July 17, 2024
Epoxy flooring is common in areas like garages, warehouses, hospitals, labs, or production plants. They are low maintenance, durable, easy to clean, and have a high resistance to chemicals. While they are great for many reasons, installing epoxy flooring can be a pain even for the most experienced professionals.
Common Epoxy Flooring Installation Drawbacks with Premixing
For the people doing the work, there are several downfalls of epoxy floor coating installation. The instructions must be followed exactly to get the right finished product. Even then, there still are some downfalls to the process, especially when it comes to premixing. We are sharing some common drawbacks of epoxy floor costing installation so you can look to avoid them.
Room for Error
Traditionally epoxy flooring is hand mixed. Because this approach is less exact, this is a lot of room for human error. Epoxy can get left behind in the original containers and mess up the proper ratio. The components may not get mixed together long enough to create a uniform mix. Also, we have heard a story or two of people accidentally mixing a B with a B instead of with an A.
All these mistakes could lead to disastrous results like curing problems or weakened epoxy and of course, a less than satisfactory finished product for the customer.
Wasted Product & Money
Along with human error in the mixing process, there is also the predicament of wasted product and consequently, money. Once the epoxy hits the trashcan, it either has to be used or it will need to be thrown away. Because the last thing you want is to underestimate how much epoxy you need and have to make more mid-project, this often results in a fair bit of product thrown out at every job. This wasted product quickly adds up and can end up costing contractors a lot of money in a small amount of time.
Time Is Not on Your Side
Installing epoxy flooring is a big time commitment. Premixing alone can take a lot of time to get it right. Not to mention that once the mixing is complete, you only have about an hour before the epoxy starts to cure. At that point, it is a race against the clock to get the epoxy spread out evenly, or you end up with more wasted product.
Avoid the Downfalls of Epoxy Flooring Installation Premixing
We have smart phones with unlimited knowledge just a search away. We have AI creeping into most aspects of our lives. And we have self-driving cars hitting the roads. While we have a lot of advanced technology at our fingertips, most contractors are still just throwing a bunch of epoxy in a trashcan and mixing it with a Jiffy Mixer because “that’s the way it has always been done.” While this approach will certainly get the job done, there’s a better way.
It is time to get with the times. You can avoid all these epoxy floor coating installation problems with one piece of equipment. The AST GMP 200 is a new machine designed to make epoxy flooring installation easier and more efficient. Specifically, it takes the premixing hassle out of the equation.
Decrease the Possibility of Error
Because it is a machine that can run different ratios and mixes the components for you, it takes away a lot of the possibility of human error during premixing.
No More Wasted Product
Wasted product can be a big epoxy floor coating installation problem, but this machine can help you avoid this issue. The two components stay in the machine and are not mixed until right before application. As a result, there is no wasted product from unnecessary curing. You can use as much product as you need, and the rest is unmixed waiting for the next job.
Put Time on Your Side
With this machine, the time spent premixing the batch is eliminated and no one needs to be dedicated to taking care of this process. You even have the flexibility to complete the flooring in sections since there is no race to get the epoxy spread out before it cures. The machine can also put out about two gallons a minute while still being portable.
While problems can always arise, this machine can help minimize or even eliminate many epoxy floor coating installation issues. To get more information about the machine, just talk with one of our adhesive equipment experts. They can also offer guidance on your other adhesive-related needs.
