There are different types of floor coatings, among them is the epoxy floor coating which is widely used on industrial floors, residential garage and basement floors and even office facilities. The epoxy basically contains two components; the resin component which is a light, odor free and colorless and the other component is the hardener which is usually dark in color and has a strong smell. With proper mixture and right amount, the combination will create a chemical reaction thereby producing a strong plastic material guaranteed to last for a long time.
What is epoxy?
An epoxy is a material made of liquid polymer and is converted to solid polymer with proper mixture due to chemical reaction. An epoxy which is polymer based is chemical resistant to decay, mechanically tough and highly adhesive. Epoxy is also heat resistant and a very good insulator for electrical purposes.
What are the advantages of epoxy floor coating?
For one, epoxy floor coating is very reliable when it comes to durability. The mixture can also be adjusted according to the specific need of your garage or facility. The resin can be adjusted so as to meet your desired hardness or elasticity. And since it can be adjusted, you can also request to add color on the mixture to come up with your desired style and color of your garage floor. By using epoxy floor coating, you get a durable and at the same time, a decorative coating on your floor.
Is epoxy safe and easy to apply?
Epoxy is safe and there are no known harmful effects of the chemicals used in the mixture. There are epoxy paints that come premixed for application on low traffic floors or high performance epoxy floor coatings that you combine from bucket A with bucket B that you mix with a drill and mixing paddle. It also has a high resistance to chemicals such as gasoline, salt, grease, oil and solvents.
Advancements in Epoxy Floor Coating Technology
Epoxy coating quality covers a wide range depending on use. There are Do It Yourself kits available for basements and garage floors. But you get what you pay for. Epoxy paint kits found in many home improvement stores are little more than a paint that cannot withstand the hot tires of your car or truck despite what it says on the label. In recent years online retailers have introduced high performance Do It Yourself systems with a durable urethane top coat.
Professional installers will use systems with sand built in to numerous layers for heavy traffic in warehouses and high traffic areas.
Polyaspartics and Polyureas
In the last few years a new breed of floor coating has been introduced called polyureas and polyaspartics. These new coatings have unique characteristics such as being able to withstand cold weather applications and flexibility preventing cracking. These products were originally developed for coating steel to prevent corrosion. Their exceptional performance and quick curing led to different applications most notably on concrete. Though there are a few companies promoting a polyaspartic system for the do it yourself market they are an advanced coating that should be left to the professionals.
Edward Winslow is an an online marketing professional with a background in real estate, construction and building products. Ed frequently writes about products that educate the consumer like epoxy floor coating and polyureas for contractors and manufacturers. For more information and case studies related to concrete flooring visit http://www.gfonecoatings.com/.
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