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:
- “My epoxy is peeling off the garage floor.”
- “It’s bubbling.”
- “There are patches where it’s worn through.”
- “It’s turned yellow and chalky.”
- “I spent the weekend doing it and now it looks terrible.”
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:
- Bubbles
- Peeling
- Whole sheets of epoxy lifting off after a few months
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:
- Inconsistent curing
- Sticky or soft spots
- Bubbles
- Poor adhesion
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:
- Primer
- High-build base
- Optional flakes or broadcast
- UV-stable topcoat
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:
- Humidity on install day
- Slab temperature
- Cure time between coats
👉 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:
- Not match the gloss or depth of a pro floor
- Show imperfections in concrete
- Be prone to roller marks and lap lines
- Lack proper slip resistance
- Not last nearly as long
👉 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:
- Low-use → no hot car parking
- For storage only
- Already in poor condition → a temporary cosmetic fix is fine
- You’re renting → don’t want to spend big
✅ 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:
- For valuable cars
- For workshops
- For home gyms
- For entertaining
✅ If you want:
- Long-term durability
- High gloss and even finish
- No hot tire pickup
- Chemical and stain resistance
- No lifting or bubbling
👉 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.