The Ultimate Guide To Epoxy Floor Coating
If you need to replace your existing warehouse floor or if you’re building new premises and are investigating various flooring choices, you’ll want the full story before you make any decision.
Flooring can be a substantial investment – not only in terms of the cost of the actual installation, but also in terms of lifecycle costing, plus ongoing maintenance and cleaning requirements.
Installing a floor in an existing operation also requires a period of downtime, and that too can be costly.
Understanding all the aspects involved in putting a new floor down is crucial. The more thorough your groundwork, the better informed you’ll be and the more likely you’ll make the right choice.
That’s why this post is worth a read.
In this ultimate guide to epoxy floor coating, we’ll cover the basics of the material, its properties and benefits as well as the installation process. We’ll also examine which environments are best suited to epoxy floors and what advantages it has over other commercial and industrial floor coatings.
What is Epoxy Floor Coating?
Epoxy floor coatings are made by combining polymer resins and hardeners. When the two are mixed and applied to the substrate, they react to create a strong chemical bond between one another and with the substrate itself. The plastic material hardens to a seamless, tough and lustrous surface whose attractive exterior belies its robust performance.
Its properties can be enhanced and customised by adding other materials, such as colours and anti-slip additives. It is generally applied over concrete but can be used on wood, vinyl composition tile, ceramic tiles and many other types of floors found in industrial and commercial buildings.
Types of epoxy floor coating
The term ‘epoxy flooring’ is widely used to describe this safe and long-lasting flooring option, but there are actually several types of epoxy flooring. The choice of which one to go for depends on a number of factors including where the floor is to be installed, the volume and nature of traffic on the surface, regulatory requirements and aesthetics.
A self-dispersing epoxy floor is extremely strong and is best-suited for high-traffic environments which endure heavy duty wear (such as moving machinery, forklifts etc). You’ll often see this type of epoxy floor in manufacturing and industrial applications.
A self-levelling epoxy floor is applied onto a concrete base (either existing or new) to create a brilliant, smooth surface. This type of epoxy floor is commonplace in offices, warehouses, showrooms, medical facilities and retail spaces.
Other types of epoxy flooring are created when the resin is enhanced with various additives such as mineral quartz, coloured flakes and mortar. In fact, the ability to customise epoxy flooring has opened up a world of possibility in terms of aesthetics and brand-building. Floors can be installed in a kaleidoscope of different colours, plus they can also include special line markings, patterns and even corporate logos.
You’ll hear people use the terms ‘epoxy floors’ and ‘epoxy coatings’ interchangeably, but generally a coating is less than 2mm thick whereas a floor is at least 2mm thick.
Where can epoxy floors be installed?
One of the main reasons for the global growth in popularity of epoxy flooring is its versatility, plus it offers impressive industrial-strength performance, durability and resilience. It can be installed just about anywhere, even in environments where there is heavy use and continuous high traffic.
It has become a first-choice material for demanding industrial sites including:
- warehouses
- manufacturing plants
- factories
- multi storey vehicle garages
- materials handling facilities
- commercial kitchens
- food preparation areas
- medical facilities
- stadiums
- schools and universities
It’s also equally at home where aesthetics are a priority and you’ll find epoxy floors in high-end commercial spaces such as:
- showrooms
- retail spaces
- offices
- airports
Benefits and advantages of epoxy flooring
This hard-wearing yet attractive flooring offers numerous benefits over traditional coatings.
Whether your priority is durability, longevity, health and safety compliance, customised branding or cost, you’ll find that epoxy flooring ticks all the boxes.
One of the key benefits of the material is its tough seamless surface. This makes it easy to clean – even with harsh chemicals, high-pressure hosing and hot water – it also means there are no cracks, corners or grout lines where dirt, bacteria or other potentially harmful contaminants can accumulate. When an epoxy floor is installed, it can also be seamlessly extended up a section of the wall (called ‘coving’). This adds another dimension to its superior cleanability.
The benefits of epoxy flooring include:
- Durable and hard-wearing
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Slip and skid-resistant
- Hygienic and clean
- Stain-resistant (including oil and grease)
- Water and chemical-resistant
- Able to withstand extreme temperatures (heat and cold)
- Customisable
- Quick installation which means downtime is kept to a minimum
Epoxy Flooring and safety
The qualities of epoxy flooring make it an ideal choice for environments where occupational health and safety is a priority. In addition to properties such as slip and skid-resistance and food-grade hygienic qualities, the floor can also be customised so that specific areas are demarcated with line markings and patterns, eg restricted safety areas, pedestrian walkways, vehicle access areas etc.
Installation of epoxy floors
When compared to other flooring types, installation time for epoxy floors is generally fairly quick and not difficult. However, it is a technical and specialised process and it is important to have the floor laid by professionals. It can be challenging to remove or alter an epoxy floor, so if you intend having your floor customised with safety zones, painted areas or line markings, it is essential to plan thoroughly for the long-term.
As a trusted leader in epoxy flooring in Perth, we will work with you to find a flooring solution that suits your working conditions, your safety requirements and your budget. Epoxy Flooring Perth has years of experience providing the highest quality epoxy flooring to companies across the commercial and industrial sectors and we bring the same level of expertise, skill, commitment and professionalism to every job we do, large or small.
To find out if epoxy flooring is right for your business, please get in touch with our team at Epoxy Flooring for a consultation or quote.