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November 7, 2022
Strong. Eco-friendly. Stain-resistant. High grip strength. Durable. Cost-effective.
It’s hard to believe you can enjoy all of these advantages in a single product, but epoxy flooring offers these benefits (and more).
As a durable, aesthetically pleasing floor finish, epoxy coating is often used in factory and commercial settings to provide a robust protection against impact, heavy vehicle traffic, and spills. And with unparalleled strength, it’s no wonder this finish is also finding use in Australian shops and homes.
Usually applied directly to concrete floors to create a smoothe, beautiful, and long-lasting finish — epoxy flooring helps maximise safety and cleanliness in commercial, industrial, and residential environments.
But are epoxy floors suitable for YOUR home or business?
Read on to find out.
Epoxy flooring is a durable, attractive concrete flooring option created by combining epoxy resin and various hardeners.
When combined, a chemical reaction occurs that turns the synthetic floor resin into an almost impenetrable shield over your concrete substrate. The epoxy systems can be applied in multiple layers that offer protection and beauty.
In case you need a quick refresher on the (long) list of epoxy flooring benefits, here are the reasons Melbourne home and business owners are turning to epoxy:
✔ Durable
✔Visually appealing
✔ Easy-to-clean
✔ Anti-slip
✔ Static-resistant
✔ Water-resistant
✔ Dust-resistant
Though this type of flooring was originally created for industrial or heavy-duty environments (thanks to its durability and long-lasting nature) it has since become an attractive option for hotels, residential homes, restaurants, and more thanks to the variety of options and benefits that are available today (read on to find out if epoxy flooring is right for your setting).
To understand what epoxy flooring is used for, it helps to know what makes it different from other concrete coating options.
There are many concrete options available today, and each option has slightly different benefits, styles, and durability. However, concrete is not as indestructible as it appears. Concrete is porous, meaning moisture can enter your concrete floors and cause cracks, fractures, internal mould, and structural damage.
With epoxy coating, you can enjoy the unique appearance of concrete (we’ve rounded up a few of the most popular styles below) without worrying about degradation or damage.
Polished concrete uses a step-by-step grinding and polishing process to increase the evenness and shine of your concrete slab. There are many benefits here, as polished concrete is stain resistant, durable, low-maintenance, and cost-effective.
Stained concrete is created when chemical or water-based stains are added to concrete to enhance its colour or appearance.
Tools are used to imprint patterns onto fresh concrete. These patterns can mimic materials like slate, stone, and brick. Today, stamping methods are so advanced that it can be really difficult to distinguish between the concrete and the real brick or slate.
If you’ve been thinking about protecting your concrete floors, whether at home or on the job, you’ll have come across the debate between epoxy sealing options vs. acrylic sealing options.
Epoxy is a coating that is applied on top of concrete in the same way acrylic concrete sealer is applied to the surface of concrete, and both help protect floors that are constantly exposed to water.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that acrylic sealers are slightly “flexible”, meaning that they’re more likely to show scratches, wear, and tear over time. While epoxy coatings are typically more expensive, you’ll enjoy longer lasting protection and a more durable finish.
There are many advantages to applying epoxy flooring to your concrete and we’ve rounded up some of our favourites.
Epoxy coating creates a shiny, high-gloss surface. This can brighten any interior room while providing a waterproof and spill-proof coating for floors.
Ideal for: Retail outlets, restaurant floors, bathroom areas
If you have an area with heavy machinery, frequent spills, or high foot traffic, epoxy flooring can provide a hard-wearing and durable flooring solution.
Ideal for: Commercial spaces, garage floors, warehouse floors, showrooms
Unlike other flooring, epoxy requires no adhesives, special tools, or layout work. Additionally, certain types of epoxy — like self-leveling epoxy floors – can be applied directly on top of cracked or chipped concrete. This can make the installation process faster and more cost-effective than many concrete alternatives.
Ideal for: Residential garages, customer-facing businesses who rely on minimal disruption
Epoxy flooring is dust resistant, waterproof, easy to clean, sanitary, and resistant to oil stains and water – i.e. it slashes your cleaning and maintenance time.
It also requires simple dusting and mopping for maintenance, making it a very easy to clean floor option for your commercial or residential space. The chemical and oil resistance also makes it a sensible choice for warehouses or industrial applications.
Ideal for: Food courts, hospitals, bathrooms, automotive shops
There are many finishing options when it comes to epoxy floors, and you can easily add:
This makes epoxy flooring a great option for those who want to elevate their space or hide unsightly chips or cracks — without worrying about delicate flooring issues.
Ideal for: Office flooring, lobbies, hotels, plazas, government buildings
Anti-slip additives can be added to your epoxy flooring to decrease the likelihood of slips or falls. This can be extremely helpful in an industrial environment or in auto garages and repair shops.
Ideal for: Commercial kitchens, public bathrooms, shop fronts
With all this in mind, it is important to point out that epoxy flooring has many applications. If you’re in need of a surface that’s easy to clean, won’t chip or scrape, and can stand up to, well…practically everything, then it’s worth having a conversation about epoxy flooring.
If you recognise your space in the list below, let’s start a conversation.
| Lobbies & Store DisplaysEpoxy flooring can incorporate high gloss finishes or decorative chips, and is often used in retail spaces, hotels, and other customer-facing spaces. | Factory Floors & WarehousesHighly durable and resistant to chemicals like oil, transmission fluid, bleach, etc, epoxy flooring is ideal for factory floors and warehouses. | Garages (Residential & Commercial)Epoxy resin is often used in garages as it can withstand heavy foot traffic and tyre treads, creating a water-resistant and lasting garage floor. |
| Restaurants & Food CourtsSpill-resistance and germ-resistance make epoxy flooring a suitable choice for cafeterias and other eateries. | HospitalsEpoxy flooring is resistant to germs and bacteria. It is also easy to clean. This makes it an ideal choice for hospitals and clinics. | Regulated SpacesEpoxy coating easily meets many environmental and safety standards. This makes it ideal for pharmaceutical spaces or labs. |
Curious about transforming your residential, commercial or industrial space? Let’s start a conversation about epoxy. There’s no obligations, but plenty of potential.
Reach out to one of our experts on 0450 550 649 or click here to request a fast, FREE quote today.
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