If you’re in need of a floor coating for a garage, warehouse, or shop floor you’ve likely heard of two different types of floor coatings: polyurea and epoxy. At Concrete Coating Systems, we have been installing concrete floor coatings since 1985, and in this time we’ve seen a number of different types of coating materials come and go. One material that has been extremely popular, and that we still utilize today is polyurea floor coatings. In this blog, we’ll cover the differences between polyurea floor coatings and epoxy floor coatings and discuss why we continue to recommend polyurea over epoxy time and time again.
Differences Between Polyurea & Epoxy Floor Coatings
There are a whole host of different types of epoxy, and for many years epoxy floor coatings were the preferred choice for many concrete coating companies. Epoxy coatings are typically poured into place and utilize a combination of resins and hardeners to produce a finished product.
Polyurea floor coatings are newer, which means that many people, even some in the concrete coating industry, aren’t aware that they exist. Polyurea is a type of polyurethane and is made with isocyanates which are mixed with water or polyetheramines to create what is known as a urea linkage. Similar to an epoxy, polyurea is created with a two-part mixture where a catalyst and a resin come together to harden the substance, and ultimately create the coating.
So, Which Is Better?
In our years of experience providing concrete floor coatings to our clients, we’ve found that polyurea floor coatings are far superior to epoxy coatings. Polyurea coatings are extremely flexible, allowing them to not peel or crack in changing temperatures and they’re also waterproof and impact resistant. In addition, because of its chemical resistant properties, salt, oil and gas typically will not damage the coating material. We’ve also found the material to be many times stronger than epoxy coatings, while the cure time is very fast – typically only one day before it is completely cured.
Learn More About Polyurea Floor Coatings
If you’re interested in learning more about polyurea floor coatings to determine if they may be a good fit for your garage, shop, or commercial space, feel free to reach out to our team today by phone at 952-469-6496. Thanks to more than two decades in the industry, we’re confident that regardless of your concrete flooring needs, we can exceed your expectations.