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Common DIY Epoxy Flooring Mistakes | Tips for Sydney Homeowners

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It’s one of the most common DIY upgrades we see homeowners and small business owners attempt in Sydney:

👉 “I’m going to epoxy my own floor.”

And on the surface, it seems doable:

✅ You can buy DIY epoxy kits at Bunnings or online.
✅ There are endless YouTube tutorials showing smiling DIYers rolling on shiny epoxy floors.
✅ The cost saving is tempting — why pay $3,000–$4,000 when a kit costs $300–$600?

But here’s the harsh truth:

👉 Most DIY epoxy floors fail. (Check out Dulux Protective Coatings for more info.)
👉 Many fail fast — sometimes in under 12 months.

We know, because we get the calls:

And at that point, the fix usually costs more than a professional install would have cost in the first place.

In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the most common mistakes people make when attempting DIY epoxy flooring projects — and what you can do to avoid them if you do choose the DIY path.

Why DIY Epoxy Appeals — But Often Disappoints

Let’s start by being fair. There are good reasons people try DIY epoxy:

✅ It looks simple enough.
✅ Kits are cheap.
✅ The garage seems like a manageable space.
✅ You can do it over a weekend.
✅ It feels satisfying to improve your home yourself.

But most DIY epoxy kits are consumer-grade coatings — very different from the industrial-grade resin systems used by professionals.

And most garages (especially in Sydney) are not ready for epoxy without serious prep work.

👉 The result? Failure is common unless you know what you’re doing.

Mistake #1: Inadequate Surface Preparation

This is BY FAR the #1 reason DIY epoxy fails.

✅ Professional installers diamond grind the concrete with industrial equipment → this roughens the surface to allow mechanical bonding.

Most DIYers:

❌ Use acid etch → this barely removes laitance or contaminants
❌ Skip proper degreasing → oil in the slab will cause delamination
❌ Don’t grind → epoxy sticks to dust or sealed concrete, not the concrete itself

👉 Result:

Fact: You will NOT get professional results on unground concrete.

Mistake #2: Not Testing for Moisture

Sydney is a humid city — and concrete slabs absorb moisture from the ground below.

✅ Professionals test for moisture vapour pressure before installing epoxy.

DIYers rarely do.

👉 If there’s moisture pressure:

❌ The epoxy will bubble and lift.
❌ You may see “blisters” within weeks.
❌ No amount of topcoating will fix it.

👉 A $30 moisture test kit can save you thousands in rework.

Mistake #3: Choosing the Wrong Product

DIY kits are:

❌ Thin → often only 0.2–0.5mm thick
❌ Low-solids → don’t have the hardness or resistance of pro-grade systems
❌ Prone to yellowing → no UV protection
❌ Often just glorified paint with hardener added

👉 Professional systems are:

✅ 2–4mm thick → much stronger
✅ High-build
✅ UV-stable (with topcoat)
✅ Designed to handle hot tires, oil, chemicals, and wear

If you expect pro-grade performance from a cheap kit — you’ll be disappointed.

Mistake #4: Not Accounting for Hot Tire Pickup

One of the most common issues we see in DIY garage floors is hot tire pickup.

Here’s what happens:

✅ You park your car after a long drive — tires are hot.
✅ The heat softens the thin epoxy coating.
✅ As the tires cool and contract, they pull epoxy off the floor.

👉 This is a particular issue in Sydney garages, where temperatures swing widely.

✅ Pro-grade epoxy systems prevent this.
❌ DIY kits often don’t.

Mistake #5: Poor Mixing Technique

Epoxy is a chemical reaction — and mixing matters.

DIY mistakes include:

❌ Not mixing Part A and Part B thoroughly
❌ Not scraping sides of the bucket
❌ Mixing too fast → introducing air bubbles
❌ Taking too long to pour → pot life exceeded

👉 Result:

Tip: If you’re mixing epoxy → have a helper and a clock. You can’t dawdle.

Mistake #6: Applying Too Thin

DIYers often under-apply epoxy because:

✅ They want to “stretch the kit” → bad idea
✅ They don’t realise how much coverage is lost on rough concrete
✅ They don’t apply multiple coats (primer + base + topcoat)

👉 Thin coatings wear through quickly.

✅ A professional floor has multiple coats:

Thickness matters.

Mistake #7: Wrong Conditions

Sydney weather can wreck an epoxy install:

❌ High humidity → moisture blisters
❌ Low temperature → poor cure, soft floor
❌ Direct sun on slab → uneven cure, bubbling

DIYers often ignore:

👉 Professionals monitor all of these.

Mistake #8: No UV-Stable Topcoat

DIY kits rarely include a proper UV-stable topcoat.

👉 If your garage gets any natural light, standard epoxy will:

❌ Yellow
❌ Chalk
❌ Look terrible in under 12 months

✅ A professional install includes a polyurethane or polyaspartic topcoat to prevent this.

Mistake #9: Expecting “Showroom” Results From a DIY Job

We get it — YouTube makes DIY epoxy look easy.

Reality:

✅ A professional team takes 3–4 days, uses industrial equipment, and applies multiple layers.

A weekend DIY job with a $400 kit will:

👉 If you set realistic expectations, that’s fine. But don’t expect a $4,000 floor from a $400 kit.

When DIY Makes Sense

✅ If your garage is:

✅ Then DIY epoxy is okay — as long as you understand its limits.

When to Hire a Professional

✅ If your garage is a daily-use space:

✅ If you want:

👉 Then it’s worth investing in a professional install.

Final Thoughts

DIY epoxy is not evil — but it’s often oversold to homeowners who don’t realise what’s involved.

👉 If you go DIY:

✅ Grind the floor properly (hire equipment)
✅ Test for moisture
✅ Use multiple coats
✅ Work quickly and cleanly
✅ Understand you won’t get a showroom finish

👉 If you want a floor that will truly last:

✅ Talk to a pro Garage Epoxy Flooring contractor get it done right the first time.

It will save you money — and frustration — in the long run.

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