5 Things You Should Know About Epoxy Flooring
Although we sometimes get the chance to work with business owners, executives, and facilities managers who are very familiar with epoxy flooring and its uses, we also tend to feel that a lot of calls come from men and women who have heard of it but don’t know the details. In those situations, we are happy to walk them through their options, along with the relative benefits of each.
In order to help you get started, though, and decide whether epoxy flooring might be right for your company or facility, here are five things you should keep in mind.
1. Epoxy flooring has more than one use. A lot of new clients tend to think that epoxy flooring is all about having a glossy, polished look. That’s certainly one of the big benefits, but durability, slip resistance, and ease of cleaning are also important factors to keep in mind.
2. You don’t want to trust just anyone to install your epoxy flooring. Because each epoxy flooring installation is a complex task, with the right temperature and humidity needed, it isn’t something you want to simply trust to the lowest bidder. They might install the flooring for you, but you’ll notice the difference a few years down the road, when coatings start to wear out and have to be replaced.
3. It’s best to decide on flooring designs early in the process. You can install coatings above floors with painting, logos, and other designs, but it’s best to decide on them early in the process, so you can allow the time needed to prepare the floor in advance.
4. Epoxy flooring is about safety and aesthetics. As we’ve already mentioned, epoxy flooring looks great, but it’s also safer for your employees and customers. That’s especially true if you have areas that often get wet, or where food and/or medication are going to be handled and prepared.
5. The best way to get value in epoxy flooring is to choose the right installer. When epoxy flooring is installed by a reputable company, you get a strong warranty and durability guarantees. Even though you might pay a little more upfront, that means you won’t be hiring another company to do the same job anytime soon.
There are a lot of things to love about having epoxy flooring in your building or facility, but you’ll never enjoy the important benefits if it isn’t applied correctly, or if your space isn’t prepared the way it should be.
Installation
The process of installing a new epoxy floor may be tricky for some individuals, so it helps to enlist the services of an epoxy flooring company. However, it is not impossible to do it on your own. You must first ready the floor by clearing it of any dust, dirt, debris, or grease. The best way to clean your floor before an epoxy coating is to use a pressure washer so that you can ensure that the epoxy coating will stick properly. You or your epoxy flooring professional can then apply the epoxy to your floor using a roller and let it dry overnight.
When done properly, just look at how stunning the finished product can be:
Find out more about the REDRHINO process
Uses
Epoxy flooring is an excellent choice when it comes to industrial and commercial environments. It can handle the foot traffic and heavy loads that are involved in auto body shops and showrooms while requiring a limited amount of maintenance. Epoxy flooring is very durable and is not typically susceptible to damage; this physical resistance contributes to its ability to enjoy a long working life.
Cost
Since epoxy flooring comes in many different forms, the price tends to vary significantly. However, cheaper epoxy flooring materials may cost you a mere fifty cents per square foot. On the other hand, more expensive epoxy flooring may cost up to five dollars per square foot. Due to the fact that epoxy flooring is so durable, the materials are typically well worth the price.
So, How durable are epoxy floors? Great question.
Epoxy floors can add an aesthetic appeal to your garage or workspace while being easy to maintain. This type of flooring is also safe and environmentally friendly. It is important to note that different grades of epoxy provide different levels of durability. Read on to learn about the durability of epoxy floors and be confident the next time you hear the question, “Just how durable are epoxy floors?”
The thinnest type of epoxy, and therefore least durable, is the solvent-based coating. In solvent-based coating you may find solids from 30 to 70 percent. Although water-based coating is not as durable as a 100 percent solid epoxy flooring, it does provide a smooth finish that protects the floor against stains and chemicals. If you want the most durable epoxy floor available, the solid flooring should be your go-to option. It is a good choice for areas with a lot of traffic.
Why Epoxy is Perfect for Every Floor
Epoxy is a wondrous material used in virtually every industry. It’s used to build cars, rockets, and homes because it’s exceptionally strong and very durable. While epoxy may seem like the superglue of the future, it has actually been around for almost 100 years. Let’s take a look at what epoxy is, where it came from, and how it’s used in flooring.
Epoxy is a compound that is produced when specific chemical hardeners and resins are combined. Epoxy is often likened to super hard plastics, but that description ignores many of its unique properties:
- Epoxy has incredibly high bond strength.
- Epoxy is moisture resistant.
- Epoxy will not expand or contract with changes in temperature.
- Epoxy is non-flammable.
Although it was originally designed for marine and industrial purposes in the 1930’s, its amazing properties have found uses in many other fields, including building construction, woodwork, and even aerospace starting in the 1950’s.
As epoxy dries, an extremely hard shell forms. This property makes it the perfect material for all types of commercial, industrial, and residential flooring applications. Epoxy flooring is able to resist heat, acids, salts, and other types of chemicals. It was also very popular for automotive applications. Epoxy produces a beautiful shine, which makes it perfect for showrooms, but is resistant to oil spills and tire marks, which are ideal traits in garage flooring.
Epoxy is also developing a residential following as well. Modern homeowners love that epoxy flooring is easy to clean, durable, and virtually unscratchable. That means no more staring at scuffed up floors, and less time cleaning up dirt and mud tracked throughout the home.
To learn more about the many benefits and uses for epoxy flooring, contact the epoxy experts at REDRHINO: The Epoxy Flooring Company. We specialize in all types of commercial and residential epoxy flooring applications. Visit us online or call (888) 296 1408 today.
Back in the Day: History of Epoxy Flooring
Today, epoxy is used, among other things, as a resin filler and a very strong weather-resistant adhesive. Epoxy flooring is known for its extreme durability once cured, because it can resist acids, salts, and other harsh conditions that would otherwise destroy other types of flooring. This amazing material is less than 100 years old, but it’s already spread into almost every industry.
Beginnings Epoxy resin was invented in the 1930s by a Swiss scientist by the name of Dr. Pierre Castam. With the help of Dr. S.O. Greenlee of the United States, they developed the first patented epoxy resin. Epoxy was immediately recognized for its properties as an excellent adhesive, its resistance to extreme temperatures and various chemicals, and its electrical insulating characteristics.
Rise to Fame A famous use of epoxy resin was in the construction of the Spruce Goose—the popular name for the Hughes H-4 Hercules—in 1947. This prototype heavy aircraft only made a single flight as a proof of concept. It was made almost entirely from birch wood, with epoxy resin as a key component.
Modern Usage Epoxy flooring became popular across a wide range of industries largely due to its durability and low-maintenance nature. Epoxy flooring can be installed in a seamless manner, with a wide variety of colors, patterns, or other designs available. The finished product can perform in high-demand conditions, and remains easy to clean which is ideal for heavy traffic locations.
What are the Differences Between Epoxy Flooring and Epoxy Floor Coatings?
Can you tell the difference between epoxy flooring and epoxy floor coatings? Unless you’re a professional epoxy flooring provider, chances are you can’t. That’s because there’s in fact very little difference between epoxy flooring and epoxy floor coatings. They both provide a durable, tough, slip-resistant floor that’s perfect for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. Still, there are a few things that separate epoxy flooring and epoxy floor coating. Read on to learn more about these differences and tips for choosing the best one for your home or business.
Epoxy Flooring
Several layers of epoxy paint are applied onto the floor surface to a minimum thickness of at least two millimeters. This extra thickness is ideal for high traffic areas and areas that undergo heavy abuse since the flooring will not wear due to wear or abuse. There are several different types of epoxy floors, each of which is suited for specific flooring needs and applications. For example, epoxy antistatic floors are used where a static free environment is needed and self-dispersing quartz sand epoxy floors are used in areas where slip-resistance is required.
Epoxy Floor Coating
Unlike epoxy flooring, epoxy floor coating usually only has a few layers of epoxy paint applied onto the floor surface. Although epoxy floor coating usually has a thickness of less than two millimeters, it provides better performance than most other flooring materials, particularly where slip-resistance and easy maintenance is needed. Epoxy floor coatings are available in a wide variety of colors, and epoxy paint chips kits can be used to create a speckled or flake-like appearance that helps turn your floor space into a work of art.
