Curing epoxy finish applied to your garage floor is the final step required to achieve a successful long lasting epoxy garage floor that is serviceable. Once cured in the proper manner, it will last for many years offering you a floor finish that is easy to clean.
Step 4 - Curing Epoxy Finish
Once you are done applying epoxy finish to your garage floor the curing process begins and there is not much you need to do but stay away from it and off of it. It is best to simply let the evaporative process of the epoxy-resin take over and naturally begin the cure.
Do not use any fans on the applied finish after the cure process begins, for the reason that you don't want to accelerate the evaporation as that may lead to flaking, chalking and dusting of the finish.
As a general rule, you can walk on the finish after 48 hours of natural curing has elapsed, but if you can wait longer than that - do so. The longer the better. After three days time you can start placing light objects onto the finish - but do not drag any object across the finish as that will definitely scar and gouge the surface.
As far as placing heavy objects onto, or driving a car over the finish - you must wait a minimum of seven (7) days time before attempting that. If you can wait ten (10) days it is better as by that time the upper 70% of the finish will be extremely hard and the chance of harming the bottom 30% of the finish thickness is minimal.
Because an auto is heavy, and as the tires move they apply lateral pressure on the surface of the finish, some consumers will wait a full ten (10) days to drive on the floor finish to avoid sliding the upper 70% of the finish away from the lower 30% before it has properly cured down to the upper surface of the concrete. These time limits are something you will have to set for your own situation and circumstances.
It is the braking - or bring the car to a stop inside the garage that causes the most problem with this - so you will want to be very cautious for the first thirty (30) days after the finish has been applied to give it a chance to fully harden all the way down to the concrete floor surface.
Curing epoxy finish is really as simple as exercising the restraint to stay off of it. You will be glad you did once you get your garage re-assembled and everything moved back into it. The curing process is the final step in a successful epoxy garage floor application, so take it seriously!
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Product Coordinator
Dorman Products, Inc.
Colmar, PA
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Grand Island, NE