Homeowners have plenty of reasons to choose epoxy flooring Melbourne. It’s durable, moisture-resistant, and customisable, too! It gives you a high-gloss, slip-resistant finish that adds value to your space, making it a good choice for residential and commercial spaces.
But you only get these benefits when your epoxy floor is installed properly. If you choose to attempt DIY epoxy floor installation, you may not get the results you’re looking for. Here’s why you shouldn’t attempt a DIY for epoxy flooring.
Surface Preparation is Complex
Before you can apply epoxy, you need to prepare the surface. Surface preparation is the most important step in ensuring epoxy adheres to the subfloor. Professionals use industrial-grade grinders or shot blasters to remove dirt, oil, and existing coatings while creating the ideal surface profile. If you choose DIY, you’ll end up using acid etching or insufficient sanding, which causes poor adhesion, bubbling, or peeling over time.
Mixing Epoxy Properly is Essential
Epoxy is a combination of resin and hardener that needs to be mixed in proper proportions. If you get the measurements wrong, it can lead to weak epoxy that doesn’t cure, inconsistent colour, or short working time. Meanwhile, a professional can mix the right combination while accounting for factors like humidity and temperature.
Risk of Uneven Application
It takes years of experience to be able to apply a smooth and even finish. If you’re attempting DIY epoxy floor installation for the first time, you may struggle with uneven thickness that causes weak spots. You also risk getting air bubbles because of improper application. On the other hand, professional epoxy flooring Melbourne contractors use specialised tools to give a flawless, even surface.
Slip Resistance Requires Additives
Though epoxy flooring can be slip-resistant, this requires using special additives that aren’t included in DIY kits. This increases your risk of falls, especially in wet areas like showers. Meanwhile, professionals can tailor the texture of your surface for slip resistance without affecting its appearance.
Short Working Time Due To Fast Curing
Once mixed, epoxy has a limited working time before it begins curing. If you’re not fast enough, you’ll struggle to apply it quickly and evenly across the entire surface. This leads to visible seams or overlapping, uneven curing, and wasted material, which increases your overall cost.
Poor Ventilation Can Be Dangerous
Epoxy releases fumes during the application and curing process, which can be harmful without appropriate ventilation. Epoxy flooring Melbourne contractors use protective equipment and maintain appropriate ventilation to reduce health risks. With a DIY job, you may not notice this and end up inhaling harmful vapours that could affect your health.
Mistakes Can Cost More To Fix
Did you know that a failed DIY epoxy job can cost more to repair than hiring a professional in the first place? If the epoxy peels, bubbles, or cures incorrectly, removal is time-consuming and requires grinding or chemical stripping—both of which are challenging without professional equipment.
Using Low-Quality Products
DIY epoxy kits sold in hardware stores are often lower in quality than the industrial-grade products used by professionals. Store-bought kits typically contain less epoxy resin, resulting in a thinner, less durable coating that may not withstand heavy use or moisture exposure. Because of this, you may end up needing to re-do the epoxy floor anyway, which only adds to your cost.
No Warranty on Installation
Professional epoxy installers give warranties on their workmanship and materials. But if something goes wrong with a DIY epoxy floor installation, you’ll have to redo the project at your own expense.
Hire Epoxy Gurus Melbourne For Professional Epoxy Flooring Melbourne
To get a long-lasting epoxy flooring installation, it’s best to call in a professional team instead of attempting a DIY job. Without proper surface preparation, epoxy mixing, and application, you may end up with a bad installation job. There’s also the hazard of not ensuring enough ventilation, which can lead to health risks.
To avoid these issues, it’s best to call in specialists for the job, like Epoxy Gurus Melbourne. We’re local professionals with years of experience in installing epoxy floors for residential and commercial properties. Get in touch with our team to learn more and get a free quote!