Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring is a highly durable and customisable flooring solution that is created by combining two main components: epoxy resin and a hardener. The epoxy resin acts as a binder, while the hardener provides strength and stability. When these two components are mixed together, a chemical reaction occurs, forming a rigid and durable surface. The result is a glossy, seamless finish that can be customized in various colors and styles
Whether you are looking to enhance the look of your home, office, or industrial space, epoxy flooring offers a wide range of benefits and options to suit your needs. In this comprehensive guide, we will understand what is epoxy flooring, explore its types, benefits, and how to choose the ideal epoxy flooring for your space.
Types of Epoxy Flooring
In terms of aesthetics, epoxy floors are seamless, highly versatile and available to be produced in a wide range of colours, styles, effects and decorative options. These properties make them suitable for industrial and commercial facilities and locations. There are several general types of epoxy flooring, such as:
Epoxy Terrazzo Flooring :
Epoxy terrazzo flooring provides a colourful, decorative, durable and seamless flooring surface. This type of flooring is created with a mix of colored epoxy and selected aggregates (such as marble, mother of pearl, glass, granite, etc). After setting the mixture, the flooring is ground and polished, exposing the aggregate and delivering a smooth, decorative and hard-wearing floor finish.
Epoxy terrazzo floors are not just highly decorative and very durable, they only require simple maintenance and have an outstanding life expectancy (upwards of 40 years). This floor system is ideal for large commercial venues thanks to its aesthetics, durability and lifespan.
Epoxy Flake Floor Coatings
Epoxy flake floor coatings combine the durability of epoxy with decorative flakes to create a stunning, multi-colored finish. These coatings broadcast vinyl flakes over a wet epoxy base, creating a textured and visually appealing surface.
Consider this type of epoxy floor coating for garages, basements, and commercial spaces, where aesthetics and functionality are important. The flakes come in various colors and sizes, allowing customization to match any decor. Additionally, the textured surface provides slip resistance, making epoxy flake floors a safe and attractive option for high-traffic areas.
Epoxy Floor Coatings
Epoxy floor coatings are sometimes also referred to as epoxy paint or epoxy floor paint. The finishes generally come in a uniform single colour, and their finishing can be chosen to be matte, satin or glossy.
Epoxy floor coatings are generally used for areas with light to medium level of activities, and these can be for industrial or commercial areas.
Since there is a long list of varieties and options for epoxy coatings, it is better to check with a flooring specialist to get the best-matched flooring. Dependent on the environment’s purposes and functions, there would be a suitable flooring solution available to meet the requirements.
Self-levelling Epoxy Flooring
Self-leveling epoxy floor coating is easy to install over old and new concrete floors, creating a seamless and smooth surface.
Generally, self-levelling systems are applied between 1 to 3mm and applied in liquid form for fast installation, resulting in a smooth, seamless finish. The resin-rich formulations of epoxy SL provide a very strong durable finish for heavy-duty demanding environments.
You can choose Self-leveling epoxy coating for office buildings, storage facilities, warehouses, kitchens, dining rooms, etc. On top of that, this coat is an ideal choice for an epoxy garage floor
Epoxy Metallic Flooring
Our metallic epoxy coating gives a brilliant finish to any existing concrete surface. Metallic epoxy is a 100% solid epoxy coating engineered with metallic additives to produce a dynamic color-changing effect. Customers seeking an exceptional finish for their floor will be captivated by how metallic epoxy can dramatically transform any surface.
Metallic epoxy floors are great for residential garages, basements, patios, and even kitchens. We’ve even installed metallic epoxy floors in commercial spaces like fire stations and schools.
These are some of the types of epoxy flooring that there are in the industry.
Benefits Of Epoxy Flooring
Affordability
When you compare other types of flooring to epoxy flooring solutions, the cost of epoxy per square foot is difficult to match, let alone beat. Part of the affordability of these resinous floors comes from installing them directly on top of your existing floor. Whether your commercial or industrial facility has wood flooring or concrete, epoxy installation costs are significantly lower than the others. Price continues to be one of the biggest and instantly rewarding benefits of epoxy flooring for commercial and industrial use.
High Durability
Epoxy flooring is famous for its durability. Its ability to remain in form after years of use makes it more advantageous over most types of flooring. However, it’s best to have an already existing layer of concrete below the epoxy flooring to get optimum durability.
Resistant to Damages
Epoxy floors can withstand tough conditions. Your floor won’t be affected in the case of oil spillage, gasoline spillage, or chemical spillage.
This flooring type can withstand the effects of extreme weather conditions such as heat. It’s also resistant to the actions of bacteria and germs. All you need to do is to maintain a good cleaning culture whenever there’s any form of spillage on your floor.
Aesthetics
Epoxy flooring can be applied as a seamless, easy-to-clean floor surface with a wide range of customisable colour options, as well as a variety of gloss levels (glossy, satin, matte). Further design options include the addition of coloured microchips and metallic pigment additives.
Easy to Maintain
Issues on maintenance are top considerations when choosing a flooring type for the home. With the use of epoxy floors, it’s easy to give your floor proper maintenance and make it look appealing at all times.
Due to the seamless nature of epoxy floors, they’re easy to clean without having dirt stuck in between partitions of the floor as may be common with other flooring types. There are no rooms for dirt to hide during cleanups.
The smooth surface allows for quick cleaning and the use of basic cleaning equipment to achieve maximum results. The addition of an anti-microbial additive during installation will help to reduce the worries of bacterial activities on your floor, especially in the kitchen and dining room.
Epoxy Flooring Cons
It Takes Time to Harden
It takes an epoxy floor as long as 30 days to harden completely. This duration may be inconvenient if multiple construction activities are going on at the same time or if you’re already living in the building.
However, there are advancements in the formula for curing products and improved curing methods that may hasten the hardening process.
It’s Temporary
Although epoxy floors are durable, they are temporary solutions to your flooring needs. It’s common for cracks to begin to appear on the floor over time. These cracks then develop into openings, which ruin the beauty of the floor.
Note that as you install an epoxy floor, you’ll have to keep changing it after a period of time, depending on the weight of your furniture and the rate of activities in your home.
Installation Process is Tedious
Series of activities must be carried out on the floor before an epoxy coating is installed on a concrete floor. The concrete floor has to be thoroughly cleaned and free from dirt, oil, or grease before an epoxy coating can be applied. Repairs will also have to be done on the concrete floor before an epoxy floor is installed.
This process will be strenuous in the absence of advanced cleaning tools and equipment. And the durability of the epoxy floor may be affected if the process is not properly done.
Installing an epoxy floor requires a certain level of humidity; this is because of its sensitivity to moisture. If this precaution is not well observed, moisture may ruin the strength of the floor and make it less durable.
At Elite Floors Kenya, we know how tough it is to find a flooring solution that will be cost-effective while also standing the test of time. We understand your need for a flooring solution that resists spills, chemicals, and stains.
We also know that there are benefits and disadvantages to every type of flooring. That’s why we’d love to help you through the process! Our knowledgeable staff looks forward to explaining the pros and cons of epoxy flooring and breaking down which type of coating is most beneficial to your property.