Whenever it comes to coating floors, tiles, concretes, or paints, you might have thought of epoxy. Epoxy is generally epoxy resin and one of the most popular polymeric materials. We use epoxy for different purposes.
Sometimes, people use epoxy to use over building materials, sometimes for protecting a surface or making jewelry products.
So, you might be confused about whether you can use epoxy over paint. Generally, epoxy is used over different types of surfaces. But you have to know about the effectiveness of epoxy over paint. Moreover, whether epoxy will stick to the painted surface or not is also an issue.
Can you epoxy over paint?
You can use epoxy over paint. Generally, epoxy resin sticks to most of the surfaces. Besides, epoxy has good compatibility with paints. You can apply epoxy flooring over paint. Even you can use epoxy on painted concrete, wood, and other surfaces. But you must allow curing time to set the epoxy.
Now, you might be thinking that paints can exist in different forms and types. All surfaces might not be suitable to use epoxy on them. So, let’s see on which painted surface you can apply epoxy.
Latex paint:
You can use epoxy over latex paint. Generally, epoxy has good bonding with latex paint. So, the epoxy will remain on the surface and make the paint look more beautiful. Sometimes, the floorings are painted with latex then used epoxy. This creates a glossy look for the flooring.
Acrylic paint:
You can also use epoxy over acrylic paint. Generally, mixing epoxy with acrylic is not recommended. But you can mix them with an appropriate ratio. Moreover, you can give a coating of epoxy over acrylic.
Spray paint:
Using epoxy over the spray paint is pretty popular. You can use epoxy resin over spray paint. Even the coating of epoxy makes the spray paint more attractive.
Glossy spray paint:
You can use epoxy over glossy spray paint. Generally, glossy spray paint is glossy and beautiful itself. But if you use epoxy over it, the paint will look glossier and create a protective layer on the paint.
Chalk paint:
Like most other paints, epoxy also has good compatibility with chalk paint. So, you can coat a layer of epoxy resin over chalk paint.
Oil-based paint:
You can use epoxy over oil-based paint but you have to seal the surface before applying the epoxy. Because oil-based paint takes a long time to dry. That’s why you need to dry and seal the surface first. Then you can apply epoxy resin.
Floor paint:
You can also use epoxy over floor paint. Epoxy is pretty popular for applying on the floor. If you apply epoxy over floor paint, the floor will look glossy, and cleaning the floor will also be easy.
Gloss paint:
Epoxy is also compatible with gloss paint. Though gloss paint is attractive, you can use epoxy to make the paint protected.
Glow in the dark paint:
You can mix the glow-in-the-dark paint and epoxy to apply on a surface. Moreover, you can also provide a coating of epoxy resin over the glow-in-the-dark paint.
Enamel paint:
Enamel paint is also a protecting coating like epoxy. But still, you can use epoxy over enamel paint. But make sure to apply a primer before using the paint. Then you can give a coat of epoxy resin over the enamel paint.
Lacquer paint:
You can use epoxy resin over lacquer paint because epoxy can stick to almost all surfaces. Moreover, if you want to make the epoxy durable over lacquer paint, you need to cure the lacquer paint first. Then you can apply epoxy over it.
Water-based paint:
Water-based paint is the best paint to use epoxy over it. Because epoxy resin makes the best bonding with water-based paint. Moreover, this paint dries quickly. So, you can easily apply epoxy over water-based paint.
Can you epoxy a painted concrete floor?
Yes, you can epoxy a painted concrete floor. Epoxy is one of the most popular coatings for concrete floors. But when the floor has a painted surface, you might be confused about applying epoxy over it.
But the good news is epoxy can stick to the painted surface. Even, most of the paints like water-based paints, latex, acrylic, spray, glossy, etc., paints are compatible with epoxy.
So, when you apply epoxy over these paints of a concrete floor, the epoxy will stick to the surface and remain durable for a long time.
Ensure that the paint is dry before applying the epoxy. Moreover, prepare the surface well so that the epoxy can be effective on the painted concrete floor.
Can you epoxy over painted wood?
Yes, you can epoxy over painted wood. Because epoxy can stick to most of the surfaces. Moreover, epoxy can create a strong bond with the painted surface. Even you can use epoxy on both wood and painted wood.
Most of the paints are compatible with epoxy. So, epoxy will remain on most of the paints. If you want to paint wood and give an epoxy coating over the paint, you should use water-based paint.
Water-based paint will dry fast and make the surface suitable to use epoxy on it. Moreover, water-based paint will also hold the epoxy effectively and make the overall surface protected.
What kind of paint can you epoxy over?
Water-based paint is the best kind you can epoxy over. Generally, if you want to epoxy over paint, you have to use such a paint that dries quickly. So, water-based paint is perfect for this because it dries pretty fast.
Moreover, acrylic and latex are also suitable for epoxy. Because if you apply epoxy over latex or acrylic paint, the epoxy will enhance the outlook more. Besides, spray paint, glossy paint, chalk paint, etc., will also be suitable to use epoxy resin.
If you want to apply epoxy by mixing with paint, you can use epoxy paint. Because epoxy paint will act like both paint and epoxy. Otherwise, you can use water-based or acrylic paint for the best result.
How long to wait before epoxy-painted concrete?
You should wait at least 30 days before epoxy-painted concrete. This time is needed to make the painted concrete ready by curing. Generally, concrete will need around 28 days to cure completely. Then the paint will need a couple of days to dry.
Generally, you have to wait for applying the epoxy if the concrete is painted. Because you should not use epoxy over paint if the paint is not dried completely. If you apply epoxy over painted concrete without curing the paint first, the epoxy will not stick to the surface.
Moreover, the epoxy will not be durable over the surface. So, you should wait until the painted concrete is not ready.
How to apply epoxy paint to the Painted cement floor?
You might know that you can epoxy paint over a painted cement floor. So, if you want to use epoxy over your floor, you need to follow an appropriate process. Let’s see how you can apply epoxy paint to the painted cement floor.
Cleaning:
The first and important step is to clean the cement floor. Clean all types of dirt, dust, grease, oil, etc., from the surface. Besides, scrub off any debris on the surface.
Then you have to clean with water and make the whole surface wet. You can use a hose to clean and wet the cement surface.
Etching:
Then you have to scrub and etch the cement floor for making it ready. You have to create a mixture of water and etching solution according to the instructions. Try to follow the instructions strictly.
Then you have to apply the solution by power scrub. Scrub and etch the entire cement floor with the mixture.
Preparing the epoxy:
You need to prepare the epoxy before applying it to the surface. Generally, epoxy paint has two contents, the catalyst, and the resin. So, you have to mix them with instructions and stir well.
Applying the epoxy:
After preparing the epoxy, you can apply the epoxy paint to the cement surface. You need to tape the area where you don’t want to apply the epoxy. Then use the epoxy all over the area using a brush and roller. You can also apply multiple coats if you want a thicker coating.
Finishing:
Finally, dry the epoxy well and let it cure completely. Then remove the tapes from the edges.
Final Thoughts
Epoxy is a compatible coating that goes well with most of the surface. So, you can apply epoxy over paint. Epoxy will stick to different types of paints. Even you can use it over painted wood. But if you want to use epoxy over the most compatible paint, you can use water-based paint.