Epoxy 101: Everything You Need to Know About Epoxy Floors

Mar 28, 2022 | Epoxy Flooring Tips

If you’re looking for a flooring solution that doesn’t involve the standard options of carpet, tile, stone, or laminate flooring, epoxy might be just what you’re looking for. Epoxy is an extremely durable floor coating applied in two thin layers over concrete to protect the material and prevent damage.

Epoxy vs. Other Flooring Materials

Epoxy is an excellent solution for those who need a floor strong enough to handle heavy machinery but still beautiful and aesthetically-pleasing. Vinyl flooring, linoleum, tile flooring, and carpeting can’t come close in terms of price or durability. Epoxy requires little or no maintenance depending on the application process chosen by the homeowner or business owner.

Epoxy Floor Application Processes

There are two main epoxy application processes: one is done by the customer with kits purchased at home improvement stores; the other is completed by experienced contractors, both residential and commercial. Both types of epoxy floors have their advantages—which you choose all depends on your budget, time constraints, experience level with epoxies (if doing it yourself), and the environment you plan to install your floor in.

Epoxy kits: For those who want to do it themselves, epoxy is sold at home improvement stores as a kit that includes everything needed for application except the concrete surface you’ll be painting it on. This DIY option saves money because these types of epoxies are inexpensive at around $50/sqft (in comparison, regular commercial-grade epoxies cost between $150-180 per sqft). However, although easy to use, this type of epoxy is not quite as high quality as a commercial-grade product purchased through a contractor or retailer.

Commercial Grade Epoxies: If purchasing an epoxy from a retailer or contracting with a company to do it for you, be sure to choose a commercial-grade epoxy. These are much more expensive than the do-it-yourself kit versions at around $150-$180 per sqft (depending mainly on the country you live in), but they are worth it if you want your floor to last and function properly.

Epoxy Floor Benefits

Epoxies boast many benefits that make them well-suited for heavy-duty environments like gyms, warehouses, retail establishments, etc. First off, epoxies are extremely durable–they’re five times stronger than concrete alone and can support incredibly heavy loads without breaking or cracking! Epoxies never need to be refinished or recoated either; once installed correctly, your floor will stay beautiful and protected for years and years to come.

Epoxy also boasts a wide array of colors and styles, meaning that epoxies can be designed to complement any building’s interior design flawlessly; this is something that carpeting, tile flooring, etc., cannot do effectively (they’re typically very limited in style and color). Epoxy floors are extremely low maintenance as well: they clean easily with water or basic cleaning products and do not need waxing like hardwood floors often do. Finally, epoxies can be installed virtually anywhere: garages, warehouses, gyms, retail locations–you name it!

Most Common Areas for Epoxy Installation

Epoxy floors are a staple in warehouses where heavy machinery is constantly running, and the flooring needs to be extremely tough and durable but can still look aesthetically pleasing. Epoxies are also becoming popular in residential areas, especially garage floors. Garages see a lot of use with cars coming and going every day–epoxy offers excellent protection for the concrete underneath while staying beautiful!

Reasons to Use an Epoxy Floor

There are many reasons both commercial and residential customers choose epoxies over other materials like carpet or tile:

their toughness and durability make them perfect for high-traffic areas
they’re quick and easy to install (you could DIY if you wanted)
epoxies come in a wide variety of colors, so they’ll look great in any home or business
epoxies are easy to clean and maintain, making them the perfect DIY flooring material for busy homeowners.

What an Epoxy Floor Looks Like

Epoxies are available in gloss, semi-gloss, satin, matte, and semi-satin finishes depending on your preference. They come in every color of the rainbow–custom colors are even possible if you want to get really creative! These floors are thick enough that they can be stamped with a pattern too (like tile), adding extra personality while still offering all of their other benefits. Benefits like their toughness make them great for industrial spaces, too–the thick coating makes them resilient to damage from forklifts and other machinery. This makes them an excellent choice in warehouses, retail establishments, and more.

Types of Epoxy Floors:

Metallic Epoxy: Metallic epoxy is very similar to regular epoxy, but the metallic particles in it give it a shimmery or glittery look. Metallic epoxies are great for dance studios because of this!

Clear Epoxy: When you want an invisible, clear finish to your epoxy floor, choose a clear version. Clear epoxies are perfect for dance studios and gyms where you don’t want your floor to take away from the space–instead, you want it to help show off the floor. Clear epoxies are also great for retail establishments where you don’t want your customers distracted by anything other than what they came in for!

Textured Epoxy: Textured epoxy has a rough texture that is often used on garage floors, so cars will have some grip when driving over them. They’re still as durable as regular epoxies, but their rough exterior creates more friction, so things won’t slip and slide around as easily.

Stamped/Embossed Epoxy: Stamped epoxies come pre-stamped with a specific pattern baked into the molds before being poured into cast-iron forms. This creates a unique design that stands out from other epoxy floors and which you can’t get with any other type. You can choose anything you like as your pattern!

If you’re looking for an industrial-grade epoxy flooring material with color choices to make your home or business look absolutely stunning, choosing an epoxy floor is perfect. This durable, low-maintenance material will protect your concrete below while making sure it stands out too!