Epoxy concrete floor coatings are a durable and attractive option for high-traffic areas, as they combine polymer resins and hardeners to create a chemical bond with the concrete. There are three types of epoxy floor coatings for garages and other concrete surfaces, each with its own advantages. Interior designer Artem Kropovinsky highlights the versatility of epoxy floors, which can be made to resemble sleek metals or stone flooring. The best epoxy floor coating produces a textured and visually appealing finish, hardening entirely after 24 hours of application.
Epoxy flooring is economical, long-lasting, and can be customized to suit specific needs. The first step in selecting the right epoxy flooring system is determining the location of the project. Aliphatic epoxies combined with a urethane epoxy topcoat are the highest quality epoxy systems. Water-based epoxy is easier to work with due to its slower drying time and increased malleability. Polyaspartic floor coatings are more durable and quicker to cure than epoxy floor systems, offering a premium solution for flooring.
Ghostshield is the strongest and longest-lasting epoxy flooring system, while Quikrete and Rust-Oleum offer DIY two-part epoxy floor coatings. Polyurea kits are the best products for 90% of customers due to their extended pot life, improved chemical resistance, and easy installation. ArmorClad is easy to apply and Rust-Oleum’s Rocksolid floor coating is the perfect kit for any home improvement project.
📹 Epoxy, Polyurea or Polyaspartic : Which is the BEST garage floor coating?
0:00 Intro 0:40 Using High Solids Epoxy Primer 1:10 Why we don’t use polyurea primer. 1:42 Broadcasting vinyl chips 2:23 …
Which of the epoxy flooring system is the strongest?
Epoxy Mortar Floors are a high-build, seamless epoxy floor system made with 100 solids epoxy and graded sand or quartz sand. These systems are highly impact and chemical-resistant, making them ideal for heavy traffic areas like industrial environments, hospitals, and sports facilities. Epoxy is a term that represents a class of materials and the act of using them. Epoxy systems are based on a combination of resins and hardeners, which chemically react to form a rigid plastic material.
The final product is strong, durable, and bonds well to most base layers, making it ideal for heavy traffic areas. Performance Industrial offers over 30 different epoxy and industrial flooring systems, including some of the most popular options.
Is epoxy flooring good for indoors?
Epoxy flooring is gaining popularity as a flooring solution for homes, offering ultra-hygienic, easy-to-clean, safe, and slip-resistant options. It is 100% customizable to suit personal taste. However, not all epoxy floors are created equally, with metallic, white, and straight-colored floors being the most challenging due to their high technical ability and maintenance requirements. To achieve a unique metallic or stark white finish, consider the following three considerations: aesthetic appeal, durability, and maintenance requirements.
What are the negatives of polyurea?
Polyurea is a quick-drying material that can be difficult to work with due to its quick drying time. It can show mistakes if installers don’t move quickly enough. Polyaspartic, a modified version of polyurea, has an extended pot life, improved adhesion to concrete surfaces, and is UV-resistant. However, not all polyaspartics are created equal, and to ensure the product won’t yellow over time, it needs to be 100 aliphatic.
Many polyaspartics contain only 51 aliphatic material, which can lead to UV discoloration. Polyurea floor coatings have disadvantages, such as tedious application and failed bonding, making them not suitable for long-lasting garage floors.
Which is better, polyurea or polyaspartic?
Polyurea and polyaspartic are two types of floor coatings that have been modified to overcome challenges. Polyaspartics have an extended pot life, improved adhesion to concrete surfaces, and are UV-resistant. However, not all polyaspartics are equal, and some contain only 51 aliphatic material, exposing homeowners to UV discoloration risks. Polyurea floor coatings have disadvantages such as tedious application and failed bonding, making them unsuitable for long-lasting garage floors. Additionally, fast curing time can weaken the bond and increase the likelihood of installation imperfections.
What ruins an epoxy floor?
Epoxy floors, despite their resilience, can suffer from issues like improper surface preparation, mixing ratios, air bubbles, moisture, inadequate curing, chemical exposure, and UV degradation. To maintain their beauty and functionality, it’s crucial to address these issues through proper installation, maintenance, and following manufacturer guidelines, ensuring the longevity and aesthetics of your investment.
What are the disadvantages of polyaspartic coating?
Polyaspartic floor coatings are a type of polyurea coating that has been used since the late 1980s to protect various surfaces from corrosion, abrasion, and high temperatures. They are typically applied using a sprayer and are designed to form a rugged, waterproof, and durable coating. They are suitable for residential, commercial, and industrial floors and are a two-part system consisting of a polyurea base coat and an aliphatic polyaspartic top coat.
However, they have several disadvantages, including high material and application costs, vulnerability to acid corrosion, limited color options, and difficulty in installation in high moisture conditions. Additionally, they can be slippery when wet. Despite these drawbacks, polyaspartic floor coatings are a durable, long-lasting, and easy-to-maintain product.
What is the difference between epoxy and polyaspartic?
Polyaspartic floors maintain their high-gloss appearance and won’t discolor or lose its shine with sunlight exposure, unlike epoxy-coated floors. Epoxy coatings are not UV-protected, which is a concern for most homes. Floortex™ offers UV stability to prevent color fading and maintains the top coat’s shine. Floortex™ is also more environmentally-friendly than traditional materials like lead paint and asbestos, as it provides the highest-caliber UV stability. As people become more conscious about the materials they use, the environmental impact of floor coatings is becoming increasingly important.
Is polyurea really better than epoxy?
Polyurea, an elastomer, exhibits superior durability and flexibility compared to epoxy. It can withstand stable heat up to 266°F and 430°F for a shorter duration. Although epoxy coatings can be utilized on exterior concrete surfaces, they lack substantial ultraviolet (UV) resistance, leading to degradation over time. To address this issue, epoxy coatings that have been specifically formulated for outdoor use and possess enhanced UV resistance can be employed.
Is polyaspartic worth the money?
Polyaspartic garage flooring is a popular choice due to its durability, resistance to abrasion, impacts, and chemicals, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like garages. However, it has potential negatives, such as strong odors and harmful chemicals. Swisstrax garage tiles, on the other hand, offer customization options and durability, allowing homeowners to create a floor that reflects their unique style and preferences.
With a wide range of colors and patterns, designing a personalized garage space has never been easier. Swisstrax tiles are designed to withstand heavy traffic, harsh chemicals, and extreme temperatures, ensuring long-lasting durability and low maintenance.
What are the disadvantages of polyurea coating?
Polyurea coatings can cause various problems, including incorrect mix, not adhering to the substrate, poor surface preparation, surface contamination, blistering, pinholes, and cavities. To ensure proper application, it is essential to have an accredited waterproofing specialist install the coating. Common problems include incorrect mix before waterproofing commences, which can lead to numerous issues.
To avoid these issues, two-component products should always be mechanically mixed, preferably with a continuously adjustable mixing machine or drill. Failure to do so can result in a variety of problems, including adhesion issues, surface contamination, blistering, pinholes, and cavities.
What is the downside of epoxy flooring?
Epoxy-coated floors can be dangerous for both homeowners and businesses due to their slippery nature. To reduce the risk of slips and falls, extra measures like anti-slip floor treatments, textured surfaces, or grits are required. Epoxyes can emit harmful fumes during installation and curing, causing respiratory and skin irritation, nausea, and headaches. Low-VOC options are available and should be sought where possible.
Polyaspartic epoxy coatings are not as flexible as the surface they are applied to and are not porous, causing cracks or chips if the substrate underneath shifts or expands. This can be caused by factors like severe temperatures changes, heavy traffic, moisture and drainage issues, foundational shifting, or structural overloads. Repairing a damaged epoxy floor is costly and requires the services of an experienced professional, making it another hidden cost.
Looking for a porous solution that helps avoid drainage and moisture issues is recommended. It is important to stay out of the room during installation and several days after.
📹 Epoxy Floor vs Polished Concrete | What’s the Difference?
AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Concrete slabs as the foundation …
Your method is better Tim! I had a few disasters with the one day system because 15 minutes is not enough time to do a good job for your customers. I fired my dealer who was more of a product pusher. Since switching to a dealer who is more of a resinous floor expert, I have had much better results. What they taught me was exactly the way you do your floors. 👍
Hi Tim! Thanks for your article. I have two contractors and they are giving difference price points. Both are using 100% solids epoxy. Contractor A: 2 coats of colored epoxy and then 2 coats of clear epoxy. Price: $5420 with coving. Contractor B: Initial Epoxy coating and then polyaspartic 80% solids urethane based. Price is $7280 with out coving. What am I missing here?
A couple of key points there were missed in the article. By the way, the quality of workmanship was pretty good. One major difference between epoxy and polyaspartic is that epoxy can handle much greater moisture Ingress loads which enter the garage from the soil below. It is critical to install a moisture barrier to prevent the Ingress of all moisture into the garage. This goal is achieved by installing a epoxy primer directly after the floor is ground and cleaned. The epoxy primer should be selected so that it has a very high moisture vapor barrier quality. This epoxy primer first coating will dry quickly. Second coding should be the high solids epoxy just as explained in this article, but it should also have a high moisture Vapor Barrier prevention content. The combination of the epoxy primer in the high-solids epoxy top coat will effectively prevent moisture Ingress into the garage space. Remember all concrete is porous and allows the penetration of moisture vapor into the garage space. Moisture is very bad for finished garages because it gets trapped behind the wall board in the walls and insulation allowing the growth of black mold, fungus and mildew. It is prevented by the epoxy primer and epoxy high-solids top coating. After the top coating of epoxy is installed than the vinyl chips can go down as described in the article. The third and final coating should be the polyaspartic. Owner should specify the quantity of material to go down on the floor and each coating because it affects the thickness of each coating.
Hi, Can you please suggest the details of the products:1. High Solid Epoxy primer and 2. Polyaspartic Coating; where to buy and and what else to look for while purchasing. I am planning to paint my Garage Floor with Epoxy base and using Polyaspartic (clear top) Coating, but finding it very difficult to purchase the items; especially, Polyaspartic is neither available in Home Depot nor in Lowe’s. It would be very helpful if you could kindly share the product details. Thanks in advance
We had the same system applied to our garage floor a few years ago. After they ground the concrete, they applied a product to extract moisture out and left it sit with fans for 2 days. They checked the humidity and had to reapply the moisture product again. After another 2 more days, they completed the finish. It’s been 4 years (Wisconsin winters/salt) and still looks perfect. How do you deal with moisture and how long do you warranty the system (finish and adhesion)?
I was in the business for a long time, before it was popular. Bidding against clowns who paint the floor and throw chips in the air. Broadcast to saturation is the only way to go. I have over 1 million square ft of installations and this was my least expensive garage floor. Logos and scale pads 50k garage floors I did all over. Now I need knee replacements. Nice job guts!
I had the same thing done on my garage floor by a company out of Knoxville, TN. They had to come re-do it because the first guys messed it up. The second crew did a better job, but now about four weeks later, I’m noticing the color is leaching onto my driveway. Mostly where my tires back out of the garage. I’ve contacted the company again to come check it out. I’m thinking they didn’t put enough top coat on or something… IDK.
Yeah, I’m a little tired of the “drive-thru” mentality of businesses these days. It’s always a push to get jobs done faster. If I’m paying money for something I want it done right, not simply quickly. I wish there was a way to tell which businesses cared about their work and which were just pushing it out to make a buck.
I have some water seep into my basement/ garage from rain and snow draining down my retaining walls or under my floors. I’m trying to eliminate any water from coming up through the floor (I don’t have a sump pump or French drain) I only have gutters. I plan on resurfacing the floor and possibly sealing it. ( still researching sealant types) . I also want to use a grinder along the wall to be able to get rid of the uneven trowel work and apply some repair cement to attempt to seal any pinholes. Would a sealant keep water from draining through the floor completely, would it help with excess water if coming up through my foundation? I’m currently using two 4 gallon midea dehumidifiers and they seem to take care of a lot of the problem during heavy rain or spring runoff.
curious why considering you seen evidence of the seismic damage on that floor did you not cut seismic relief cuts into the concrete, was this a cost the owner did not want to pay for? a job you do not offer? something you are not equipped to do? or something that cannot be done in conjunction with this covering? seems to me a crack that size is really going to wreak havoc on this type of covering, at first glance this concrete floor appears to have have any reinforcement at all or inappropriate, cracks appear in reinforced concrete, but typically very small cracking, and typically none when a concrete floor has been seismically relieved to code every 10 x 8′ section.. it’s simple to do.. a concrete saw on wheels, a contour grinder and its a job done, then you can surface the contour and space created, I’ve seen some just cut a relief with a saw and just fill it, works until there is movement then it can tug and tare the topping… if you cut into separate pieces with a 1/4″ blade then use a grinder to round off each edge you can top each crack and they remain separate and if it moves the top coat is not disturbed in any way.. seems imperative on floors lacking any type of reinforcement that already show sings of concerning seismic activity or movement, those cracks were overly large and could continue in a short few months doing considerable damage, what type of warranty do you offer?
I’m less concerned about UV stability and more concerned about Epoxy not being able to stretch with Philly area wide weather conditions: below zero in winter to over 100 F in the summer. I’ve used epoxies, and they always crack and eventually lift up. Anyone have any input? What about AWF single stage polyurea?
I’m currently waiting on flakes which have been delayed, to arrive to my contractor. He told me they’re switching from a 2 day process to one extra long day and will be using fast cure cement (repair), epoxy, and polyaspartic. Can this whole process be done in that one extra long day or is my contractor bs’ing me and most likely going to take shortcuts that will affect finish/longevity/etc? He assured me he’s still using epoxy and polyaspartic, not polyurea.
Enjoying your articles very much! GC here, building my own shop this summer and wondering about install timeline. From slab pour to 100% finished interior drywall and paint should be 2 months. Okay to start your process then or wait for more cure on slab? Thanks in advance, very good information and business style you have! EDIT: In Idaho so I cant just hire you sadly
Hey Tim. We are looking to learn the trade as we are in the concrete repair industry. I have been working to learn as much as I can and have spoken with manufacturers of both polyureas and epoxies. One of the sides of the discussion that was not mentioned in the article was that the polyurea guys claim that their products more naturally bond or bite into the concrete vs epoxy which will not. They also mention that epoxy will continue to harden over time and this leaves it prone to lifting or delamination. They claim that polyureas cure only to a point and then stop leaving them more able to adapt. I am wondering if you could lend your expertise to this conversation as an experienced installer. We really want to focus on quality installations that last the customer a really long time. Thanks so much for any insights you can offer.
No real point in using an epoxy primer if using a polyurea. Polyureas are meant to penetrate the pores and will resist moisture much better than epoxy. Convenience of the installer shouldn’t matter for the customer who wants longer lasting and more durable floor. Check moisture content in concrete prior to using a polyurea. Polyaspartics are Polyureas but not all polyureas are polyaspartics. “Moisture barriers” are still have a limit to the hydrostatic pressure a floor can withstand. Go epoxy for quick redo, aka flipping a house. Polyureas if you’re in it for the long haul.
So I still don’t understand on which to go with one company that came and looked at my garage use A polyurea and told me it’s like epoxy but better. But so many people say and iv seen in person epoxy floors that look great. I want to get two basements done and my garage eventually so which is better today? Is there not much different? Do companies use polyurea as justification to charge more or?
Polyurea’s are significantly stronger and more flexible than a epoxy. You make it out to your customers that epoxy’s are better because it’s easier for you but the most durable. This is why customers should do there own research. And you cut corners by applying into a primer instead of applying a primer then a first layer to accept the chips, followed by the clear. A lot of corner cutting and fast talking to the customer to make more margin. Customers do your own research.