The Difference Between Epoxy and Polyurethane Floor Coatings

It's important to protect your floor with a concrete floor coating such as epoxy or polyurethane in order to protect your investment. If you're comparing whether to use epoxy or polyurethane for your home or business's concrete floor coating, there are certainly a few things you need to consider. So, which type of coating is best for your specific situation? Here's what to factor into your decision.

Color of the Coating

While either coating will go on to your floor clear, epoxy can change its color over time. This is because epoxy is not resistant to ultraviolet light whereas urethane is. The color of epoxy won't change immediately, and it may not change at all if your floor doesn't receive direct UV-rays, but if this would be a problem for you then maybe opt for a polyurethane floor coating.

Chemical Resistance

Your floor coating's ability to resist strong chemicals will be a huge factor in which type of flooring and floor coating you use. With regards to epoxy and polyurethane floor coatings, epoxy floor coatings are more resistant to chemicals and can take the abuse from strong acids or bases without compromising the integrity of the floor or coating. As for urethane, it is still resistant to acidic or basic chemicals, but only in milder forms.

Flooring Texture

The feeling on the floor can be something which will influence your final decision. If you need the finished product to be smooth as glass, and remain smooth for the length of its lifetime, then go with a polyurethane surface coating for your floor. Epoxy can start to get brittle over time and is a bit chalky after its initial application.

Cost Differences

The differences in the cost of a product is usually a huge factor when deciding which product to go with for your floor coating. In regards to most epoxy floor coatings and polyurethane floor coatings, the prices are very similar. In fact, they are so similar that we strongly recommend you consider the other factors before price. That said, a polyurethane floor coating will cost more than an epoxy floor coating, and the price differences will be much more noticeable as the volume of product used increases.

Application Difficulty

A final factor to consider when deciding which type of floor coating to use will be the difficulty of application. In short, polyurethane is harder to work with because it is much more sensitive to humidity and dries faster. That said, polyurethane will give you a finished product much faster. In contrast, epoxy surface coating takes longer to cure but the damage caused by moisture will only be some slight discoloration.

Still not sure which type of protective floor coating you want to use for your concrete floor? Why not give the pros at East Coast Kemiko a call? East Coast Kemiko is the area's leading supplier of concrete floor coatings, concrete stains, and application tools. In short, we're the expert on what type of floor coating to use for your industry, and can help you in selecting the best product. For more information, give East Coast Kemiko a call at 301-640-5525 today!

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