Epoxy Floor Paint
If you need a durable flooring material for your small commercial floor space, epoxy floor paint is not the way to go. It is always a better choice than regular wall paint but at the end of the day it is not durable and will succumb to high traffic, moisture and other environmental issues. You can save some money but you’ll pay in the end.
Epoxy paint is basically just a type of latex acrylic paint. It differs from regular acrylic paints though because it contains a small amount of epoxy.
Epoxy added in the mix makes epoxy floor paints more durable. Epoxy floor paint is a little more versatile too as this type of paint can handle vehicle and foot traffic better than regular paint.
See different types of Epoxy here.
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Epoxy Paint vs. Epoxy Coating
Formulation
As mentioned above, epoxy floor paint is latex acrylic with small amount of epoxy in its mix. Epoxy paint should be allowed to dry before it can be functional.
Epoxy floor coating consists of a resin and a hardener that needs to be mixed prior to application. Epoxy coating should be allowed to cure before it can be functional.
Application
Before applying epoxy paint, the concrete surface needs to be washed and dried. A coat or two of the epoxy paint is then applied. A roller is used to apply epoxy paint.
Prior to the application of epoxy coating, proper concrete surface preparation should be done including shot blasting and grinding. The application process may also consist of a primer and a top coat. This makes epoxy coating thicker than just a coat or two of epoxy paint.
Percentage of Solids
This refers to the amount of the original product retained on the floor after it has dried or cured.
A large portion of epoxy paints evaporates after drying thus a lower percentage of solids is retained on the floor. When epoxy floor coatings cure, it retains 100% of its solid content (when properly installed).
Epoxy coatings therefore produce more durable concrete floors than epoxy paints.
Durability
Epoxy paints produce great looking floors. It is a quick fix to transform a dull concrete surface into one that is aesthetically appealing. It has a short lifespan tough.
After just a few months or years at the most, the bare concrete will start to be visible as the floor paint will start to wear especially in high traffic areas. Epoxy paint is also not stain and abrasion resistant.
Epoxy coating is durable enough for long years of use. This coating system is resistant to stains and abrasion.
Final Product
Epoxy paints and epoxy coatings produce good floors. If a concrete surface with high gloss sheen, decorative chips, flecks and other additives is required, an epoxy coating is what is needed. If a deep color and solid coverage is what is need, epoxy paints is probably the right choice.
Epoxy paint is one of the most durable and toughest paint materials you can find in the market. Being more precise, epoxy paint is paint with epoxy added in it. It is best to know that epoxy paint is not as durable as epoxy coating but is more durable than regular paint.
The common application of epoxy floor paint includes small retail stores, school locker rooms, salons, offices and more.
When choosing a product for concrete surface makeover, it is important to know the difference between epoxy floor paint and epoxy floor coating. Since both terms are often interchangeably used, it is best to read more about the product that is going to be used for your flooring project.