When it comes to construction, it’s not just something that anyone can do. It takes training, experience, and sometimes certifications to be a construction worker. But if you’re anything like most DIY-ers, you think you can take on certain projects yourself that clearly require the hands of a professional.

Ever since the emergence of YouTube and people posting tutorial videos on how to do certain projects, it has put the idea in lots of people’s minds that they too can do those things, even though they don’t have any experience working on those types of projects. What people fail to realize is that a lot of the people posting those videos are professionals. Just because they can hop on a roof and replace it doesn’t mean you should do the same.

One key aspect to consider is learning and understanding the difference between polyurea vs epoxy coating, and which is better for your garage floors.

If you’re smart, you’ll hire a contractor for any major home renovations. There are, of course, certain questions to ask a contractor before hiring them but the important take away here is that you hire one before taking on a potentially dangerous project.

Most homeowners understand the dangers of certain DIY projects… those particular projects are obviously dangerous. But there are certain projects that seem easier than they really are and homeowners don’t find that out until they’re knee-deep in the project, having wasted lots of time, money, and effort. Can you guess what one of the biggest mistakes in construction is? The answer to that question consists of one word and that word is epoxy.

Epoxies are used in many industries like the electronics and automotive industries but epoxies are also used in construction. One of the biggest issues that epoxy applicators run into is sticky or tacky resin floors. This mistake is typically due to improper curing. Take a look at some of the biggest mistakes made with epoxy resin. These are also the mistakes you want to avoid at all costs.

Using Epoxy Resin After Their Expiration Date

Just like most products, epoxy products have a shelf life. A good way to tell is to look where the fillers are. Typically the fillers will be at the bottom of the bottle or bucket. Now, if you happen to buy epoxy and it’s past its shelf life, you don’t necessarily have to throw it away, you would just simply pour the resin into a bucket and make sure to scrape all the filler that fell to the bottom. Just make sure to mix that well before adding your second component.

Bubbles in the Epoxy Screed

Bubbles in the epoxy screed is a pretty common mistake in flooring and it’s also one of the most frustrating aspects of flooring. When bubbles get in the epoxy screed, it’s typically due to air getting in the slab of concrete. The best way to prevent this flooring nuisance from happening is to make sure you’ve primed and sealed the surface really well. This will prevent any air from rising up through the concrete and making it to the coating. When this happens, the result is a less than appealing floor.

Not Properly Mixing the Epoxy

Unfortunately, not properly mixing the epoxy is one of the most common mistakes people make. For some reason, people don’t take epoxy seriously and think a quick shake to the bucket or mixing it with a stick is the equivalent of proper mixing… It’s not.

Where people go wrong is not understanding how much power is needed to properly mix epoxy. You almost always will need to use an electric mixer for epoxy unless you’re mixing a very small amount.

Not Taking Proper Precautions

According to assemblymag.com, there are two ways to minimize mistakes during dispensing and that’s to prevent them from happening in the first place and to detect them when they do happen.

When it comes to prevention, the first step is to make sure you’re purchasing your dispensing equipment from the right supplier. You can buy a bdtronic dispenser machine that has various mounting techniques and dispensing systems that will be able to handle any job you have. When it comes to detection, machine vision is one of the best ways to monitor dispense operations.

Not Preparing the Surface Properly

Before any flooring project, properly preparing the floor is one of the most important, if not the most important step in epoxy flooring. If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll have undesirable results, like a floor that breaks.

The key is to take your time and not rush through prepping the floor prep. You’re going to need to grind and clean the surface extremely well so that there won’t be any bonding issues. Because this is epoxy, there is not only going to be chemical bonding but there will also be mechanical bonding, so it’s detrimental that the epoxy properly bonds with the concrete.