The Difference Between Epoxy Floor Coatings And Epoxy Paint

The Difference Between Epoxy Floor Coatings And Epoxy Paint 

Epoxy flooring is gaining more attention from both commercial, industrial and residential clients because of the creative designs it offers. It also provides durable, tough, versatile, slip-resistant and aesthetically appealing floors that lasts for many years. One difference between the two epoxies is that coatings cure, whereas paint dries, PLEXIE-CHEMIE reports. 

Epoxy floor consists of two main parts: resin and hardener. You are required to mix the two parts together prior to application. After mixing you are limited by time and temperature as to how long you have to apply it. With colored epoxies it is the resin that is tinted to give the epoxy color. When these two are mixed together, they form a strong covalent bond to the surface. 

This has a minimum thickness of 2 millimeters of epoxy floor coat. This thickness is ideal for high traffic areas or floors that are always exposed to heavy impact, extreme temperature, and chemicals. There are several types of epoxy flooring, each of which is suitable for the kind of facility and the environment the facility is in. Note that every type is durable, tough and long-lasting.

In fact, a lot of epoxy flooring DIY Kits are available on the market that almost anyone can coat their floors with epoxy anytime they want to. However, preparation of the floor and priming will still need to be done to ensure maximum bonding of the epoxy and the concrete. While epoxy floor coating has lesser coat layers, it is still very durable, tough and long-lasting.

Both epoxy flooring and coatings come in an array of colors which will surely meet your aesthetic requirements. Epoxy coatings cure and do not dry like paint does. Unlike paint, the mixing of the two components starts a reactive process that creates cross-linking of the components while it cures. This cross-linking provides a very hard and durable surface that seals the concrete and is resistant to staining, abrasion, and chemicals. The amount of resistance and performance of the coating is usually determined by the quality and solids content of the epoxy.

Most people think that epoxy coating is paint since it also comes in different colors. This is just not the case. Paint is a latex acrylic product. Many of the well-known paint manufactures do offer paint with a small amount of epoxy in the mix and refer to them as 1-Part epoxy paint. This allows for better adhesion and durability than standard acrylic paint, but it is not an epoxy product. 

Hence, never confuse epoxy coating from epoxy paint, because the latter is not epoxy. And in terms of durability, strength, longevity and chemical resistance, the former certainly tops the other by a hundred fold. When it comes to commercial, industrial and residential flooring, one of the top choices is epoxy flooring.