How to Install an Epoxy Floor
An epoxy floor kit's coverage figure is worth checking before it goes in the cart. One garage kit sheet read for this guide prints about 250 sq ft per gallon after a 15% loss, but its own film thickness and that same loss give 195 to 227. This is the install sequence from four manufacturer documents, with the steps where they disagree marked as such.
Start with the line on the sheet that does not add up
Four manufacturer documents sit behind this guide: two Rust-Oleum garage kit data sheets, one Sherwin-Williams product data sheet and one Floorguard technical data sheet. All four print a coverage figure. Only three print the film thickness that figure depends on, and on one of those three the two numbers disagree with each other.
The EpoxyShield water-based kit sheet, ESH-09, gives a wet film of 6.0 to 7.0 mils and a practical coverage of about 250 square feet per gallon, and says that figure assumes 15% material loss. A US gallon spread 1 mil thick covers 1,604 square feet, the relationship the paint calculator is built on. At 6.0 mils that is 267 square feet, at 7.0 mils 229, and taking off the 15% the sheet itself names leaves 195 to 227 square feet per gallon.
So 250 is what the kit covers with no loss at all, at about 6.4 mils wet. To reach it after a 15% loss you would have to roll 5.5 mils, which is thinner than the sheet's own minimum. The kit holds 92.5 plus 27.5 fluid ounces, 0.9375 of a gallon, so this site makes one kit 234 square feet at the printed rate and 183 to 213 at the rate the sheet's own assumptions produce.
That is the finding, and it changes the order. Buy by the printed figure and a 20 x 22 ft floor comes up one kit short, by this site's arithmetic. The rest of this guide follows the sheets through preparation, testing, mixing, spreading and cure, and says where they differ.
| Product | Volume solids | Film, mils | Printed coverage, sq ft per gal | 1,604 / wet film, sq ft per gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EpoxyShield water-based (ESH-09) | 52.6 to 52.8% | 6.0 to 7.0 wet, 3.0 to 3.5 dry | about 250, said to assume 15% loss | 229 to 267 before loss, 195 to 227 after it |
| RockSolid kit (RSD-10) | 96% | not printed | 200 to 250 per kit; 4.9 to 6.2 m2/L | cannot be checked without a film thickness or a pouch volume |
| ArmorSeal 1000 HS | 65% colors, 61% clear | 5.0 to 8.0 wet, 3.0 to 5.0 dry | 206 to 350, no loss factor | 201 to 321; the sheet prints 1,040 per dry mil, and 1,604 x 65% solids is 1,043 |
| Floorguard FGP MV 2112 | 100% | 17 to 18 | 90 to 94 | 89 to 94 |
Floorguard is 100% solids, so its 90 to 94 square feet per gallon is simply 1,604 divided by 17 to 18 mils. ArmorSeal says its rates carry no loss factor. RockSolid prints neither a film thickness nor the volume of its pouch, so its figure can only be taken as printed.
Kits for three floor sizes, before any waste allowance
The floor sizes below are examples picked by this site, not standard garage dimensions. Measure your own floor and put it into the epoxy floor calculator, which takes the coverage and kit size from whichever sheet you are working from. The flooring calculator handles an L-shaped or broken-up floor.
| Floor | EpoxyShield, at the printed 250 sq ft per gal | EpoxyShield, at its own wet film less its own 15% loss | RockSolid, at 200 to 250 sq ft per kit | ArmorSeal 1000 HS, one coat at 3 to 5 dry mils | Floorguard MV 2112, at 17 to 18 mils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 x 22 ft, 264 sq ft | 2 kits | 2 kits | 2 kits | 0.8 to 1.3 gal mixed, 1 A+B pair | 2.8 to 2.9 gal, 1 x 3 gal kit |
| 20 x 22 ft, 440 sq ft | 2 kits | 3 kits | 2 to 3 kits | 1.3 to 2.1 gal mixed, 1 to 2 A+B pairs | 4.7 to 4.9 gal, 2 x 3 gal kits |
| 24 x 24 ft, 576 sq ft | 3 kits | 3 to 4 kits | 3 kits | 1.6 to 2.8 gal mixed, 1 to 2 A+B pairs | 6.1 to 6.4 gal, 3 x 3 gal kits |
Two rows are worth reading closely. On the 20 x 22 ft floor the EpoxyShield printed rate says two kits and the same sheet's film thickness and loss figure say three. And the Floorguard column covers a sealer applied at 17 to 18 mils, several times thicker than the garage kits, which is why its gallons look so large next to theirs.
Test the slab for moisture, with the method your sheet names
The two retail kits use a plastic sheet test. ESH-09 has you tape a 2 ft by 2 ft piece of plastic to bare concrete for 24 hours; droplets under it or darker concrete mean moisture is trapped, and the sheet sends you to Rust-Oleum Moisture Stop before coating. RSD-10 uses an 18 by 18 in sheet of 4 mil plastic taped on all four sides for 24 hours, and if the concrete is damp it says to allow another 10 to 14 days of drying and test again. Neither test produces a figure, and neither sheet sets a numeric moisture limit.
The professional sheets name ASTM methods. Floorguard's application instructions require an emission rate under 20 lb of moisture vapor per 1,000 sq ft per 24 hours by ASTM F1869 and an in-slab relative humidity above 75% and below 95% by ASTM F2170, with at least one test for every 1,000 square feet to be coated. The ArmorSeal 1000 HS sheet lists ASTM F1869 among the methods to follow where they apply, but it does not print a limit. Floorguard also says its product cannot stop hydrostatic or osmotic water conditions.
The ASTM standards themselves are sold by ASTM and this site has not read them, so nothing here describes how those tests are run beyond what the data sheets say.
New concrete has its own wait, and it is not the same on any two sheets: at least 10 days for Floorguard, with 3,500 psi compressive and 200 psi tensile strength; 28 days for EpoxyShield; 28 days at 75°F for ArmorSeal; 30 days for RockSolid. If the slab is still to be poured, the concrete slab calculator covers the vapor retarder that goes under it, which is the part a coating cannot fix later.
Clean, strip and profile the surface
Check for sealer first. Both Rust-Oleum sheets use a few drops of water: if it beads, something is sealing the surface. ESH-09 says the sealer has to come off. RSD-10 is softer and asks for a test application, with sanding or mechanical abrading if adhesion does not develop.
Check any old coating with tape. Both use an X cut through the coating and a strip of duct tape pulled off fast. ESH-09 fails the floor if more than 25% comes away. RSD-10 fails it at more than 10% and calls for chemical or grinder removal.
Degrease, then etch or grind. Both retail kits ship with a concrete etch, which ESH-09 describes as a mild citric acid. ESH-09 dissolves one bag in two gallons of water, spreads it on a pre-wetted floor in 10 by 10 ft sections, scrubs, rinses and squeegees each section, and then asks for a finger test: wipe the dry floor, and if dust comes off on your fingers, clean again. It says not to use muriatic acid and not to etch a basement floor, where it calls for TSP or a TSP substitute instead.
The professional products ask for a measured profile rather than an etch. ArmorSeal 1000 HS points to SSPC-SP13/NACE 6 or ICRI 310.2R at CSP 1 to 3, a surface free of laitance and curing membranes, bug holes filled, and a primer. Floorguard wants at least CSP 3, names shot blasting as its preferred method, and has the concrete dry for 16 to 24 hours after preparation. It also recommends a 100 sq ft test patch pulled off by ASTM D7234, which has to reach 200 psi with the failure in the concrete before the rest of the floor goes ahead.
Cracks and joints are treated as their own job. Floorguard has narrow cracks opened to 1/4 in, primed and filled with thickened product, and moving joints carried up through the coating and filled with an elastomeric material. RSD-10 simply says not to roll over control joints. If the slab is due a stain or other decorative finish instead, the concrete finish calculator compares those.
Check the air, the slab and the dew point on the day
Application windows, as printed:
- EpoxyShield ESH-09: air, material and surface 60 to 85°F, relative humidity no more than 85%.
- RockSolid RSD-10: 40 to 90°F, with 55 to 90°F the optimum, and no direct sunlight, rain or very damp conditions.
- ArmorSeal 1000 HS: 50 to 120°F for air, surface and material, humidity 85% maximum.
- Floorguard MV 2112: 60 to 90°F, humidity below 90%.
All four set the same dew point margin: the surface at least 5°F above the dew point. It is the one condition every sheet shares, and it is a comparison against the concrete, so a comfortable room temperature does not settle it.
ESH-09 also suggests mid-afternoon at 60 to 70°F and early morning above 70°F, for pot life and curing.
Mix one unit at a time, then respect the wait
On the two retail kits, mix one unit at a time. ESH-09 says not to mix more than one kit at once, and RSD-10 says the same of its pouches. Floorguard's kits are premeasured by weight, 9.25 lb of Part A to 4.15 lb of Part B, and the sheet advises against splitting them without a scale.
The methods differ by product:
- EpoxyShield: with more than one kit, pour every Part B into one 5 gallon pail, mix for even color, and refill each can to a level you marked on a stir stick. Then, one kit at a time, pour its whole Part A into its Part B and stir for at least 3 minutes.
- RockSolid: roll the pouch from the Part A end to burst the inner seal, then shake and squeeze it for 2 to 3 minutes.
- ArmorSeal 1000 HS: power-mix each part at low speed, combine one to one by volume, mix 3 minutes, let it sweat in and stir again.
- Floorguard: premix both parts, combine and mix slowly until streak free without whipping in air, then pour into a second pail and mix again.
Then wait, on the two products that ask for it. EpoxyShield's chart has you hold the mixed kit 30 minutes before cutting in and 45 before rolling at 60 to 70°F, and 10 and 15 minutes at 71 to 80°F. ArmorSeal's sweat-in is 30 minutes at 77°F and 2 hours at 50°F.
| Product | Wait after mixing | Pot life | Recoat window | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EpoxyShield (ESH-09) | brushing after 30, 10 or 0 min and rolling after 45, 15 or 5 to 15 min, by temperature | 2 hr at 60 to 70°F, 1.5 hr at 71 to 80°F, 1 hr at 81 to 85°F | not printed; one coat is usually enough, per the sheet | light foot 12 to 16 hr, vehicles 3 days |
| RockSolid (RSD-10) | none printed | 45 min to 1 hr | 7 days without sanding | foot 8 to 10 hr, vehicles 24 to 36 hr |
| ArmorSeal 1000 HS, at 77°F | 30 min sweat-in | 4 hr | 8 hr minimum, 7 days maximum | foot 24 hr, cure 7 days |
| Floorguard MV 2112, at 70°F | none printed | 25 to 38 min | 11 to 16 hr on page 1, 12 to 16 hr on page 3, 48 hr maximum | full cure 3 to 7 days |
Cut in, roll in small sections, and broadcast while it is wet
Both retail kits work the floor in 4 by 4 ft sections. EpoxyShield has you cut in the edges with a brush, roll with a 3/8 in synthetic nap on a 9 in frame, keep a wet edge, and scatter decorative chips upward so they land flat on each fresh section. RockSolid pours a ribbon 2 to 3 in wide and about 4 ft long, trims the edges, rolls in an M and W pattern with the supplied microfiber cover, then pours the next ribbon 2 ft away, pulls material back and pushes forward to close the gap. It says to leave a 6 to 12 in chip-free strip where the next section will join.
ArmorSeal lists a 3/8 in woven roller with a solvent-resistant core, and warns that brush or roll work may need more than one coat to reach full film. Floorguard allows a brush, a 3/4 in nap roller, or a notched squeegee back-rolled at a right angle, and says to use an air release roller before the film tacks if bubbles appear. Where pinholes or voids appear, the sheet has them ground out and recoated.
On grip, ESH-09 warns a coated floor can be slippery when wet and points to an anti-skid additive.
Recoat inside the window and keep traffic off until cure
The recoat numbers are in the clock table above. The practical point is that a window has two ends. ArmorSeal wants 8 hours at 77°F before a second coat and abrading after 7 days. Floorguard's window closes at 48 hours, and the sheet suggests a thumb test first: if a fingerprint shows, the first coat is not ready. RockSolid allows 7 days without sanding. EpoxyShield's sheet does not print a recoat window.
The Floorguard sheet disagrees with itself slightly, printing 11 to 16 hours to recoat in its table and 12 to 16 in its instructions, and warns that cold stretches both.
Floorguard also says its product is not UV stable, must not see water before full cure, and is described as a vapor barrier that may go under tile, vinyl, carpet or other coating systems.
What this guide does not decide
It does not choose a product. Each figure above belongs to the product named beside it.
It does not publish RockSolid's film thickness or pouch volume, the number of pouches in its 2.5 car kit, or EpoxyShield's recoat window, because those sheets do not print them.
It does not explain how ASTM F1869 or F2170 tests are carried out, since this site has read the data sheets that cite those standards and not the standards. Nor does it diagnose a slab that fails a moisture test; take those results to the coating manufacturer.
Run the numbers
- Epoxy Floor Calculator kits from your sheet's coverage, and the slab tests
- Paint Calculator why coverage is 1,604 divided by the film thickness
- Flooring Calculator square footage of an irregular floor
- Concrete Finish Calculator stain, stamp and other finishes compared
- Concrete Slab Calculator the vapor retarder under a new slab
Frequently asked questions
- How much does one epoxy garage floor kit cover?
- It depends on the kit. Rust-Oleum prints about 250 sq ft per gallon for EpoxyShield water-based, and the kit holds 0.9375 gal; by this site's arithmetic on the same sheet's film thickness and 15% loss, one kit covers 183 to 213 sq ft. RockSolid prints 200 to 250 sq ft per kit.
- How do I test a garage floor for moisture before coating?
- The Rust-Oleum kit sheets tape plastic to bare concrete for 24 hours and look for droplets or darkening. Floorguard requires ASTM F1869 below 20 lb per 24 hr per 1,000 sq ft and ASTM F2170 between 75% and 95%, with at least one test per 1,000 sq ft.
- How long should new concrete cure before epoxy?
- The sheets differ: at least 10 days for Floorguard MV 2112, 28 days for EpoxyShield, 28 days at 75°F for ArmorSeal 1000 HS, and 30 days for RockSolid. Follow the sheet for the product you bought.
- Do I have to etch or grind the concrete?
- The Rust-Oleum kits supply a concrete etch and ask for a floor that leaves no dust on your fingers. ArmorSeal 1000 HS calls for ICRI CSP 1 to 3, and Floorguard for at least CSP 3, with shot blasting its preferred method.
- What is the induction or sweat-in time?
- A wait after mixing before application. EpoxyShield's chart gives 45 minutes before rolling at 60 to 70°F and 15 minutes at 71 to 80°F. ArmorSeal 1000 HS gives 30 minutes at 77°F. The RockSolid and Floorguard sheets print none.
- How long is the pot life?
- Floorguard MV 2112 is 25 to 38 minutes at 70°F, RockSolid 45 minutes to 1 hour, EpoxyShield 1 to 2 hours depending on temperature, and ArmorSeal 1000 HS 4 hours at 77°F. Both Rust-Oleum sheets say to mix one kit or pouch at a time.
- What temperature do I need to apply epoxy?
- Each sheet sets its own range, from 40 to 90°F for RockSolid to 50 to 120°F for ArmorSeal 1000 HS. All four require the surface to be at least 5°F above the dew point.
- When can I drive on a new epoxy floor?
- RockSolid gives 24 to 36 hours and EpoxyShield 3 days. ArmorSeal 1000 HS gives 48 to 72 hours for heavy traffic at 77°F and 7 days to cure. Floorguard gives 3 to 7 days to full cure.
Check these numbers yourself
- Technical Data ESH-09, EpoxyShield Water-Based Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Tint Base (Can Kits)Rust-Oleum Corporation, Form GDH-356, Rev. 050218 as printed. Kit contents, plastic sheet moisture test, etch procedure, 60 to 85°F application, induction and pot life chart, 3.0 to 3.5 dry and 6.0 to 7.0 wet mils, about 250 sq ft assuming 15% loss, 52.6 to 52.8% volume solids. Read 2026-09-16.
- Technical Data RSD-10, RockSolid Garage Floor Coating KitRust-Oleum Corporation, Form GDH-810, Rev. 080221 as printed. 30 day cure for new concrete, 24 hour plastic sheet test, pouch mixing, 4 x 4 ft application, 200 to 250 sq ft per kit, 96% solids, 45 minute to 1 hour pot life, 7 day recoat window. No film thickness or pouch volume printed. Read 2026-09-16.
- ArmorSeal 1000 HS, Part A B67-2000 Series, Part B B67V2002 Hardener, product data sheet and application bulletinThe Sherwin-Williams Company, revised August 10, 2021, section 8.22. ICRI 310.2R CSP 1 to 3, 28 day cure, ASTM F1869 listed, 50 to 120°F, 5.0 to 8.0 wet and 3.0 to 5.0 dry mils, 206 to 350 sq ft per gal with no loss factor, sweat-in, pot life, recoat and cure schedule. Read 2026-09-16.
- Technical Data, FGP MV 2112, 100% Solids Epoxy Moisture Vapor BarrierFloorguard Products, undated on its face. ASTM F1869 and F2170 limits, one test per 1,000 sq ft, CSP 3 minimum, 100 sq ft pull-off test patch, weight mix ratio, 17 to 18 mils at 90 to 94 sq ft per gal, 25 to 38 minute pot life, recoat 11 to 16 hr in the table and 12 to 16 hr in the instructions, 48 hr maximum. Read 2026-09-16.
Figures here last checked against the source documents on 2026-09-16. Codes are amended locally; confirm against the edition your jurisdiction enforces.
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