Epoxy coatings are suitable for a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial applications. But when it comes to choosing the right flooring solution for a garage, is epoxy truly the best option you can get?
Since we’ve also been down this road a few times, we decided to write this blog post to help you find the best answer to the question you may ask yourself right now: “Should I choose epoxy for my garage floor?”
We know from our own experience that epoxy coatings are some of the best flooring solutions for a garage. But don’t take our word for it. Read on for three reasons why epoxies are better than other options.
1. Epoxy Floor Coatings Are Highly Resistant
Epoxy is one of the few flooring products you can use to top off the look you want for your garage. In addition, epoxy provides a waterproof membrane with excellent resistance to corrosive chemicals, such as acids, solvents, gasoline, oil, brake fluid and the like, protecting your concrete floor from potentially harmful substances. Epoxy coatings are also formulated to resist impact, abrasion, heat and even fire, and can be used to cover minor imperfections in the concrete floor, such as spider cracks.
2. Epoxy Is Very Durable (When the Correct Type of Coating Is Chosen)
Coming back to your initial question, “Should I choose epoxy for my garage floor?” an often overlooked aspect is the importance of selecting the right product for each application. Epoxy coatings are divided into water-based systems, high solids epoxies and clear epoxy topcoats.
Water-based epoxy coatings are less expensive and more “user-friendly” than high solids and clear epoxies. On the downside, they’re not as durable and resistant to stains, impact and abrasion, which means they may not be the best choice for your garage. Though high solids epoxy coatings are more difficult to apply, they are very durable, providing more bang for the buck. As their name suggests, clear top coats have been designed for applications over existing epoxy coatings. Their main role is to enhance the durability of the entire epoxy flooring system. Now, if you’re still asking yourself, “Which is the best epoxy for my garage?” we advise you to go for a premium multi-coat epoxy system, which typically consists of a primer coat, a high solids basecoat and one or two coats of clear epoxy.
3. Epoxy Has Excellent Performance Characteristics
The performance of an epoxy flooring system depends on a series of factors, including the level of surface preparation, thickness of layer and conditions during application. In order to get a high performance epoxy coating, proper surface preparation is critical. It usually involves:
- using the right degreasers or solvents to remove grease or previous coatings;
- preparing new concrete by grinding, shotblasting or acid etching; roughening the surface of the concrete base will ensure optimum coating adhesion to the substrate;
- repairing surface problems, such as cracks and holes, before applying the product.
Besides the fact that the concrete base must be completely dry, you need to consider air temperature and humidity levels when applying epoxy. Epoxy coatings should not be installed when the air temperature drops below 50°F or exceeds 90°F. Also, under no circumstances should epoxy be applied under direct sunlight or when humidity is greater than 85%.
How thick should your epoxy floor be? If you use high solids epoxy, for instance, the recommended thickness for light-duty applications is 10 mils. For other products and applications, individual product data sheets should be reviewed.
We hope that our post has provided a comprehensive answer to your question, “Should I choose epoxy for my garage floor?” To learn more about epoxy applications or to hire our professionals who can handle a variety of home improvements projects, from preparing and painting different surfaces to applying epoxy coatings, contact our customer service team and you’ll get detailed information regarding your specific project.
