Concrete is a popular building material for commercial and industrial buildings, especially in the case of flooring. However, wear and tear can cause your concrete floors to crack, which can be a safety hazard for anyone walking on them.
Epoxy coatings can help strengthen your concrete floors and prevent these cracks from occurring, greatly extending the lifespan of your floor.
What Are Epoxy Coatings?
If you own a commercial building, the heavy traffic may be a daunting factor for the longevity of your floors. But not with these concrete coats. It features abrasion resistance and superior hardness. Suppose you have a few reasons for not applying the traditional epoxy due to the tendency to turn yellow due to UV light exposure or the long durations of concrete curing times. In that case, the revolutionary epoxy coating will give you a run for your money. The modern coating features great permeability, better UV stability, shorter curing time, and a convenient single-component application.
Features of Epoxy Coatings for Concrete Floors
- ‘No mixing’ coating
With ready-to-use epoxies, it means less work for your contractor with no mixing required. Whether it’s a residential or commercial space, the coating is ideal. It is resistant to chemicals, oils, and grease.
- Systems of breathability
Previously, epoxy coatings featured moisture impermeability. The bad news is that they would fail on application to damp slabs. The state-of-the-art epoxies have been made to counter moisture-related issues by letting moisture pass through. And in just four or five days, they bond to damp substrates, perfect for those projects you want up and running in no time.
- Quick-setting epoxies
Traditionally, epoxy coatings needed a minimum of 12 hours to dry before recoating. Additionally, they would require at least several days before allowing traffic. The modern coating dries in twenty minutes and only twelve hours for a thorough dry.
Advantages of epoxy coatings
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Attractive appearance
- Stain and water resistance
- Durability
- Cost-effective solution
- An anti-slip coating
- Eco-friendly
Commercial and garage floors put up with a lot of traffic, from heavy machines to all kinds of spills like oil and fuel. Heavy metal may sometimes drop, and if a flooring system isn’t well-built, it may be damaged. With inefficient flooring, you are looking at frequent repairs, which is a cause for downtime. That means investing in the right system is advisable. Quite the cost, but worth it all the way!
Alternatives to Epoxy Coatings for Concrete
Tiles
Most residential garages utilize tile applications. Alternatively, interlocking plastic or PVC tiles may be used. Regarding efficacy, they can withstand a certain degree of wear and tear. The downside is they are susceptible to temperature changes, excess chemical exposure, and stains. Besides, interlocking seams allow vehicle fluids, water, oils, and other substances to get to the underlying concrete causing damage to the slab.
Mats
If you are looking for a temporary solution, the mats will work just fine. The rubber or vinyl mat is laid over the concrete floor. However, they cause tripping and tend to deteriorate on exposure to petroleum substances.
How to Choose the Best Coating for Your Concrete Floors
- Anti-slip feature: Not only could your staff slip and fall but customers too. Most workplace injuries are due to this type of accident. One cause is the oil and other solvents spilling on the floors. The addition of a slip-inhibiting additive is the solution.
- Ability to alleviate moisture vapor: When the under-slab vapor barrier is faulty or missing, moisture can make its way to the floor slab, damaging the floor topping. The result may be mold development. With proper moisture mitigation, this won’t be a problem on your list.
- Strength and resistance to impact: This is especially true for garages as sharp objects may hit the floors frequently. That calls for the incorporation of the graded sand or any other appropriate aggregate to the coating. Aggregate blends may include tiny steel particles for better strength and performance.