Do I have to remove old epoxy before recoating a bar top or floor?

Usually not. To refinish an epoxy surface that has bubbled, weathered or otherwise gone bad, we simply recommend sanding down and recoating. You don't need to strip off all of the old epoxy as long as a layer of it still covers the whole area.

1. Sand the surface with any grit you like, then finish with 220-320 grit sandpaper. 2. Wipe the sanding dust off with a clean rag and denatured alcohol or acetone. 3. Once the surface is clean and dry, pour a new flood coat of UltraClear Bar & Table Top Epoxy directly over it.

The new coat fills in the sanding scratches and cures to a clear, glass-like finish again, as long as you follow the correct mixing procedures.

This works over other brands of epoxy too. Many customers have used Bar & Table Top Epoxy over another brand's cured epoxy without issues after the same scuff-sand and clean. Just remove as much of any sticky or uncured material from the old product as you can first, using a plastic scraper and acetone or denatured alcohol.

If you do sand through to bare wood or another porous substrate, brush on a seal coat before the flood coat, just as you would on a new project.