A Complete Guide about Epoxy Coatings
After a certain period, more or less long, depending on the type of floors, wear, and time ends up deteriorating your surface. Scratches, holes, and breaks are the first signs that it is time to renovate your floor.
If this was hardwood, it could be sanded about six to eight times in its lifetime. So unless you live in an ancient house was a particularly aggressive floor sander, your hardwood floors are unlikely to be brought back to life. If it is no longer possible to endure them further, have you considered epoxy coatings?
What is Epoxy?
Epoxy, often known as "polyepoxide," is a type of surface coating made up of a resin and a hardener. A chemical reaction occurs when the two components come into contact, transforming the preparation into a solid and resistant product. Usually, the resin is transparent, while the hardener is colored.
The epoxy concrete coating has an excellent price-performance ratio. It is one of the most affordable and durable options on the market—epoxy charms with its aesthetic, shiny finish, and ease of maintenance.
Epoxy's Advantages
RESISTANT COATING
The primary benefit of an epoxy floor is its almost foolproof resistance:
- Traffic, wear, and abrasion
- Oil and gasoline
- Chemical products
- Water, humidity, and mold
- Fire
Therefore, Epoxy is an outstanding option for industrial & commercial flooring projects and hospital and healthcare clinic floors. The Epoxy is also ideal for installations that require an impeccable level of hygiene, such as the floors of restaurants and daycares.
Epoxy can repair concrete cracks and protect your floors and foundations. Its installation does not require a seal, which also decreases the water infiltration risk.
CUSTOM COATING
Epoxy is an extremely customizable product. It is possible to choose the color and the finish & even integrate a pattern or a logo on the surface. There are about ten primary colors that can be combined to get a multitude of custom colors.
- Solid finish: one color;
- Flake finish: vinyl flakes can be added to the Epoxy to change its decorative appearance
- Metallic Finish: Metallic powder can be added to the Epoxy. The metallic finish offers a different product for every application.
SAFE COATING
In an industrial, commercial, or institutional environment, the safety aspect of the flooring must be the priority. This is also one of the main advantages of an epoxy floor. It is possible to add a non-slip finish to an epoxy coating, which can be used in places that receive heavy loads, such as loading docks and ramps, thus reducing workers falls and injury risks.
Finally, the Epoxy is easy to clean and requires little maintenance, poses no risk to the health of the occupants, once cured, and can generally be applied to other surfaces such as metal or ceramic. At Chaudhary Chemitreat, our products are 100% solid, meaning that no solvent will emanate from the surface after installation. This is not the case with many over-the-counter products that are 30% or 40% solid. This means that once dry, these types of inexpensive coatings will be 60 to 70% less thick and therefore much less resistant.
Applying Epoxy
The Epoxy can only be applied to a concrete slab poured for at least 28 days to prevent the coating from cracking under the chemical reactions of concrete whose condition is not yet stable. In addition, the maximum moisture content of the surface must be 4%. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid applying the Epoxy to the exterior, and it is recommended to carry out humidity tests before applying it to a garage or basement floor.
For a garage floor, we recommend more to opt for polyurea. Read on to learn all about polyurea.
After preparing the surface, a base coat serving as a sealer is applied to the concrete. The Epoxy itself is a sealant applied with a rake, without a joint. The epoxy layer will be between 12 and 40mm and should be used at a temperature above 10 degrees Celcius.
Applications of Epoxy
The multiple advantages of Epoxy make it an ideal coating for several applications:
- Kitchens and bathrooms
- Garages and basement
- Schools and daycares
- Office and waiting rooms
- Indoor parking, factories, and warehouses
- Restaurants, hospitals, and laboratories
Contact Chaudhary Chemitreat to find out if Epoxy is the ideal solution for your situation.