Epoxy floors are a durable and professional flooring solution for commercial or industrial spaces that see a high volume of foot traffic, frequent and harsh cleaning, dropped objects, spills, moving equipment, and other hazards. These areas are much more prone to regular wear and tear like scrapes, dents, scratches, and unsightly marks, which can chip away and degrade most commonly constructed floors. In comparison, epoxy floors form a high-performance, smooth, and durable surface that lasts, looks great, and is easy to clean. In most industrial sites, warehouses, and commercial buildings, epoxy floors are part of the building's standard regulations needed to to maintain a clean and safe working environment for workers, equipment, and inventory. They're smooth, even, and resistant to most spills and abrasions, making them very easy to maintain.
Epoxy floors are creating using a process called epoxy coating, where a coating compound consisting of two distinct elements: an epoxy resin and a polyamine hardener (also known as a catalyst) is added to a surface. When mixed, the resin and hardener engage in a chemical reaction that creates cross-linking of the elements as it cures, resulting in a durable, rigid plastic coating with numerous desirable mechanical properties.
These coatings are renowned for their outstanding mechanical properties, hardness and durability, and abrasion, impact and chemical resistance, making them an ideal protective coating material in demanding industrial settings. They're often used to extend the life of concrete floors in industrial facilities, warehouses, logistic centers and other locations with light vehicular traffic and heavy foot traffic. Epoxy coatings are also extremely resistant to attack from chemicals, such as those found in oils, cleaners and bleach, make them a popular feature in the automotive industry. Additionally, fusion bonded epoxy coating technology is used extensively in the oil & gas and water/wastewater industry to protect pipeline assets from corrosion.
Aside from its protective features, commercial epoxy flooring also has the added benefit of a high reflectivity that brightens up the room instantly. Lighter coloured epoxy is great at reflecting light in retail spaces, making it an attractive option for malls and store. It also boosts visibility in workspaces, makes it easy to see objects that have fallen on the floor, and helps reduce electricity costs by reducing the need for more light fixtures. Epoxy is also extremely versatile, and is available in numerous colours and finishes, including a more sophisticated type that includes a slight metallic sheen. Epoxy can also take custom designs like company logos for branding purposes, multiple colors or patterns for a decorative look, or striping to designate work areas and walking paths.
Proper surface preparation is one of the most important steps for a long-lasting and resilient commercial epoxy floor coating. An epoxy coating requires a clean and slightly porous surface to adhere properly. Epoxy may not bond to sealed or polished concrete. The concrete also must be fully cured and free of damage, stains, and dust to allow the epoxy to bond properly. Before apply epoxy floor coating, it is important to patch and repair all major cracks and chips in the concrete surface and to remove all grease. A diamond grinder may also be used to open pores in the concrete to increase the strength of the bond. Epoxy is a two-part liquid, consisting of a resin and hardener, that you mix before application. Once the product is mixed, there's a limited time in which you can apply the epoxy coating before it starts to harden. It strengthens the concrete underneath it up to 300% because of the bond that it forms with the concrete.
Epoxy floor coatings offer
many other advantages when compared to other traditional coatings applied over concrete, including:
Creates a shiny high-gloss surface that can significantly increase the brightness of interior areas Offers a hard-wearing durable surface able to withstand heavy and continuous traffic Quick and easy to install, requiring no layout, cutting additional adhesives, or special tools or equipment Durable and easy to clean Ideal for warehouses and industrial applications Resists oil stains and water Creates a seamless surface that can last many years Can be combined with paints and colors to mask off chips and cracks Provides a chemically resistant surface ideal for manufacturing plants Offers enhanced safety when the surface contains anti-slip additives Can be applied in different patterns to create visible driveways and/or identify walkable areas Prevents wear and tear on existing concrete floors May be compatible with self-leveling products that can be applied over new or old concrete, depending on the product Requires little or no major maintenance
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