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Everything You Must Understand Before Epoxy Flooring Installation

by Chelsea Levi Concrete Resurfacing

Epoxy is the most preferred and versatile flooring option for commercial and industrial facilities. The term 'versatility' can't be ignored, as epoxy flooring can be used with any floor coating system, including primer coat, grout coat, build coat or top coat. This article discusses everything one should know about epoxy flooring before getting the installation done, and we will begin with understanding what epoxy is.

What Is Epoxy Flooring?

Epoxy is a resinous material used for flooring, and it was the most productive option in the mid-20th century due to its durability and superior adhesive capabilities. The term "resinous flooring" also includes materials like methyl methacrylate (MMA), polyaspartic, polyester, polyurethane, and vinyl ester products. All these products have unique pros and cons that we will discuss later.

What Kinds Of Epoxy Flooring Are Available?

Regardless of the resin chemistry, epoxy flooring is available in three basic types: coatings, slurries and mortars.

What Are 'Coatings' In Epoxy Flooring?

According to the vendors of spraycrete in Sydney, the coating is the purest form of resin with no fillers, etc., added. But yes, some textured additives are used to reduce wear and tear rates and improve slip resistance.

What Is A Slurry?

The slurry is a mixture of aggregates to bulk up a resin. However, good flow and levelling are maintained during the installation process.

What Are Mortars?

Mortars use a high aggregate-to-resin ratio of 5:1, and the result is a very stiff mixture that does not level or flow at all. According to the vendors of spraycrete in Sydney, damp sand mortar is the most complicated to install.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Epoxy Flooring?

Epoxy flooring is available in different types, and they come with their advantages and disadvantages. However, one thing remains constant: you will get a desirable aesthetic value with this flooring. Here is a quick list of the benefits of using garage floor epoxy flooring material.

• Excellent Durability

• Protects Substrate From Chemicals And Abuse

• Enhances Facility Aesthetics

• Provides Added Safety And Slip-Resistance

• Easy To Clean And Maintain

• Resists Staining

Are There Some Disadvantages As Well?

There are some downsides, and one is that the surface preparation time is longer when epoxy flooring is done. This is not a DIY task, and industry expertise will be required. If improper installation is done, the garage floor epoxy will not last very long.

Where Is Epoxy Flooring Used The Most?

Several industries use epoxy flooring due to its advantages like durability, added safety, and staying resistant and easy to clean and maintain. The top industries where you will find epoxy flooring very commonly are –

• Aircraft hangars

• Chemical storage

• Clean rooms

• Commercial kitchens

• Food and beverage processing

• Manufacturing

• Mechanical equipment rooms

• Pharmaceutical facilities

• Restrooms

• Secondary containment

• Shop floors

• Warehouses

What Process Is Used For Epoxy Flooring Installation?

You must remember that epoxy flooring installation is not a DIY task at all. You must seek services from professional flooring installers who use the right blend and technology to install it perfectly. They will take the following steps for epoxy flooring installation.

The Contamination

This includes decreasing the surface, grinding it and removing dirt, dust, etc.

Creating Surface Profile

The professionals will grind or shot blast the surface. The reason is that the greater the thickness of the coating finish, the greater the surface profile it will require.

Primer Application

The experts will apply a primer layer before laying epoxy flooring for two fundamental reasons. It promotes adhesion and helps in substrate sealing. Primer application is essential because, in the absence of filler substrate, the coatings will out gas and leave bubbles or voids, etc. Primer application can be done using a squeegee or back-rolling method.

Intermediate Coat

Vendors of spraycrete in Sydney recommend an intermediate coat as it becomes the primary source of thickness. This intermediate coat combines cheaper resins filled with aggregates for extended coverage. Intermediate coating can be done using the coating of the slurry or the mortar discussed above.

Finish Coating

This is the last step of the installation process, and this finish coat will mainly contain resins with more outstanding chemical and UV resistance. This epoxy flooring will offer more excellent aesthetics to give your property a perfectly desired look.

Is Epoxy A Good Idea?

The best feature of epoxy flooring is that it is safe, durable, low maintenance and incredibly robust for industrial and commercial facilities. In short, epoxy flooring is ideal for any facility or space where durability and aesthetics are required.

What Is The Thickness Of Epoxy Flooring?

The average thickness of epoxy flooring and other resinous floor coatings is between 10 and 250 mils.

What Maintenance Steps Are Required For Epoxy Flooring?

Not too much maintenance is required, as you can mop with water and use a cleaner with a neutral pH balance. In-depth maintenance may call for scrubbing, and in some cases, a heavy-duty degreaser can also be required.

Epoxy Flooring Scratches And Cracks Easily

The fact about epoxy flooring is that it is typically very hard and, hence, not very tough to scratch. However, vendors address this issue easily using a finish coat in garage floor epoxy that comes with higher abrasion resistance, such as polyurethane. The installation experts will also use abrasion-resistant additives to reduce the chances of scratches.

Cracking is another concern associated with epoxy flooring, and it occurs due to concrete substrate cracking. This problem is present in epoxy flooring, but correct detailing and using flexible resins can reduce the chances of cracks totally.