The idea of epoxy floors can be intriguing, especially when you’re ready to give your home a new and beautiful look. However, before you start the process of discarding your old tile, you must ask yourself an important question, which is, “can you epoxy over tile floors?” You need to know the answer to this question before getting started. This will ensure you know what you’re about to get yourself into.
“Yes; you can lay epoxy over tile.” However, you can only get a positive result when you do it correctly. This will enable you to change the look of your room while saving you the trouble of taking up the old flowing.
At the same time, it also helps keep your floor remain at the same height as before. This will also ensure that your doors are still aligned smoothly with the floor. It is also vital that you consider which design out of the numerous ones available will be most suitable for your need.
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What is Epoxy Over Tile?
Epoxy coating can be used for different purposes because it is a solid substance. It is usually used as an adhesive and to seal floors. It is used for floors to seal them from water damage and prevent scratches and nicks. It is also used to beautify the floor. With epoxy coating, you’re able to save yourself from the troubles of constantly repairing your floors due to damages or other factors.
Just as earlier mentioned, it is possible to epoxy over tiles. However, seeking counsel from floor experts is often advised for proper advice, guidance, and recommendation. This will also ensure that you’re confident of what exactly you’re about to get yourself involved in.
Steps to Apply Epoxy Over Tile
Coating your floor with epoxy is not as difficult as it may sound. You can do the process yourself or consult the assistance of a professional. However, it would help if you considered a few things first to do it yourself. Find below a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will help you with floor coating with epoxy.
Step 1: Check Tiles for Damages
You should check the condition of your tile before applying the epoxy. Fix water damages and cover holes or cracks before proceeding with the process. It would help if you also considered eradicating too old tiles to ensure no moisture underneath the tiles. This will also cause breaks and cracks. An expert can also help you to check if you can epoxy your tiles.
Step 2: Clean and Prepare the Tile Floor
Once you’re sure that coating epoxy on your floor is possible, begin the process by preparing the floor in the right way. The room needs to be cleared first. You should also consider taking out all the furniture and objects in the room.
Ensure to clean the room you wish to apply the epoxy to thoroughly. This is to free the room from any form of dirt or dust. You can even clean it with soap and water before it can get dried. You may also consider using a clean, dry cloth to dust the floor again. This is to ensure that the epoxy flooring is hardened sufficiently.
Step 3: Apply Primer
You’ll need to apply a primer first for most surfaces. This will enable the epoxy coating to adhere to the floor. This is also to ensure that you don’t risk damaging the color of the tile. You can use a white primer if you wish to change the color of the tile. The white primer will let you paint on a layer of floor paint without stress.
To apply the primer, start at one of the corners before applying the primer evenly over the entire floor. You should also the floor design of the tile.
Step 4: Add Paint
This part is optional and not that essential. If you wish to change the color of your floor, you can apply some paints on top of the primer. You need to cover the entire surface of the room. You should also follow the same procedure you did with the primer. Depending on how many layers of paints you want, you need to allow each layer to dry first before applying another one.
Step 5: Mixing Components
This is still crucial, although not entirely necessary. It all depends on your personal preferences. You can mix different components for your floor covering depending on what you wish to achieve. For this purpose, you may combine resin and hardener using a specific ratio that must be maintained perfectly. When mixing, ensure to follow the manufacturer’s guide to avoid mistakes with mixing. This is because too much hardener will likely result in porous areas in the floor covering, while too little hardener may lead to insufficient hardening.
Step 6: Finish with The Epoxy Coating
Now, it’s time to get to the main deal, adding the epoxy. Start the process just like you did with the primer and paint. Start from one of the corners of the room, and then work your way through slowing using a brush to prevent streaks. The top coat needs to dry; then, you can sand it with 220-grit sandpaper. After that, clean the surface before you start applying another coat.
You’ll have about 4 to 6 coats when you’re finished. You need to wait for at least a day or two before you start using the floor. With this, the final result is not damaged and you can start enjoying the benefits of what you’ve achieved.
What if the Tiles Crack?
This is another aspect you need to note before, during, and after applying epoxy over tile. Checking the condition of your tile should be the first thing to do. Once you discover that the tile is cracked, you need to get it fixed or remove the tile depending on the severity of the damage.
Applying epoxy to a cracked tile makes everything unstable. This will increase the risk level involved in the process. At best, a flooring specialist can come to inspect the floor, tiles, and every other material needed for the procedure. With this, you’ll likely increase the chance of getting a better end result.
Consider if Epoxy over Tile is Good for You
It is necessary to take this decision. You need to if possible consult the assistance of floor experts to help you make the right decision. Have it in your mind that the results for epoxy over tile may not last forever. The foundation of your tile might start to shift over time. This is why you need to tear out the old tile to be sure that your results will last for a long time.
You can only go ahead with epoxying over your tile if you’re willing to put effort into preparing the floor. This can also be a great idea only if you’re comfortable with the risks involved. After all, it’s worth it since you may end up with a great-looking flow that is capable of lasting through several years to come.
Conclusion
Generally, it’s difficult to say if you can epoxy over tile from the outside. This is because you may not know if the flooring is stable or not. The first and best step is to check to see if the tile is good enough. Then, you must also be ready to risk your time, money, energy, and resources. However, with the proper steps, you’ll realize that it is worth it in the long run.