How Long Will My New Epoxy Floor Take to Install?

So you've decided you want to install a do-it-yourself epoxy kits, but you don't know what kind of time investment is required to get the job done properly? Here's a quick rundown of how these kits allow for the easiest application possible, leaving you with a one-day project you can take pride in.

fleck 5600 water softener

With an all-in-one kit that will be delivered right to your door, you will have all the tools necessary to tackle your garage floor project without the worry of running out of supplies or needing additional gear. A flooring prep will help prepare the surface to securely bond with the epoxy, and can be quickly mixed and applied to remove excess mortar from the floor so that it's primed and ready for application. You merely scrub away the debris and wait for the surface to dry, so you can move onto your next step within a couple of hours.

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To apply the flooring, you begin by mixing the two included packages together until they create a smooth, homogenous blend of epoxy. Once the two parts are mixed you will have up to a half an hour of time to apply the epoxy to the surface of the concrete using a supplied roller, however, in most cases it should only take around ten to fifteen minutes to apply the flooring per kit. From there, it's a simple matter of applying the anti-skid fleck to the still-wet surface using a simple underhand toss to broadcast it in a uniform manner. The fleck will then sink into the wet epoxy coating, levelling itself with the rest of the garage floor.

After applying the fleck, you will have a 24-hour wait until the epoxy has thoroughly dried and you can get back to work in your garage. This wait ensures that the garage floor epoxy achieves maximum adhesion with the concrete beneath, protecting it from wear while giving you an exceptional surface to work on for years to come. A one-day project-it's that simple!

How Long Will My New Epoxy Floor Take to Install?

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Have Hard Water? - Install a Water Softener

Water, long acknowledged as the purest of elements, has become a little scary in the last few decades. Most people don't feel comfortable drinking straight from the tap any longer. One of the most popular solutions for many homes is a water softener. But how do you know how to choose the right water softener?

water softener systems

Step 1 - Test your Water
Your first step should be to figure out just how hard your water is. Water softeners work by removing elements like calcium and magnesium, so you need to know just how much of these elements you're dealing with and how powerful a system you'll need.

WATER SOFTENER

If you've noticed that you have a hard time lathering soap or shampoo, you most likely have hard water. You can purchase a water testing kit and run the test yourself or hire a professional to come by and assess your water.

Step 2 - How much water do you use?
Once you have an idea of the hardness of your water, calculate your household usage in gallons. The average American can use as much as 50 to 80 gallons of water in a single day! Even when considering that some gallons are 'shared' (cooking, laundry), a household of 4 can still use 300 gallons in one day.

Step 3 - How much time do you have?
Lastly, you should consider how much time you have in your schedule to devote to the cleaning, running and maintenance of your water softening system. There is a wide range in usability and automation when it comes to water softeners. If you're a very busy person without much time on your hands, you won't want a unit that needs to be monitored constantly or thoroughly cleaned regularly. You should choose one that fits in well with your schedule and lifestyle.

Step 4 - Choose a water softener!
With all of this information on hand, you'll be ready to start looking at units. If your water has high levels of calcium or magnesium, you'll need to consider larger, more powerful units.

The 'strength' of a water softener is measured in how many 'grains' the unit can remove from a gallon. Calculating how many grains your household needs cleaned is easy: multiply the number of people in your home by the number of gallons they use and then multiply this by the hardness (or amount of grains) calculated by your water test... Using average consumption and the average grain of water in the United States, the calculation for a 3-person household would look like this:

3 people x 100 gallons each x 10 grains = 3000 grains a day

A household with these results would get by well with a smaller, 24,000 to 32,000 grain water softener. Units can run as high as 100,000+ grains for larger households or harder water. It's as easy as that! By following these few simple steps, you'll be on your way to the kind of water you and your family deserve.

Have Hard Water? - Install a Water Softener

WATER SOFTENER

Water Softeners - Save Hundreds of Dollars With an Easy to Install Device

Reducing the calcium or magnesium ion concentration in hard water is not rocket science and can be easily achieved by installing a water softener. This gets rid of lots of the problems associated with hard water and at the same time reduces energy costs of heating water with pipes full of limescale. So in short, a water softener device can be a great idea to add to your home.

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There are some major issues that hard water causes. Firstly, the calcium and magnesium react with soaps and sensitive detergents, hindering their ability to lather and forming the ugly precipitate that will all know as limescale buildup. Presence of these minerals also inhibits the cleaning effect of detergent formulations.

WATER SOFTENER

Not only this, calcium and magnesium carbonates tend to stick to the surfaces of pipes and heat exchanger surfaces. The scale build-up resulting from this can restrict water flow in pipes. In boilers, the build-up acts as thermal insulation that impedes the flow of heat into the water. This not only reduces heating efficiency, but allows the metal to overheat which, in a pressurized system, can lead to failure.

The presence certain minerals in water can also lead to galvanic corrosion, in which one metal will preferentially corrode when in contact with another type of metal. The use of water softeners can actually aggravate this and cause the heating elements in hot water heaters to corrode more quickly.

Early water-softening devices intended for household use depended on an ion-exchange resin in which "hardness" ions trade places with the sodium that is found in the water softening device. Water softeners are typically used when water is supplied from wells, and I receive correspondence from people all the time asking for help with hard water stains that their water has caused. Public water systems are also susceptible to hard water, although this is much less common.

There are various other ways of treating hard water including water filters, electromagnetic water conditioners and reverse osmosis. In the next article in this series we will look at the pros and cons of several of the available methods to treat water containing high levels of calcium and magnesium which are the cause of hard water stains forming on fixtures and fittings around the home.

Water Softeners - Save Hundreds of Dollars With an Easy to Install Device

WATER SOFTENER

How To Install A Water Softener

You've researched and purchased a water softener, the next step is to learn how to install a water softener. In order to be sure that the machine that you've spent your time researching and money purchasing works properly, you must know how to install it properly.

water softener resin

Your water softener should have come with installation instructions and these will be important to pay attention to. Each water softener will have their own specifics when it comes to their actual installation, but there are several aspects of water softener installation that are common to all types.

WATER SOFTENER

The location that you choose for your water softener should be given much consideration. If the tank is kept indoors it is very important that it be kept in a dry area that does not have much fluctuation in temperatures. If the water softener that you've chosen is two tanks be sure that two are close together and the brine tank is the one that is most accessible.

That is the one that you will need to refill so you'll be able to get to it when necessary. If your tank will be installed outdoors it will need to be located in an area that is away from the direct sunlight. Many tanks can be purchased with a jacket that will protect the unit from the sunlight and other inclement weather.

In addition to the electricity outlet location, which needs to be less than 50 feet from the water softener unit, you will also need to have a drain in the vicinity that is at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You may use tubing to extend to a drain that is slightly out of the way. You may choose flexible tubing or a more rigid PVC tube. Either one should extend to the drain so that the backwash will be directed to that drain and not elsewhere.

If your media is not installed in your tank prior to installation, you will have to do this step as well. The way you install this will depend upon the size of your tank and whether or not your tank has a turbulator. A larger tank of 64,000 grains or a tank that does not have a turbulator will require a gravel underbed.

Once the gravel is in place you will be able to follow the directions and install the media in the tank. Following this you will be able to install the bypass valve and then the inlet outlet water connections according to the included instructions.

The next step in the water softener installation process will be to take the brine tubing and connect the water softener control valve and the brine tank. Once this tubing is in place you can connect the brine tank overflow. You can do this by attaching the 5/8'' tubing from the brine tank and run it to the drain.

Then you need to program the control that will be responsible for softening the water correctly. Run the backwash cycle and look for leaks and tighten any loose fittings. Watch the tank as it runs through a cycle of water to be sure that everything works correctly.

The preceding instructions are very general and should only be applied in combination with the instructions that have come with your unit. Learning how to install a water softener doesn't have to be difficult. In no time you'll have a working unit and will not have to deal with the expense or hassles of having someone else install your unit.

How To Install A Water Softener

WATER SOFTENER