How do you remove scratches from an epoxy floor?

You remove scratches from an epoxy floor by matching the fix to the depth of the damage. Light scuffs usually clean up with a pH neutral cleaner and a soft mop, while scratches that cut into the coating get a small touch up with additional kit material or a fresh coat over the whole floor. You do not need to tear out the old epoxy to make it look right again.

Here is how we walk customers through it on the phone, step by step.

First, figure out what kind of scratch you have

Before you buy anything, get on your knees with a flashlight held low across the floor. Raking light shows you exactly what you are dealing with.

• Scuff marks. Rubber marks, dull trails and haze that sit on top of the surface. These are often dirt or residue, not damage.
• Fine surface scratches. Thin lines you can see but barely feel with a fingernail. Usually from grit dragged across the floor.
• Deep scratches and gouges. Your fingernail catches. The coating is cut, and you may see a different color or bare concrete at the bottom.
• Peeling or lifting. The coating is coming off the slab. This is not a scratch problem, it is a bond problem, and it gets a different fix.

Our quartz sand system has a textured stone look, so fine scuffs tend to be less obvious than on a smooth, glossy surface. That helps, but it does not make the floor scratch proof. Treat it like any other hard working floor.

Step 1: Clean it properly before you judge it

A lot of "scratches" disappear after a real cleaning. Sweep or dust mop to pull off loose grit first, because mopping over sand just grinds it in further. Then mop with a pH neutral cleaner in warm water. Use a degreaser on oil spots.

Skip vinegar, citrus cleaners, bleach and harsh solvents. They can dull the finish and make the floor look worse than the scratch did. Let it dry and check again with your flashlight. Our full routine is in how to clean an epoxy garage floor.

Step 2: Touch up deeper scratches with kit material

If the scratch is still there after cleaning and your nail catches in it, a spot repair is the next move. Small touch ups can be made with additional kit material. Keep it simple:

1. Clean the area. Degrease it and let it dry fully. Any oil or dust left in the scratch will keep new material from bonding.
2. Abrade the area. Scuff the scratch and a small border around it so the new epoxy has something to grab. Vacuum all the dust.
3. Check your conditions. Apply only between 41°F and 90°F, with relative humidity below 65%. Cure is ideal at 68°F to 77°F.
4. Mix correctly. Use the mix ratio on the kit label. Mix with a drill and mixing paddle for 3 to 5 minutes and scrape the sides and bottom. Do not mix by hand; that causes soft spots. If your floor is tinted, the epoxy color paste goes into Part A before you combine it with Part B.
5. Work fast. Pot life is 20 to 30 minutes after mixing begins. Have your tools ready before you open the containers.
6. Fill and blend. Work the material into the scratch, feather it into the surrounding floor, and broadcast quartz aggregate evenly to match the texture around it.

A spot repair will rarely be invisible on a floor that has seen a few seasons of use, because the surrounding finish has aged. If you want a uniform look, go to step 3.

Step 3: Recoat the floor when scratches are everywhere

When a floor has scratches across most of the surface, the cleanest fix is a fresh coat. An epoxy floor can be refreshed with a new coat without removing the existing layer, once it is properly cleaned and abraded. We cover the details in can you put a second coat of epoxy on a garage floor.

The process follows our installation guide:

• Clean and degrease the entire floor, rinse and let it dry fully.
• Abrade the whole surface and vacuum every bit of dust. Leftover dust acts as a barrier layer and the new coat will not bond to it.
• Order the right number of kits. 1 kit covers 100 sq ft at about one eighth inch. A 2 car garage at about 400 sq ft takes 4 kits. Measure length x width, divide by 100, round up. Never stretch coverage; a thin coat will not level properly.
• Pour from the far corner toward the door, spread with the 22 inch squeegee, and work in 100 to 150 sq ft sections with a 4 to 6 inch overlap. Keep a wet edge.
• Defoam right away with the 20 inch defoaming roller, 2 to 3 slow passes at 50% overlap.

Plan it as a weekend: prep day one, pour day two. Then give it light foot traffic at 24 hours, full cure at 72 hours, and wait about 5 days before driving on it.

When it is not a scratch: peeling

If the coating is lifting or flaking, a touch up on top will just peel with it. Peeling almost always comes from bad prep: oil, grease or an old sealer under the coating. Our installation guide states that about 95% of epoxy failures trace back to inadequate surface prep. The fix is to grind the affected area down to bare concrete, clean it and recoat. Read what can go wrong with an epoxy floor if you are seeing this.

How to keep new scratches from showing up

• Sweep or dust mop as needed, even daily. Grit is the number one cause of scratches.
• Put mats at the door to catch sand before it reaches the floor.
• Do not drag heavy equipment. Lift it or use something with soft wheels or pads underneath.
• Wipe spills right away, and use a degreaser on oil.
• Inspect the floor once a year and handle small touch ups before they grow.

If you are still deciding on a floor and scratches are a worry, read our honest take on the disadvantages of epoxy flooring, and see how the texture compares in quartz epoxy vs flake floor.

Safety for any repair

Wear nitrile gloves, eye protection and a respirator. Ventilate during application and through the 72 hour cure, and keep kids and pets off the floor. Do not aim heat or fans directly at the surface while it cures. SDS sheets are at our SDS page.

Not sure if your scratch needs a spot fix or a full recoat? Call us at 602.600.0781, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Arizona time. Free phone support comes with every kit. We ship nationwide, and Phoenix area customers can pick up in Queen Creek with no freight charge. Check our city planning guides for local tips.

Quick answers

Can you buff scratches out of an epoxy floor?

Light surface scuffs often fade with a proper cleaning using a pH neutral cleaner in warm water. Deeper scratches that cut into the coating are better handled with a touch up using additional kit material or a fresh coat over the cleaned and abraded floor.

What causes most scratches on a garage epoxy floor?

Grit. Sand and small stones tracked in on tires and shoes get ground into the surface. Sweeping or dust mopping as needed is the simplest way to prevent them.

Do I have to remove the old epoxy to fix a scratched floor?

No. An epoxy floor can be refreshed with a new coat without removing the existing layer, as long as it is properly cleaned and abraded first. Peeling areas are different and need grinding to bare concrete.

How long before I can park on a repaired area?

Light foot traffic after 24 hours, full cure at 72 hours, and heavy traffic or driving after about 5 days.