What are the advantages of using epoxy floor coating?

We have mentioned previously that epoxy floor coatings are highly versatile and among the most common areas that one can use them are in garages and home workshops. Here are the advantages of using epoxy floor coating.

1. 
   Cost-efficient – Garage floor epoxy coatings are not crazy expensive. Why, you ask? You don’t have to remove the existing flooring material and just apply the necessary amount of epoxy floor coating to cover them accordingly. Imagine the cash you save! 

We recommend having a flooring professional handle the job, though. While it can be done easily, professionals will be able to finish the job faster and save you even more on costs. They can easily treat any problems that come up during the application, and with their expertise, you can be sure that they wouldn’t take a long time to finish the job.

1. 
   Long-lasting durability and resiliency – Applying garage floor epoxy coating or paint will not only cover the flaws on your existing floor but it would serve as a topical sealant that is resistant to chemical stains, chipping, wear, heat and watermarks. The compound itself is hardy enough but with the addition of various additives, you can have a high-gloss finish that is also slip-resistant. 

Again, we recommend consulting and hiring a garage floor epoxy flooring professional to do this task. Not only will their knowledge about the craft help you out tremendously, but they can easily recommend things that would greatly improve the appearance and function of your floor. 

1. 
   Sleek appearance and better traction – We have mentioned previously that epoxy floor coatings will cover all kinds of damage on your floors. Whether your garages and workshops are for residential or business purposes, you are sure to enjoy a great looking space. Not only will you have a smooth and better looking floor, but with the addition of certain deposits (such as quartz or mica), your floor would have better traction overall. You’re covering the flaws of your old floor and making sure that your current floor would still be as functional and elegant as possible. 

We cannot emphasize enough the need to hire a professional to do this for you. While you may fancy yourself as a weekend pro, and we may be bound to agree with you, it is still bet to leave this to the experts. Not only would you have the results you want done right, but you’ll most probably enjoy a highly affordable deal. 

1. 
   Ease of maintenance – When you have a garage floor epoxy coating applied to your surface, you wouldn’t have to worry much about the maintenance. Your upkeep I to merely take out your broom and sweep the floor when you notice it’s dirty. Mop it every once in a while, but avoid using acidic compounds because it would dull the luster of your floor. That’s one of the great things about this floor, dust doesn’t adhere to it because of the high-gloss. 
2. 
   Additional visibility and safety - Have we mentioned that having the epoxy floor covering provides you with a high-gloss finish? Guess what, that finish allows your overhead lights to be reflected properly, thereby decreasing the chance of slippages and other related accident from happening. The sheen also allows your area to look more elegant. 

We have also mentioned that professionals can add various materials to increase the traction and friction on the floor. Additionally, their knowledge also allows you to stay safe because there are fumes that are produced during the application and curing period. That is why it is important to hire them, they make sure that your area would look good without harming you.

1. 
   Relative Strength – A garage floor epoxy coating withstands a lot of weight without breaking – and that is one of the things that you have to consider because whenever you have huge toolboxes and equipment, you want your floor to be sturdy and resistant to scraping, denting and chipping. A properly applied epoxy floor coating can increase the surface strength from 3000 pounds per square inch to at most 10,000 pounds per square inch. Professionals make sure that you achieve that floor strength easily. 
2. 
    Protection – As we have mentioned, the epoxy floor coating covers gaps, cracks and chips – all the uneven concrete surface that makes it rough and unsteady. The epoxy will also act as the protectant layer for the underlying concrete. Professionals will also make sure that there will be several applications spread over a few days – bet you didn’t know that – to ensure that there will be maximum protection and bonding between the garage floor epoxy coating and the surface would be absolute. 
3. 
   Compatible with different vehicles – Vehicle owners can attest to the fact that an uneven flooring can negatively affect the tread on the tires. With the smoothness of the garage floor epoxy coating, it would produce minimal reaction from your tires. Additionally, with the epoxy flooring having top-notch tensile strength, you wouldn’t have to worry about the weight of your vehicles damaging the flooring whether you store it for a short or prolonged period. 

Also, we must note that garages with epoxy flooring are easy to maintain and are relatively safer because there aren’t any surprising potholes or cracks on the ground that might cause you to become unbalanced. 

With professionals taking care of the epoxy flooring application, you wouldn’t have to worry about making mistakes. You wouldn’t have to contend with an area being much higher than the rest and causing an unwanted run-off or unbalance. 

What are the disadvantages of using an epoxy floor coating? 

We have mentioned the advantages of having garage floor epoxy coating applied for residential and industrial purposes. Now, let’s find out the negatives, shall we? 

1. 
   Epoxy flooring is hard – Because of the unyielding nature of an epoxy floor, it usually has contact noise whenever someone steps on it. You can ask your professional flooring specialist to minimize this by using the necessary materials. As we have mentioned, it is important to consult with professionals – less mistakes, less cost.
2. 
   Epoxy flooring retains the cooler temperature – If you love going barefoot, then this might be a deterrent as epoxy floors – whether you have it in the garage, basement or on your bedrooms (yes, they can be applied even in bedrooms – they’re that versatile) usually retain the cooler temperature in the mornings – and it can be a jolt to the system – or a comfort (after all, there’s two ways at looking at things). You can resolve this if you ask the professionals if they can provide you with underfloor heating.
3. 
   Application time – One obvious drawback to having epoxy floor coating applied is the long curing time – if you really want to have the epoxy set properly, you have to be patient and wait 72 hours (that’s three days, for those who are having difficulty computing) before applying another coating. 
4. 
   Strong fumes – Because we’re dealing with chemical compounds and they’re interacting, there will always b strong fumes which would permeate the immediate area during the application process. If you’re suffering from some respiratory discomfort, you wouldn’t want to be in the room when the epoxy resin is applied. That’s why we emphasize that you hire the best professionals to do this for you.
5. 
   Difficult to apply correctly – Frankly, this is not exactly a fun DIY project like painting a room can be. You have to be able to prevent bubbles and other particulates from settling in the mixture once they’re applied. Our experts have honed this craft over extensive time and training. Also, they would also be able to remedy the underlying problems in the concrete which, if left untreated, would cause ripples in the long run. 

How much does it cost to apply epoxy floor coating?

We have arrived at one of the most important factors that homeowners consider whenever they take on a project. How much does it really cost to have your floors coated with epoxy coating?

Estimates from industry partners show that on average, a square foot of concrete flooring can be covered with epoxy flooring material at a cost of $3 to $12 (inclusive of the installation cost). Expect to pay most of your budget to cover the labor costs as the materials are generally budget-friendly. The price will also vary depending on the additives that you would likely add to the mixture.

If you’re looking to apply epoxy coating outside for patios, walkways and other similar structures, you also need to seal the concrete. Based on recent estimates, expect to shell out anywhere between $0.50 to $2.50 per square foot excluding the cost of labor – if you want to use high performance urethane or epoxy coating. There’s another cheaper alternative which would cost you about $1.50 per square foot – if you prefer acrylic-resin or silicone materials. Again, this doesn’t include the labor costs yet. 

However, if your floors need to be repaired or looked into by a structural engineer or other professionals, expect that you’ll be paying a lot more for their professional fees. If your floors need to be fixed before the epoxy gets applied, you are also looking at an additional cost of between $3 to $10 per square foot of concrete resurfacing. If the repairs are minimal, and would only require patching compounds, you would have to shell out an additional fee ranging from $3 to $100, depending on the severity of the cracks and chips.

Our final say

Now that we’ve given you the things you have to consider about garage floor epoxy coating and sealants, we strongly advise you to seek a reputable professional to help you out. As we have mentioned, while you can do it on your own, it still would be much more hassle free to have a professional crew do it – not only would it save you the energy and the exposure to fumes and other particulates – but in the long run, it would also cost you less as mistakes would be generally avoided.