Main Problems
When you park you car in the garage after driving, your tires are usually warm. When the material cools it contracts slightly and can sometimes grab the epoxy surface causing it to detach from the concrete below. After several months or years parking in the same area the epoxy can eventually peel away.
High performance and vintage tires can also contribute to tire pick up. These tires can often secrete a chemical that breaks down the epoxy surface if it is in contact for extended periods of time.
Other Factors
Several other factors can contribute to the problem. Using poor quality epoxy and lack of preparation are the most likely to have an effect.
How to Avoid ‘Hot Tire Pickup’
Good preparation is essential when installing an epoxy floor. The concrete needs to be clean and free of any contaminants such as oil grease, paint and dirt. It also needs to have been profiled with a mechanical grinder to ensure that the concrete surface is open. Epoxy needs to mechanically bond to the concrete surface.
We always grind the floor with a large grinding machine. It weighs in at over 700 pounds and removes all of the impurities that can impede adhesion. This step is essential. Power washing and etching are nowhere near sufficient.
Using a high quality 100% solids epoxy is also imperative. Water based or single component systems will not have the longevity. We use Elite Crete UL7 100% solids epoxy for our base coat, coating at a rate of 80 square feet per gallon.
Keeping you finished garage floor clean will always improve its longevity.
Using tire mats under your tires if they are the performance type or if you will be leaving your vehicle stationary for any length of time.
Allmats.com and Americanfloormats.com both have good selections.
