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IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE BUYING/USING OUR EPOXIES

Temperature warnings:

Most epoxies are best applied at temperatures around 65 to 75 degrees F. Epoxies are GREATLY affected by temperature. At higher temperatures the pot life is greatly shortened and the epoxy becomes thinner (less viscous). At lower temperatures the pot life is longer and the epoxy is thicker. Note that epoxy stored in a hot or cold place (like outside at night) will take hours to warm/cool to ‘room temperature.' The more epoxy you mix up and keep concentrated (such as in a bucket or pail) the shorter the potlife (meaning mix up small batches and spread out the epoxy as soon as possible). At temperatures of 60 degrees or so, pot life could be an hour plus. At temperatures over 75 degrees F, pot life could be as short ast 15 - 20 minutes. Most epoxy chemists/manufacturers do not recommend application below 50 degrees F or over 80 degrees F. Potlife is also affected by the amount and concentration of the epoxy you mix up. Small batches, spread out, such as on a floor, will have a much longer pot life than a larger batch left in a bucket.

Don't mix up more epoxy than you can use in 15-20 minutes until you can determine the pot life (working time) in your situation.

At the end of pot life the epoxies generate a lot of heat, enough to melt thin plastic containers, etc. See our POTLIFE page - click here.

Shipping restrictions:

Many of our epoxies are subject to shipping restrictions. This doesn't increase your shipping costs, but it means we cannot ship these epoxies by air (surface only) and cannot ship these products outside the USA. MORE INFO - CLICK HERE.

Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii is almost like shipping out of the country. Most packages go by Air, but our restricted epoxies MUST be shipped by surface means which can take weeks. Even our unrestricted epoxies are priced for surface shipping. To ship these by air, call so that the extra shipping charges can be computed.

CANADA AND MEXICO - easiest to ship to a US address and have someone deliver the products by hand.

Surface Preparation notes:

Surface preparation, and the selection of the correct product, is the sole responsibility of the end user (visit our surface preparation page: www.epoxyproducts.com/prep.html).

Shot blasting, sand blasting, ultra high pressure water and acidizing http://www.epoxyproducts.com/acid.html are common surface preparation methods. Surface pH neutralizing and a 'micro-salt' remover wash might be helpful or necessary. We do sell an acid powder (mix with hot water) that can be used for acidizing concrete, as well as a micro-salt removing wash.

Application notes:

Most epoxies can be thinned with a bit of solvent. Most solvents like MEK, Lacquer thinner, acetone, xylene (not paint thinner) can be used. A little bit of solvent will noticeably thin the epoxy and will also add a few minutes of additional potlife. Solvents are not especially good for the epoxies, so add solvent sparingly.

Using ‘regular' fiber 3/8 inch paint rollers can create a problem. Fibers/lint will come off the roller and the epoxy will seem too thick to apply easily. We sell a shorter nap, low lint, 9 inch standard roller specifically one designed for adhesives and epoxies ($6). See our product page. Also, see our page on rolling (click here). Paint pads seem to work better than paint rollers because the back side of the roller removes much of the epoxy the front side of the roller lays down.

Measure out the epoxy in disposable plastic cups. You can toss them when they become sticky and messy! People that work a lot with epoxies generally measure them out by weight instead of volume. Do not alter the

Open the metal cans with a 'triangular' can openner. Pour the epoxy out as needed. This is easier than removing the lids.

With all epoxies, we recommend all recoats should be applied within 24 hours to avoid having to sand between coats.

Batch Colors:

Colors can vary from batch to batch. Especially with floor epoxies this can be a problem. Always open and check all the Part A cans of your order prior to mixing and begining your project. Blend the Part A units together if there is a noticable color difference in one or two of the units.

Returns/Warranty:

Generally all sales are final. Test first (that's why we sell small 'test' amounts of most of our products). The final decision and responsibility for selecting the right product, correct preparation and amount of product is the responsibility of the purchaser.

See http://www.epoxyproducts.com/legal.html

Payment/Credit:

We accept visa, MasterCard and discover cards. Our credit policy is your credit card. With few exceptions nothing is shipped without prepayment. Nothing leaves the country without payment in full.

Water-based products:

Generally water based products cannot be allowed to freeze, thus shipping may or may not be possible during winter.


Underwater epoxies:

Some of our epoxies are designed for underwater application. However, there are lots of special ‘underwater' conditions that will prevent the epoxies from bonding to the underwater surfaces. Besides obvious things like marine slime, etc. electrical fields (from cathodic protection systems, dissimilar metals nearby, nearby welding, etc.) will cause rejection of the coatings. Additives mixed into poured concrete (to help cure the concrete, reduce air bubbles, etc.) can also prevent underwater adhesion. In short, always test the epoxy at the job site before committing to any underwater coating project. MORE INFO - CLICK HERE.

Swimming pools:

Swimming pools are especially problem plagued. Tread carefully here. See our web site: http://www.epoxyproducts.com/swimpool.html

Do you have everything you need? Visit our accessory page! CLICK HERE

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Knowledge is Power - We like informed consumers!

Learn the basics of epoxy at our educational EPOXY 101 page - Click Here.

Finally, email us back with your questions or comments before you buy - EMAIL HERE