Epoxy flooring doesn’t only have an aesthetic appeal in the home, they also protect your concrete and ensure your family is safe.
Epoxy floors have many applications that can range from being used at home, to the garage floor, and then in high-traffic workspaces in warehouses and factories.
The big question is: are they a good flooring option for your floor?
This article will tell you all the benefits of epoxy flooring as well as answer your other burning questions about epoxy floor coating.
What is Epoxy Floor Coating?
Epoxy floor coating is a mixture of epoxide resin, polyamine hardener, and other additives.
Since it is mixed, when epoxy is placed on your wood, tile, or concrete floors, it reacts chemically to form a hard plastic on the floor. This reaction then brings about a firm bond that confers some distinct and impressive qualities on the applied surfaces.
Epoxy cures quickly and gives the floors more stability and endurance. And this makes the flooring solution widely used in commercial and industrial floors.
However, when epoxy is not used as a floor coating, it’s mostly used as an adhesive.
Now we know what epoxy flooring is and what it’s made of, let’s take a deep dive into the advantages of epoxy flooring?
11 Benefits of Epoxy Flooring Solution
1. Durability
One of the most durable flooring solutions you can get is epoxy flooring. In fact, the only floor type better than epoxy is concrete.
The floor coating is tough and will make your floors last longer than most other conventional flooring options–carpet, wood, and tiles. It’s been developed to help deal with the effects of wear and tear in high-traffic areas.
This flooring material can last up to 10 years depending on where you use it.
If longevity is one of your primary aims for choosing a flooring solution, epoxy floor coatings will make a great choice. And after the first installation, epoxy will not need to be replaced regularly.
This makes epoxy floor coatings a firm choice for garages and basements.
2. Highly Resistant
Epoxy floors demonstrate high resistance to many troublesome elements and chemicals that will usually harm other flooring solutions.
It can withstand heat, chemical spills, emissions, shock, and water better than many other types of flooring. And this makes epoxy flooring very suitable for spaces like garages and other high-traffic areas in companies. Indeed, epoxy flooring is the toughest flooring you can get.
Here are some of the elements epoxy is resistant to;
Heat
Epoxy coating becomes heat-resistant when dried. But the heat-resistance is to temperatures of not more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The good news is you can achieve a greater level of heat resistance by adding Phosphorus to the mixture. The more the amount of phosphorus contained in your epoxy, the better the heat-resistance your epoxy flooring will have.
Furthermore, epoxy floor coating is able to resist problems associated with being exposed to sunlight. Some of the problems include fading and damages as a result of having a dried-out surface.
All these add to the benefits of epoxy flooring as a solution for your kitchen and garage floor.
Water and slip-resistant
Epoxy floors are water-resistant, and so their non-porous nature makes them not soak up water. However, the wet epoxy surface may become very slippery and a bit difficult to walk on.
But you can give your epoxy floors a firmer grip by adding an anti-slip aggregate. This will greatly reduce the risk of you or anyone falling or slipping and you wouldn’t have to get scared of spills on your epoxy.
Chemical
One of the most important advantages of epoxy floors is that harmful chemicals emitted from cars will not affect them.
So you can easily clean oil spills, brake fluids, and other chemicals that pour onto the surface of your garage floor. The dense layering of the epoxy floor coating will make it difficult for such chemicals to seep through to the concrete floor underneath.
More so, epoxy flooring can resist other chemicals such as industrial solvents, harsh cleaners, including red wine. This makes an epoxy floor a formidable flooring material for both domestic uses and industrial or manufacturing plants.
Shock
Epoxy flooring has been made to handle the shock of heavy machinery sitting on its surface or tools that will fall on it.
These industrial facilities or tools you use at home will not leave a scratch or mark on the epoxy surface even though they’ve been doing so with your previous floors.
3. Low Maintenance
One of the problems with concrete floors is that they easily pick up dust particles and release them to other surfaces in the garage or home. But with an installed epoxy floor, this menace can be contained.
Sweeping a floor with epoxy coatings is easy, and you don’t have to do much to maintain the shine and brightness of the epoxy.
Epoxy is also easy to clean because of its glossy finish and resins. Cleaning regularly with soap or detergent and water is enough to maintain the beauty and shine of the epoxy flooring. Doing this will help you have a seamless surface that will last you for many years.
In addition, salt that clings to tires from wintry roads doesn’t affect epoxy.
Other benefits of epoxy flooring that may interest you are that they’re hygienic and can be painted to hide chips and cracks. The resin in epoxy coating inhibits the growth of mold, germs, bacteria, and other contaminants in hidden nooks of your floor.
Caveat: Don’t clean your epoxy flooring with acidic products as they can dull the shiny surface.
4. Cost-Effectiveness
If some people want to work on their floors, they’ll have to first remove the old floor, purchase a set of new tiles, hardwood, or vinyl before installing them. All these are expensive and time-consuming.
A more cost-effective option will be to revamp your floor with an epoxy coating finish, which in this case, you don’t have to remove the original flooring system.
With this application, you’ll be giving your space a smooth and brand new look with the epoxy. Plus you’ll be getting all the other benefits of epoxy flooring. And should your epoxy suffer any dent over time, it’s very affordable to fix it. Installation costs are also low.
Secondly, the cost per square foot is considerably cheaper than other flooring types.
Plus epoxy floors require minimal maintenance effort and you won’t have to spend money on special cleaning products and tools.
5. Unique Appearance
Epoxy flooring has got a shiny and seamless surface that looks smooth and appealing to the eyes.
And this has made it a more attractive alternative to other types of floors. You can pick from a range of colors and designs as they also serve decorative functions. You can even make it look like a concrete floor as epoxy offers a variety of finishes like metallic, flake, and polished concrete.
And epoxy flooring is fully customizable and can brighten the interior of your building due to its shiny high-gloss; this makes it perfect for homes, hotel lobbies and other spaces people visit often.
6. Environmentally friendly
The installation process of epoxy flooring doesn’t produce as much waste as does other flooring types installation; thus, making it eco-friendly
Secondly, it doesn’t pose an environmental pollution threat as it doesn’t erode or flake. And you don’t need harsh chemicals to maintain it.
Another point is that, when you want to change other flooring types, you’ll need all sorts of equipment to cut or them up. But with epoxy flooring, you basically roll it out and the equipment you need is significantly less.
7. Safety
The anti-slip coating is a safety measure in epoxy flooring that makes it stable and safe to walk on without you fearing you’ll slip or fall.
You can request sand, gravel, polymer grit, aluminum oxide, or mortar to be added to the epoxy so it can have a firmer grip on your shoes and feet.
And the shiny surface of epoxy flooring reflects light giving more illumination and visibility to your room or where it’s installed. This also makes it easy to spot cracks and bumps that could lead to accidents.
These factors will ensure you and your family’s safety, including company staff if it’s used in areas where machinery is being operated.
8. Strength
Epoxy was designed to carry so much weight and that’s why the polyamine hardener was added to it to increase its tenacity.
The flexural strength of most epoxy floors has been rated to be thrice as strong as concrete floors. So adding it to your concrete can increase the strength from 3, 000 psi (pounds per square inch) to 10,000 psi.
This is particularly beneficial in withstanding the weight of heavy machinery, high foot or machine traffic levels, and extreme temperatures.
9. Protection
Because of the strength of epoxy floor, it is meant to seal and protect other floorings.
It will protect the underlying surface from wear and tear and cracking open; thus acting as a protective shield. The bonding of the epoxy and the underlying floor will also protect the latter from defects and stains as the former doesn’t absorb stains.
10. Boundary Marker
In industries, epoxy coat has found use as a way of marking certain areas to distinguish them from others.
You can epoxy coatings to indicate a zone is for storing machinery, another for work, and another for truck traffic.
11. Increased Productivity
Epoxy flooring can actually improve your company’s productivity by first cutting down the time you spend on replacing or repairing damaged floors.
It will also allow for the faster and smoother movement of facilities in the workplace. And finally, they also save you cost as you won’t have to bother about fixing it regularly
Now you know the advantages of epoxy flooring, how about some disadvantages?
Disadvantages of Epoxy Flooring
1. Smell
When epoxy gets wet, they emit strong fumes that smell like ammonia.
2. Slippery
Oil-covered epoxy flooring can be very slippery, and it could even get more slippery when wet. This makes them not a great choice for places that are prone to spills.
However, an anti-slip can help fix this issue.
3. Temporary
Epoxy flooring is a temporary solution for your floor as it eventually bows to the pressure of wear and tear. They also crack and chip with time.
The chips, if not immediately fixed, can result in a larger area peeling off.
4. Tedious Preparation
The steps leading up to the coating application can be tiring.
You’ll first have to clean the concrete floor and make sure there’s no grease or oil. And then you’ll fill the cracks (if any). All these processes make it a tedious venture.
However, this isn’t much of a problem as you can use some hand tools to speed up the process.
5. Difficult to Remove
It’s quite difficult and labor-intensive if you’d like to change the colors and designs of your installed epoxy. Removing the coating can also be difficult in conditions where you want to repair the floor.
6. Sensitivity
It is best to apply the epoxy flooring at the time of the year when humidity is low as moisture can impact the durability of the floor.
And you’ll also need to adhere to specific instructions when applying your epoxy flooring as failure to do this can lead to the flooring getting scratched easily or not lasting long.
Is epoxy flooring better than tiles?
One common question usually asked is if epoxy coating is better than tile flooring. Here is a comparison of the two.
1. Appearance
Both epoxy and tile floors are good looking. Tiles come with a lot of customizable options like size, tile type, color, and layout to give your home or office a stylish and modern ambiance.
Epoxy, on the other hand, is a shiny and high-glossy material that is fully customizable to create the look you desire. It can even be made to look like quartz or granite stone. This is one of the major pros that make people prefer it.
However, the shiny appeal of epoxy floors gives them an edge over their rival.
2. Maintenance
As we discussed earlier, epoxy floors are strong and won’t break if a heavy object falls on them. But tile is not as strong and can easily crack or break if such accidents happen.
This means you’ll likely be repairing or changing your tile floor quite often.
Secondly, all you need to do for the surface is sweep or mop it often. And if you feel like installing or changing it, it’s just a surface that can be rolled away.
Conversely, with tiles, you’ll have to monitor the grout closely for cracks. You might need to re-grout or reseal your tiles (which can be quite expensive and time-consuming) when it’s damaged.
Epoxy floor gets a point over its competitor here.
3. Stains and Dirt
Both tiles and epoxy are stain-resistant.
But you’ll have to catch and clean chemical spills real quick should they land on your tile. If not, the grout lines (and some tiles) can absorb these stains, leaving a permanent mark. And you might need to repair the affected area or seek professional help.
Epoxy floor is non-porous and won’t absorb stains. A quick mop will do the magic and your floor will be as good as new.
I think we know who the winner is in this category.
4. Durability
For your commercial flooring, you’ll need something that’s high-performance, will last long, and won’t need constant repairs.
Both floor types are durable but tiles are prone to cracks. Epoxy can last a long time without cracking, chipping, fading, or coming loose. Once cured, it will remain in place till you want to change it by yourself.
How long do Epoxy floors last?
Epoxy flooring can last up to 3 years when used in commercial places (such as restaurants, factories, or garages) that experience lots of daily foot or vehicle traffic. That is according to Epoxy Colorado.
And for residential areas like your home, you can expect it to last for up to 10 years; albeit with proper care.
But you can extend the lifespan of your epoxy flooring by sweeping the floor daily to get rid of grit, dirt, and dust. And you should clean it with a mild scrubber or mop the flooring once a week to keep it shining.
And if you may, you can reapply the coating after a few years.
So are epoxy floors worth it?
Now you know the pros of epoxy flooring and basically every other critical information you need to make a purchasing decision.
Even though they’re affordable, they’re not the cheapest kind of floor in the market. And in a situation where you’ll have to repair the concrete before applying the epoxy, that can make the overall price shoot up.
So is it really worth it to have epoxy floor installed in your home, garage, or company? Yes, epoxy flooring is worth it. Here are the reasons.
Added to the benefits we’ve established, coating buildings with epoxy flooring can increase the value of your property and make them more marketable. You could find buyers that will be willing to pay you the worth of your buildings.
Secondly, your family will be safe when you’ve got epoxy flooring installed. It’s resistant to fluctuating temperatures and fire.
You could get a warranty when you employ the services of a professional to help with the coating application.
And finally, you won’t be the only one gushing about your beautiful floors. Your friends will wish they lived in your house.
FAQs
Is epoxy permanent?
No, epoxy is not permanent. You can change the colors and design whenever you like. And if you want to get it off your floors, you wouldn’t have any problems doing that.
Is epoxy flooring waterproof?
Yes, it is. Its non-porous surface prevents water from seeping through it.
Does epoxy flooring crack?
Yes, epoxy flooring cracks after exposure to a high level of machinery and/or foot traffic.
Is epoxy floor coating good for homes?
Yes, epoxy floor coating is a good choice for your home. It’ll beautify your home and make it safe for you and your family to live in.
