Did you know that epoxy has been around for almost a hundred years?
Given how old epoxy is, it’s not surprising that it’s being surpassed by a new-and-improved material.
Epoxy floor coating products have become popular thanks to their price point and relative installaltion simplicity. However, what many homeowners don’t know is that there are numerous issues with epoxy floor coatings.
Fortunately, there’s a better alternative on the market, and that is polyurea floor coatings.
Polyurea has several distinct advantages over epoxy. When it comes to floor coatings, polyurea has all of the perks of epoxy, and none of the cons.
If you’re thinking about re-doing a floor in your home or business, it’s essential that you know about the benefits of using polyurea instead of an epoxy floor coating. Keep reading to get informed and make a wise choice on your floor coating.
Polyurea Is Stronger
One of the primary advantages of polyurea floor coatings is they are stronger than epoxy options. The reason? Polyurea is more flexible than epoxy.
This might sound like a contradiction, but the unique elongation characteristics of polyurea are what give it its incredible strength.
Because polyurea is able to minutely flex, this makes it highly resistant to impact.
Although epoxy is very hard, it’s also brittle. This means that if you drop a heavy item onto a floor that has an epoxy coating, you might easily crack or chip it.
This is not the case with polyurea. Thanks to polyurea’s flexibility, it is able to withstand high levels of impact. It is also better able to adapt when walls and floors expand and contract in reaction to weather conditions and moisture levels.
No Moisture Issues
Another advantage of polyurea garage floor coatings is they are impervious to moisture.
Epoxy garage floor coatings are susceptible to moisture buildup between the floor coating and the cement underneath. This can damage both the epoxy and the cement.
If temperatures plummet and this moisture freezes, it can also cause widespread cracking.
Polyurea floor coatings don’t have this problem, which makes them particularly ideal for garage floors and areas that need to be hosed or mopped down frequently.
Polyurea Is Quick Curing
Besides being incredibly strong, polyurea floor coatings are also very quick drying.
The dry time on epoxy floor coating products can vary. However, it will generally take more than 24 hours for your garage floor to be ready for even light use. To properly cure and harden, most epoxy products take roughly 7 days.
In contrast, polyurea floor coating products can set in under 15 minutes. This is ideal if you want to minimize disruption in the space.
Instead of tiptoeing around your new floor for seven days, you can call in a polyurea floor coating team for a one-day installation, and be able to use your floors as soon as the team leaves.
Here at Garage Force, we pride ourselves on providing our clients with an easy one-day installation process.
Polyurea Floors Don’t Yellow
One of the big drawbacks to epoxy floor coatings is that they are susceptible to yellowing under sun exposure. Over time, this can start to look very unsightly.
Polyurea floors do not have yellowing issues. They can handle continuous sun exposure without this compromising their lifespan or their color. If you choose a polyurea floor coating for your garage, you can leave the doors open any time and not have to worry about tell-tale yellowing developing in areas when the sun hits the floor.
Besides being completely resistant to yellowing, polyurea floors also keep their high-gloss finish for years and years. This means that your new floor will look pristine far into the future.
No Dust, Low Odor, No VOCs
Not are polyurea floors incredibly stunningly strong, but they also don’t release harmful VOCs into the air during installation and curing.
Additionally, our polyurea installation process is dust-free and our products are low-odor.
All epoxy resins have some level of VOCs, hence their strong odor. Strong off-gassing is not only bad for the air, but it’s also disruptive.
Because polyurea floor coating products don’t contain VOCs—and installation can be so quick—it will hardly even feel like you’ve had work done in your space. Except of course for the beautiful new floors.
You Have More Decorative Options When Choosing a Polyurea Floor
Speaking of beautiful new floors, were you aware that polyurea floor coating products give you far more decorative scope?
While epoxy resins are generally limited to a few different colors, polyurea floor coating products can come in a range of styles and colors.
For instance, here at Garage Force, we offer dozens of finishes over our multiple style ranges. These include:
- Metallics
- Quartzes
- Chipped rock
- Solid colors
- Medici
Within these styles, you can choose from various color tone options.
Better Slip Resistance
Last but not least, polyurea floor coating systems also have better slip resistance.
Most polyurea floor coatings have an additional anti-slip coating. This allows you to get a high gloss finish, while still rendering your floors safe against slips and falls.
Looking for a Polyurea Floor Installer Near You?
As you can see, polyurea floor coatings are far superior to epoxy products. Not only are they stronger, longer-lasting, and impervious to yellowing and moisture issues—but they’re very quick to cure, have no VOCs, and very little odor.
If you decide that polyurea is for you, the next thing you’ll need to do is find a trusted installer in your vicinity. Here at Garage Force, we have installation teams located across the country. Our polyurea coatings are 20x stronger than epoxy and come with a residential lifetime warranty.
To get started on your new flooring installation, begin by finding your nearest location here.