Problem solving on a scratch

At Real World Epoxies, a big source of satisfaction comes from helping installers solve problems. It’s just what we do! Here’s another quick example:

In a case of every project’s worst nightmare, an installer reported the decorative floor they just completed in a retail outlet had suffered large scratches in the topcoat. Luckily they hadn’t gone back to concrete, but there was now a cluster of ugly white streaks sitting proudly on the beautiful decorative epoxy flooring system (Resin Rustic). Unfortunately, it’s a scenario we’ve heard a million times before with other trades coming in and leaving a trail of destruction.

Here are some tips we offered to help him out of trouble:

• Firstly, these types of scratches are always hard to patch without making it look like a patch. In-filling with epoxy is perhaps the most obvious approach, but marrying up the sides is tricky and usually results in visible over or under-fill. Re-applying a small section of topcoat over the immediate area doesn’t really work either as it’s impossible to seamlessly blend into the original topcoat.
  
  
• Often the best outcomes are achieved when you try to conceal instead. In simple terms, this involves removing the white appearance from the jagged edge. An easy test in this regard is to lick your finger and wet the scratch – if it turns clear, you’re a chance of getting a favourable result.
  
  
• If the scratch does disappear with the wet finger test, the idea is to mimic this transformation with resin. Get the face of a clean rag and wipe the thinnest possible smear across the scratch. You’re not looking to fill the gap, just wet out the sides sufficiently to get it looking clear again and less visible to the eye.
  
  

Take care and keep smiling,

Jack Josephsen