What is Epoxy Flooring?

Though this material has been around for years, Epoxy flooring is a super glossy resin that is normally applied to residential and commercial floors. Epoxy coating on a cement surface is used to increase grip and stability to a work place or office. In recent years, the interest in Epoxy has gained popularity in a variety of industries and applications, and is now seen in high end art galleries, car dealerships, airplane hangars, factory floors, and many other places. It can further be used for fancy floors in your home or business, and even for specialty shops. It has no boundaries where it can be applied.

How does it Work?

Epoxy resin consists of two liquids. Often the resin is a thick syrupy consistency mixed with a Polyamine hardener. As part of the process, a chemical reaction takes place and causes the resin to harden over a period of several hours. It is then poured onto cement and spread evenly with a spreader. Since it is self-leveling, the product will be evenly coated on the floor itself.

What Applications is it used for?

Standard applications are typically for warehouse floors, and other commercial and industrial flooring environments where clean smooth surfaces are required in order to apply Epoxy. Over the past 20 years, it has made its way into residential garage an basement applications which has become very popular. In recent years the variety of color selections, textures, glosses, and styles has been the big craze. An example of these styles are solid colors, metallic colors, swirled and marble-like surfaces, and even special added flakes that simulate granite and types of stone. The selection and creativity of what you can do is growing all the time. 

How do you care for an Epoxy Floor?

Epoxy products today provide excellent protection for exposed concrete as well as other surfaces such as wood as well. Cleaning Epoxy surfaces is simple and normally needs just water to clean up a dirty spot. Materials like dust are easily swept away making cleaning a much easier and effective task. Soap and a soft detergent with a clean mop are all that is needed to keep that showroom shine lasting for years.

Are there any Epoxy Flooring Tips & Tricks

If you decide to do some epoxy flooring for yourself, there are a number of great how-to tutorials on Youtube. Some show you step by step how perform the process from start to finish. It’s not all that hard and can be done on relatively modest budgets. Your own imagination is not limited to what Epoxy coatings can achieve. Any weekend warrior with a crazy idea can do an Epoxy floor correctly the first time out. The do-it-yourself kits that you find in most hardware stores are going to have a a cheaper quality resin that may only last a few years. It really all depends on what you’re looking for, A short- term solution, (Hardware Store Bought Epoxy Kit) or a much longer lasting solution (Commercial application). 

What Epoxy Floor Resin products should I use?

It used to be that Epoxy kits were the stable product of specialty stores reserved for boating and auto restoration. Now you can easily find these kits sold at The Home Depot or at home improvement centers near to you. Construction supply centers can also be a great source to check out which resins are stronger and longer lasting. Art supply stores will also have various powders and flakes that can decorate the surface coat. The type of application and how and who does it will depend on your budget. If you want something fast and cheap, but not the best quality, there’s the hardware store option, but if you want something that lasts much longer and maintains the beauty an shine of the finish, then an Epoxy contractor is another option.