Concrete is a strong, durable material commonly used for garage flooring. Despite these positive characteristics, concrete can stain and chip over time, especially when exposed to heavy daily use.
Applying a protective layer to your garage floor is the best way to protect it from this inevitable decline. This usually brings homeowners to the debate about polyurea vs. epoxy for this purpose.
Read on for a comparison of these two coatings when used for garage floor protection.
Defining Polyurea and Epoxy
Epoxy is well-known to most homeowners, as it has been around for the longest of all floor coatings. It’s a type of polymer with tough, elastic qualities that make it suitable for floor applications.
Polyurea is an inert elastomeric substance comprised of a synthetic resinous compound mixed with an isocyanate compound. The result is a flexible and highly adaptable substance.
Even when subjected to enormous stress, polyurea returns to its original shape. It’s an inert and environmentally friendly product and is hailed as the superior choice for floor coatings.
DIY enthusiasts can install both epoxy and polyurea floors, but this is rarely a good idea.
Whichever type of floor coating you choose, you must use a high-quality product and hire a professional installer to assist you with the process. Some types of floor coatings can produce harmful VOC emissions.
Polyurea and Epoxy Coating Procedures
Polyurea floor coatings are typically applied with a roller. It doesn’t dry in the tin, so it never produces lumps or clumps during application. Due to the low VOC nature of polyurea, it has no odor.
Once applied to the floor, polyurea starts to dry immediately, and you can walk on it between four and eight hours after application and drive over it in 24 hours. It’s easy to apply and flows seamlessly into any nooks and crannies on your garage floor.
Polyaspartic floor coatings are a type of polyurea with a slowed-down cure rate, but they still cure within two hours, according to Trademark Garage Floors of Tampa.
Epoxy coatings are much thicker than polyurea and take much longer to dry. Applying an epoxy coating to a floor takes a lot longer. That’s because you must apply at least two coats and allow at least 24 hours of cure time between each one.
Polyurea vs. Epoxy Durability
Both epoxy and polyurea coatings are shiny and immaculate when they’re first installed, but epoxy can discolor and fade due to prolonged exposure to UV rays. Polyurea floor coatings are impervious to the sun’s rays and won’t yellow or fade over time.
They also offer superior abrasion resistance and chemical resistance when compared to epoxy.
Decisions, Decisions
A garage floor coating can be a long-term investment if you choose your product correctly. Polyurea is a modern product and an improvement on epoxy, offering superior durability and faster installation times.
Whether you’re having an internal debate about polyurea vs. epoxy or planning your next summer vacation, research is key to making great decisions.
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