Every year, people spend upwards of $98 billion on plastic and resin manufacturing just in the United States. The industry has come to employ more than 97,000 people to keep up with all of this demand.
A lot of that demand goes toward floor coatings like epoxy floors and polyurea alternatives. Many people immediately think of epoxy options when they think of floor coatings without realizing that technology has progressed in recent years.
There are now many alternatives that come with their own pros and cons. More and more people are discovering that more advanced alternatives provide better results than epoxy floors.
So how well do epoxy floors perform, and how do they compare to alternatives? Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about your options for floor coatings!
Are Epoxy Floors Good?
How good are epoxy floors? The truth is that you have to answer this question relatively. Compared to having no floor coating at all, epoxy floors are a huge step up with few downsides.
All floor coatings will help protect the underlying floor from accumulating damage. In most cases, that means saving a lot of money on repairs because your floor coating absorbs damage better than the underlying floor.
It can also mean making it a lot easier to clean your floors. Floor coatings are a lot easier to clean than cement or concrete. On top of that, you will probably have to do a lot less cleaning in the first place.
Floor coatings for garages and other floors are far less likely to develop stains from spills. Lastly, floor coatings make the floor much safer to use. Many floors become smooth and slippery over time.
Floor coatings provide a consistent surface with excellent grip. And that level of friction will maintain itself even after many years of use. That means that people are far less likely to slip and injure themselves.
Cons of Epoxy Floors
At the same time, epoxy floors come with certain disadvantages. First of all, the installation process can take a long time. Many people who are attracted to the benefits of floor coatings are turned off by how long they would have to go without using their floor while they wait for an epoxy installation.
The installation process is also quite unpleasant because it creates a lot of fumes. Unfortunately, these fumes can persist for days and sometimes even weeks after the installation process is complete.
On top of that, although it is true that epoxy floors provide a good grip while they are dry, the same cannot be said of them when they are wet. When epoxy flooring gets wet, it becomes quite slippery and unsafe.
That can increase the chance that people will suffer injuries from slipping on it. For businesses, that can also mean that they expose themselves to a higher risk of liability.
On top of that, epoxy floors tend to develop certain problems over time. For one thing, they often start to develop a yellow tint. That means that while they initially make your floor look better and protect it from taking on damage, years down the line your floor may actually look worse.
Not only that, but correcting this problem will require you to remove the epoxy flooring. Although epoxy floors provide many advantages, there is no denying that they come with certain disadvantages as well.
Alternative Garage Floor Coating Options
Fortunately, there are now many alternatives to epoxy floor coatings. In particular, polyurea coatings provide many of the same benefits as epoxy floor coatings without providing the same disadvantages.
Plus, they often provide superior performance than that of epoxy floors. Lastly, they provide some additional advantages that do not come with epoxy floors.
In many ways, polyurea floor coatings are a strict upgrade compared to epoxy floors. So what exactly are the benefits that come with a polyurea floor coating?
Benefits of Alternative Garage Floor Coating Options
First of all, polyurea floor coatings are a lot easier and faster to install than epoxy options. That means that you will not have to deal with nearly the same amount of downtime if you want to start protecting your floor. They also produce far fewer fumes during and after installation.
On top of that, polyurea floor coatings do not have the same tendency to develop a yellow tint as they age. Not only will your floor look better immediately after installation, but it will continue to look better many years down the line.
In addition, quality polyurea coating options often comes with UV protection. Most people understand how easily an unprotected floor can accumulate physical damage. It is obvious how scrapes and scratches can damage the floor.
It is also obvious how spills can stain a floor and ruin its aesthetic appeal. However, many people do not appreciate how much damage comes from the invisible rays of the sun. Just as UV rays can damage human skin, so can they fade, discolor, and otherwise damaged floors.
Even when it comes to physical protection, other floor coatings can perform far better than epoxy options.
Understand the Superior Alternatives to Epoxy Floors
We hope learning about the alternatives to epoxy floors has been helpful for you. Many people deal with chronic issues with their floors without realizing that the solutions to their problems already exist.
To learn more about what alternative floor coatings can do for you or to find quality installers, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!