Epoxy flooring is a common and popular choice in both commercial and domestic settings. While home owners may see them as a great solution to their garage surfaces, industries see them as part of safety precaution as epoxy flooring is less susceptible to erosion and wear and tear, thus, minimising the chances of slippery floor and related damages, resulting in possible disruption of services.
But exactly how unique is epoxy flooring? Perhaps we can start by looking at it from the operational level. Epoxy floors are tough, more durable, and permit higher compression strength as compared to other types of flooring like polyurethanes. This is the prime reason to why epoxy flooring is especially in favour of heavy duty industries, warehouses, and logistic centers where extensive human and machinery traffic are experienced.
At the behavioural level, epoxy is exceptionally resilient against certain chemicals like sulfuric acid, which commonly appears in battery manufacturing firms. Resistance means that the epoxy floor will not react with the chemicals that it accidentally comes into contact with.
Often, erosion may occur if reactions do take place, resulting in black spots, yellowing, or even affect the levelling of the floor. This, in turn, not only disfigure the overall aesthetic but also makes the floor more brittle, shortening its supposed longevity. Other times, the contamination may come from nearby work areas, as they arrive through people’s foot-steps. However, as epoxy is usually applied from a thickness between 2 millimeters to 6 millimeters deep,
In term of application, epoxy is of great help for floors housed in humid climate. Even though epoxy resin is sensitive to humidity and moisture, the damage that the two can do on epoxy is effectively limited as a result of the strong covalent bonds formed. As long as the epoxy is correctly and carefully applied from the start, users can forgo the hassle of annual re-coating and subsequent maintenance.
Moreover, epoxy floor is easier to work with as compared to other types of flooring. Epoxy is hard yet elastic, making it less susceptible to scratches. The elasticity also means that epoxy is a great choice for freezing chambers where the storage temperature is as low as minus 20 – 30 degree Celsius or in multi-level car parks where waterproof layer is preferred.
Epoxy is also flexible in the sense that it comes with huge varieties, that suits not only a prospective user’s taste and needs, but also succumb to their ideal budget. Hence, if you are still considering how to strengthen your current flooring, epoxy may be a good start. Do consult an expert when in need as a good epoxy is going to last a long way.