If you're thinking about undertaking an epoxy bar top project, a key question you'll likely have is the cost involved in epoxy-coating your bar top surface.
Getting a sense of your total involves answering a few questions and making decisions for a few variables, chief among them being whether or not to apply a seal coat (which is advisable), as well as determining what the thickness of your epoxy finish should be.
Additionally, depending on the size of your project, as well as the quality of the epoxy you use and whether you'll be applying it yourself, the price can fluctuate significantly.
How Much Does an Epoxy Bar Top Cost?
An easy way to figure out your expected epoxy costs involves going through a simple list and figuring out what you need and what you don't.
In this Primaloc Answers guide, we'll talk about:
- Measuring Your Bar Top
- Deciding Which Types of Coatings to Apply
- Calculating the Total Amount of Epoxy You'll Need
- Estimating the Final Costs of the Epoxying Process.
Let's take a look!
Step #1: Measuring Your Bar Top
The first thing you should do is get a fairly accurate idea of how much surface area you'll be covering. This can be done by gathering the dimensions of your bar top substrate.
In most cases, a bar top is relatively simple in shape, so all you need to do is measure segments of it, length by width, to get a square footage, then add those numbers together to get your total size.
To get your square footage, get out your calculator and do the following:
- In inches, measure the length (e.g., 60 in.) of your substrate. Then measure the width (e.g., 24 inches).
- Multiply the length by the width. In our example that would be 60 by 24, resulting in a total of 1,440 square inches.
- To then get the square footage, you'll divide that total by 144. In this case 1,440 divided by 144 equal 10.
So, the total in our example would be 10 square feet. Mark it down.
Step #2: Deciding Which Types of Coatings to Apply
Once you've got your square footage, the next thing to figure out is which coatings you'll need to apply during your epoxy project.
Most bar tops need two different types of coatings. The first is an epoxy seal coat, and the second is an epoxy flood coat.
What Is an Epoxy Seal Coat?
An epoxy seal coat is the first coating generally applied to any epoxy project. It involves a thin layer of epoxy resin that is manually brushed on using a brush with tightly clamped bristles that won't fall out.
A seal coating's purpose is to release air from porous materials, which most bar tops are made from. These include materials such as wood, marble, granite, and more. By appling a thin coat of epoxy, air is pushed out of the substrate's pores and is able to escape through the epoxy layer, despite epoxy's viscous nature; this greatly reduces the number of air bubbles that may appear during flood coat application, making them much easier to clear away.
The seal coat is what primes a substrate for a strong, clean bond later on when a flood coat is to be applied, and is crucial for that iconic glasslike finish.
What Is an Epoxy Flood Coat?
An epoxy flood coat is a thick, smooth, and high-gloss finish. This method involves pouring a larger amount of epoxy resin over a substrate surface and allowing it to "flood" out to the edges, covering the entire area in a self-leveling layer that cures to form a clear, durable coating.
The flood coat is always applied after a seal coat. The thickness of a flood coat can vary but is typically around 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch. This method not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the surface by adding depth and brilliance but also protects it from scratches, stains, and water damage.
Our Primaloc Bar & Table Top Epoxy Resin self-levels to 1/8 inch, making it twice as thick as many competitors, with a much stronger finish that cures crystal-clear.
So Which Coatings Will You Need?
In most cases, a bar top epoxy project will require 1 seal coat and 1 flood coat.
For some substrate materials, multiple seal coats may be necessary, though this is rare if the initial seal coat is applied properly. Additional seal coats are more for unusually porous substrates—usually wood—and for preserving materials that aren't in good condition (but which may have other inherent worth, likely due to sentimental or aesthetic value).
Step #3: Calculating the Total Amount of Epoxy You'll Need
Once you know your bar top dimensions and understand which coatings you intend to apply and how many of each you'll need, it becomes a straightforward task to figure out the total.
For quick assistance, take a look at our Epoxy Coverage Page, which lists common values for Primaloc Epoxy Resin coverage.
Epoxy resins provide different amounts of coverage depending on the brand and epoxy variant. Below, we've explained how to calculate your total estimated needs based on our Primaloc Bar & Table Top Epoxy.
Calculating Primaloc Epoxy Coverage
A single gallon of Primaloc Epoxy will cover the following, depeniding on coating type:
- For a seal coat: 48 sq. ft. per gallon
- For a flood coat: 16 sq. ft. per gallon
Using these numbers you can figure out what you need.
First, divide your square footage by 48 to get the total amount needed for your seal coat.
Here's an example—imagine a 10 sq. ft. bar top substrate:
- For the seal coat, divide 10 by 48. This gives you about .22—nearly 1/4 of a gallon (1 quart).
- Then, for a flood coat, divide 10 by 16. This comes out to 0.625—which is 5/8ths of a gallon.
- Add these two together and you get 0.845 gallons.
- Round that up to the nearest available quantity, and you'll find that you need 1 gallon of epoxy for a 10 sq. ft. bar top substrate.
This method can be applied to any shape/size substrate as long as you measure the dimensions correctly of the substrate you'll be coating.
Step #4: Estimating the Final Costs of the Epoxying Process
Once you've determined the amount of epoxy you need, you can estimate the costs.
First, find out the cost of ordering the amount of epoxy you need from your chosen epoxy brand. At Primaloc, it's as easy as visiting our Primaloc Epoxy Resin and choosing a quantity to add to your cart.
Next, you'll need to decide whether you'll be handling the process yourself as a DIY project, or if you'll be hiring contractors to handle the task for you. Professionals can make the process a breeze, but doing so can add significantly to the total cost of your bar top endeavor.
Don't Compromise on Epoxy
When choosing an epoxy brand, be wary of sellers with surprisingly low prices. Low-cost resin products are often subpar in quality, and many dealers import their epoxy resins from overseas to bypass quality-assurance regulations.
Instead, look for epoxy resin from credible brands that are manufactured in the United States.
Save money on bigger projects by ordering from Primaloc. Our premium Bar Top Epoxy gets cheaper per gallon when you order multiple and is 100% Made in the USA.
Primaloc Epoxy: Premium Epoxy for Premium Results
When it comes to epoxy resin, Primaloc Epoxy gets the job done. Our epoxy resin is premium-grade, with high performance in every category.
Epoxy resin can be beautiful, strong, and long-lasting—which is why you shouldn't compromise on quality. With Primaloc Epoxy Resin, you get the ultimate finish in durability and visual appeal.
Protect your surfaces by giving them a rock-solid epoxy finish. Choose strong. Choose reliable. Choose Primaloc.