Epoxy flooring is commonly used for commercial and industrial spaces when the proprietors or tenants want to create a hardwearing, yet appealing, floor surface. There’s a place for raw concrete, but when you’re looking for a brighter, more professional finish, epoxy is often the best choice. A mix of synthetic resin and hardener, it is typically applied on top of concrete to add a smart, glossy and moisture-repellent finish.
As with any type of flooring, there are several options available to you when it comes to choosing an epoxy floor coating, from self-levelling, self-dispersing, mortar or gravelled, to Terrazzo, antistatic or vapour barrier. With different looks and qualities, your choice will be dependant on the functional needs of your business or residence, as well as your preferences in terms of aesthetics.
Here’s a quick look at what each epoxy coating flooring finish offers:
Self-levelling
Self-levelling epoxy coatings do exactly as the name suggests, i.e. level easily, resulting in a completely smooth surface. This makes them simple to install over old, or new, concrete floors in a wide range of settings, from offices, warehouses and storerooms, to kitchens and dining rooms.
Self-dispersing
With good mechanical strength, this is ideal for high traffic areas where the traffic is also heavy duty: think trucks, forklifts and other commercial vehicles. If the nature of your business or premises means that it’s prone to liquids being commonly present (and therefore an increased likelihood of spillage), the anti-slip properties of self-dispersing epoxy with quartz sand is a good choice.
Gravelled
When your flooring requirements are as much visual as practical, gravelled epoxy coatings can be the way to go. The most decorative flooring of this type, it can incorporate pattern, branding and logos – literally allowing you to stamp on the floor!
Terrazzo
Commonly used in large areas such as hallways and entrances to schools, offices and commercial premises, this type of epoxy flooring is decorative and easy to clean.
Mortar
When you need heavy duty, this is where you go. The strongest type of epoxy flooring you can get, this is usually installed in heavy industrial settings.
Vapour barrier
Primarily functional rather than aesthetic, a liquid epoxy vapour barrier is a ‘hidden hero’ of the epoxy flooring world, as it’s usually applied before the final flooring surface is installed. When applied to concrete floors before the tile, carpet or hardwood floor finish, it practically eliminates vapour transmission.
Antistatic
Science labs, medical environments and factories in which electronics are manufactured can have very specific environmental requirements. In these settings, where static-sensitive electronic components are in continual use, epoxy antistatic floor coatings contribute to creating the necessary static-free environment.
Flaked
A finishing technique rather than a style of flooring in its own right, epoxy flaked flooring coatings involve multi-coloured flakes or chips being added to the surface of the epoxy coating while it’s still wet, thereby providing a decorative finish.
Whatever your commercial or residential flooring requirements, from impressing discerning customers to withstanding the rigours of heavy duty vehicles, there’s an epoxy flooring to meet your needs.
Protect Epoxy can apply an epoxy surface to suit any premises, from factory, warehouse or laboratory, to car-park, showroom or domestic kitchen.
