for you to experience the same savings benefit when you do it yourself. By the time you’ve purchased the equipment necessary, you may find that DIY is very cost inefficient. The cost of proper PPE equipment alone is higher than ever. The tools are expensive too, and considerable time must also be spent in prepping and priming. And if you make a mistake, the cost of DIY goes up even more because then there are repair costs to factor in. Plus, you also need to consider the cost of health problems that even a small mistake could trigger.

It Looks Unprofessional

Even when you do everything right as a DIYer, your epoxy coating may come out looking unattractive. Epoxy color often changes during curing. Plus, it’s a liquid that moves and flows in distinct ways. It takes skill and experience to achieve a certain look. If you are not experienced in design and application, you could easily end up devaluing your home instead of achieving the results you really want. Because of this, DIY efforts are more often an embarrassment than an enhancement. DIY, in general, is a poor way to go about home improvement. Real estate experts warn you never to attempt it yourself. But the good news is, you don’t have to.

The Professional Service You Can Rely On

Would you like to spare yourself from these failures and make a choice that beautifies your home or business for years to come? A professional epoxy coating is the way to go, and Rejuvenate flooring is the trusted local specialist that you can rely on to do it right. We are top-rated in Nashville and the surrounding area for a reason, and we can’t wait to show you why. So, please contact us today for a consultation, and let’s get started.