Garage Flooring Now Approves Surface Gel Tek
While mechanical grinding is still the preferred method of preparing concrete such as a garage floor for coatings, Garage Flooring now approves Surface Gel Tek item number TGK for acid etching your garage floor.
Coverage: 1 Gallon will etch 300-350 Sq. Ft. of smooth troweled concrete. Two important notes: First, if you do not get all the material off the floor it will destroy your coating. Use baking soda in the water when removing as an extra precaution. Second, there is a good video at the bottom of the page. It is not our video, and it is not the manufacturers’ video, but it provides a good overview. Read the instructions.
This product is approved for use with our Polyurea Garage Floor Coating System, and both 100% solids Garage Floor Epoxy. When properly applied it yields great results for most brands of garage floor epoxy, but we cannot specifically approve for brands that are not our own. This approval is valid only on concrete that has not been previously treated or sealed and is in good condition. Before applying any of our coatings, you will want to make sure you have a surface profile equivalent to 120 grit sandpaper.
Because of the gel, the product also helps to clean any oil, dirt, and grease stains! The waste becomes caught in the gel and can be disposed of. Please note if oil or other contaminants are trapped in the gel you need to follow local regulations for disposal.
This product requires special certifications to ship. It is packaged to be shipped only one time. This product may not be returned or refunded at any time for any reason. The success of this product is completely dependent on the applicator. Read our related article about the Do’s and Dont’s of Garage Floor Paint.
Gel Acid Etch Medium. No Returns, All Sales Final on this product.
SKU: TGP
Price Each:
Tek Gel™ for Profiling: – Medium grade gelled acid.
TEKGEL Home | Etching ConcreteTGP is used for etching concrete when: A 120 sand paper grit opening or profile is required. This is the profile most manufacturers of coatings, sealers and paints require in order for them to stand behind the warranty of their products. The secondary colorant is not an acid based stain. We have many contractors use TGP and still get fantastic acid stain burn, however, unless you′re a seasoned applicator, you may be playing with fire. TGP is designed to be aggressive on top laitance.
Surface Gel Tek has many advantages over other methods of garage floor preparation. Unlike traditional acid etching, the product is neutralized with water. This product contains no VOCs and can be flushed into the sewer in many circumstances — see MSDS for details. Unlike grinding, this process will not generate any silica dust or noise pollution.
We recommend TGP for etching when a 120 sandpaper grit opening or profile is required. This is the profile required by most manufacturers of sealers, coatings, and paints for them to stand behind the warranty of their products.
Our retail price for this product includes the FedEx ground HazMat fee. Because of this, we discount the product based on the number of gallons you are purchasing. Five gallons would be more expensive per gallon than four gallons because we can fit only four gallons to a case.
Why Etching Is Important
Given the abuse and damage that garage floors tend to sustain, it’s no mystery why a lot of people want to give theirs a new paint job or install new flooring. But what many don’t realize is that this job will be doomed to failure if it is done improperly. The simple fact is that concrete floors, in their natural state, are not conducive to painting or flooring—the new material will not adhere to the floor. That’s because the floors must first go through the process known as etching.
Etching involves using an acid, mechanical grinding, or another process to abrade the concrete floor. This process roughs up the concrete surface, which permits paints and flooring materials to stick to it. Keep in mind, however, that this job is potentially dangerous and should be undertaken only with the right materials and guidance.
