Immediate help with UCoatIt needed...

[Cobaby]

Hey Guys,
As I type, my base coat is drying. However; I feel as though something is wrong.
1. Can I apply to thin a coat?
2. How do I know how thick it needs to be?
3. Do I need to apply a second coat if first one is to thin?
4. I have used only half of the base coat I was sent.
This tells me I applied to thin. Should I apply a second
coat?

Any help from you with experience with this stuff is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again, and I'll see you at DVSF III!!

Cobaby

[dexter]

Hmmmm.... I just finished doing a UCoat-it floor on my new garage a couple of weeks ago, but I'm pretty sure I don't understand enough about the chemistry in the bonding process to give anything other than a random answer. So here's my random answer - I'd do a second thin coat using the remainder of the bonding stuff (Part C) mixed in with the Parts A & B. Then continue with what the instructions call the second coat (the top coat) per the instructions. If you're not doing the gloss clear coat on top, maybe call UCoat-it on Monday & see if they'd recommend it as kind of a sealer in your situation. I put it on (the AF coat) and it definitely made the floor tougher, although the AF stuff is a b**ch to put on. It's solvent based, so you've got to turn out the pilot lights in your furnace and water heater. I ended up doing the AF coat on a fairly warm day & the pot life of the epoxy I found to be shorter than the instructions said - I had to work like a MF to get it all down before it started turning to glue. All that said, two weeks later it seems to be as hard as rock.

[Cobaby]

Hey Dexter, I poured the 24 x 30 slab on 3/31. My neighbor, an electrician, is wiring the building. We recently had a string of tornados come through town and now he is covered up with work. So..... while he is restoring power to residences, I decided to put this down. Being as it is still a shell, I needent worry about gas or electricity yet. Yes, I am using the AF Gloss as well. Thanks for the tip concerning the timeframe I need to work with. Light Gray, no flakes. As you know from the instructions, I have a day or two before I have to spread the finish coat. It is calling for rain tomorrow, so I will probably wait till Tuesday to spread it with the Gloss Wednesday with low humidity to keep the haze away. I will call UCoatIt Monday to see if a second coat would be okay, then push back my schedule a day to do so.

I see it would be a long trip for you, but are you going to DVSF III?

Thanks again for the info and idea.

Cobaby

[dexter]

The garage floor I covered had been poured last September, although I just closed on the house at the end of April.

I can't remember how long the slab is supposed to cure before using UCoat-it - did you check with them? I thought it was 90 days, but maybe it was 30, I can't remember.

I won't make the DVSF this year - I'm just now moving into my house and I've got months of stuff I'll need to do it (landscaping, installing 4 post lift, installing the home theater, etc. etc. etc.).

[CobERA]

Cobaby,

I just applied UCoatIt to my garage floor this weekend. I was a little concerned after the bonding coat. The coverage did not seem very consistent or thick. Within 24 hours, I applied the top coat, with flexs, and it came out great. The next day I applied the Gloss AF and the results are fanatastic. To early to discuss durability cause I haven't even walked on it yet, but it looks good.

Therefore, I would not be too concerned about that first coat.

I went with medium blue. It's bright! I'll try to post a picture later.

Good-luck,

[Chaplin]

I'm doing mine this weekend. I've had the UCoat it kit for a month and a half and haven't had a day when its been warm enough or not rained. We have had some miserable weather this year Hopefully, this weekend it will get done.

Any pointers, or is it simply follow directions and you'll be fine?

[snake oil]

When I applied the u coat-it the first application is put on thin with the floor wet and is supposed to soak into the concrete this is what makes it a primer coat, and allows the second coat to bond to it. That is how I understood it anyway.
So it sounds like you did it right.

I put mine on about a year ago looks great.
My brother in law used a garage floor paint.... OOOOOPS!!!!
His floor is now peeling. How do you like that?
Did'nt want to spend the extra few bucks and wait for delivery.
But now every time I go to his house I just shake my head.
And his response is : Owww, just shut up I don't want to hear it!
Moral of the story; Do it once do it right!

[ohekk]

How much did the U Coat it system cost you guys per sq ft?

I've got about 5000 sq ft of concrete floor to do. lots of joints due to previous patched areas...some uneveness.

you mentioned a short "pot life" is my area too big to attempt in
1 application?.

thanks
Tom

[dexter]

ohekk - they give it to you in batches that you mix on site, I think each batch does up to around 500 feet (check with them on this, I did 675 sq ft and I had big cans and a small half batch for each coat). The pot life for me on the first two (water based coats) was fine. The top coat, AF, the solvent based coat, I put down on a day when the temp was in the high 70's and I had to fly to get each batch down while it was still workable. It's easily doable, especially if you're not working by yourself like I was.

Cost for me was I think around $1.30 to $1.40 sq ft if I'm doing the math right.

Chaplin - the only thing I'd add to the instructions, which I thought were good, is the recommendation that if you're doing the "flecked" surface, you probably don't need to add the silica after the first coat to get a non slip surface - the flecks have a texture and they don't lay down perfectly smoothly. In the end it's personal preference though. I added it & it's fine, just extra non slip.

[Cobaby]

Hey Guys, thanks for the replies.
Dexter - info pack reads cure time is 30 days. I waited 60.

CobERA - The coat did go on thin at first. As I realized I would have excess base coat, I put on a "little" extra. Therefore, I think it could be said that the area was not entirely consistant.

Snakeoil - You're right. The only way to do it is right the first time. My brother will be ordering in the future.

ohekk - Check with 1-800-ucoatit. It seems as though I read where very large areas could be sold cheaper and in larger quantities, but I'm not sure on that. Total cost to me was approximately $1.05 / sq ft.

Chaplin - this thread has confirmed my decision. The video and instruction book was great and easy. I followed both as close as I could. Know them well before starting.

Finally, on the subject of my original question, I called UCoatIt today and they stated that I should be fine and was not concerned about the thickness of the first base coat, or even the need for a second coat of base. Even with the rain, I can wait a day or two before applying the finish coat. However, they said time it so that 24 hrs after applying the finish coat, apply the Gloss AF on a day where the humidity was below 75%. This will decrease any haze to the final appearance that occurs when applied in high humidity.

I have no doubt it will turn out brilliantly!!

Hope this helps you guys as much as it helped me.

Cobaby

[Cobaby]

Today couldn't have been better!! 65F and 65% humidity!! Perfiect conditions to apply the Gloss AF finish and not be rushed to get it down before it starts to get really tacky!! So far, it couldn't look better......now for a Cobra to put on it!!!

See you at DVSF III!!

Cobaby

[Chaplin]

Glad you've got some good weather. It's still raining and raining and raining . . . well you get the picture