Difference Between Paint Floor And Epoxy Flooring

This makes polyurethane coatings more resistant to scratches and similar damage and is why you ll often find urethane resin floors in heavy traffic areas such as multi storey car parks.

Difference between paint floor and epoxy flooring.

As a general rule of thumb epoxy works best indoors so this chemical resistant and slip free surface is perfect for the garage environment where spills and puddles can create a challenge. Epoxy floor coating is a much more technical process that requires the expertise of a flooring professional to properly install. To exemplify this some epoxy coatings are heat resistant to temperatures up to 65 c whereas pu systems are available that can tolerate 120 c. This type of product is best left for diy home garage projects and is never an appropriate choice in industrial settings.

Generally a polyurethane floor coating is highly flexible and elastic while epoxy flooring is harder and more brittle. Wait there s a difference. Epoxy floors are harder more durable and have a much higher compression strength than polyurethanes. What is the difference between floor paint and floor coating.

Epoxy paint is a resin polymer that has been used to protect concrete garage flooring for decades. Usually you just open a can of paint and paint away. The exact materials used vary depending on the type of flooring system required. Polyurethane floors are usually softer and more elastic which makes them more resistant to scratching as their elasticity tends to absorb some of the impact.

They are also resistant to staining and are chemical and abrasion resistant. These are differences that affect the end user of the floor. Here are some qualities to look for in an epoxy floor coating. Refer to the type of sealer or coating on the left hand side of the chart and the subject like finish economics and downtime on the top of the chart.

While epoxy paint can enhance the color of the garage floor just like most paints it is prone to scratch off peel away and fade. It is even resistant to hot tire peel and tire marks. Here is a chart you can quickly glance at to obtain the main differences between epoxy and acrylic sealers. Differences between epoxy and acrylic sealers.

Prior to applying epoxy floor coatings the two parts must be mixed together. Your epoxy coating s percentage of solids is what determines the durability and performance of the floor coating. This has a minimum thickness of 2 millimeters of epoxy floor coat. Unlike paint epoxy floor coatings cure rather than dry.

This means that floors that can stand up to chemical attack from organic acids as well as sugar malt caustic and powerful cleaning agents are required. This thickness is ideal for high traffic areas or floors that are always exposed to heavy impact extreme temperature and chemicals. Most epoxy paints that are available in your average building supply store have a low percentage of solids. High epoxy solids percentage.

Epoxy floor coatings are two component materials consisting of epoxy resin and a polyamine hardener. Yes there is but not a big one. The superior chemical resistance of pu floors has made them popular in the food beverage industry where corrosive acids and by products are found in large quantities. In fact only an expert contractor might be able to tell the difference.