Epoxy flooring, also known as epoxy resin flooring, has industrial and home applications. It can be used to protect flooring, or fix flawed flooring, in warehouses, shipping and receiving, or showrooms.
This flooring choice is common in industrial or commercial locations, but is often overlooked or never even considered for home use.
However, the final finish of epoxy is seamless and has a shine to it that really increases the high-end look of the room.
As the industrial style is more often brought into homes and luxury apartments, epoxy flooring starts to gain a specific appeal.
Add to this luxury aesthetic the ease of cleaning and maintaining these floors, and you may want to consider epoxy flooring. Imagine how great an epoxy stone, aggregate, or pebble flooring would be in your entry, laundry, or even kitchen to provide a durable that looks great too.
What In the World is Epoxy Flooring?
If you have a hard concrete surface that you want to protect, then epoxy flooring can be the answer to your prayers.
Not only is it an inexpensive way to mask any flaws, but it also creates a safe and durable surface for your chosen area.
Epoxy itself was first used in aerospace facilities back in the 1950s.
With all of the advantages to this DGEB A/F Epoxy Resin, Polyoxyalkyleneamine, and silica sand blend, the uses have multiplied over into the electronics industry and flooring.
Because epoxy floor covering works well to resist water and other materials, it is most often seen as industrial/garage epoxy flooring.
Easy to keep clean and tough under pressure, this floor covering is non-flammable, which is a great advantage when working in extreme conditions.
Best Selling Epoxy Flooring
Colored Expoxies 10002 Clear Epoxy Resin Coating
- Flexible
- 100% Solids
- Odorless
- Impact Resistant
Some manufacturers have found ways to incorporate epoxy into wood flooring as well — to ensure that fires are limited should they start.
This has found a lot of takers especially in places which are prone to accidents caused due to fire.
For instance, there has been a spike in the number of restaurants that have opted for epoxy flooring in the last decade or so.
The numbers are set to rise with it gaining more popularity.
Why Choose Epoxy Flooring?
Don’t let the idea of industry scare you off though, decorative epoxy covering is available, with the ability to create aggregate, pebble and resin flooring with the epoxy fillers.
Since it’s such a good adhesive, these mixtures perform quite well in home decorating durable and attractive.
It's arguably the best type of flooring you can use for your garage for those reasons.
If you are considering renovating your home in the near future, it would be a good idea to check out epoxy flooring as well.
Better still, you can ask your friends or relatives or do some online research to get first hand opinions from those who may have already gone for this durable, modern flooring finish.
When trying to select a flooring from the countless options available out there, it’s smart to start by weighing the pros and cons.
Every flooring has advantages and disadvantages.
The right choice for your home, your lifestyle and your room in particular is not going to be the same as for others.
Make your list of wants and needs and compare them with the following pros and cons of epoxy flooring to see if this could be the right choice for you!
Epoxy flooring has the following main advantages:
- Strong adhesive properties: This means the flooring won't peel up or chip overtime.
- Chemical and liquid resistance: Chemical spills won't damage the epoxy and this flooring can stand up to a lot of different kinds of messes, making it a fantastic choice for restaurants, gyms, kitchens, and work spaces.
- Doesn't shrink: once the epoxy has cured, it doesn't flex with changes in temperature or humidity.
- Durable: The strength of epoxy flooring is one of its greatest attributes. You can drop weights on the flooring or drive a car over it and it will not chip or crack.
- Non-flammable: Due to the non-flammable nature of epoxy, it has become a great choice for restaurants and kitchens. Some companies have even started mixing epoxy with other flooring materials to attempt to reduce the flammability of the flooring.
- Easy to use: Chemical and liquid resistance mean you can use anything to keep the floors clean and well maintained. Epoxy flooring is naturally shiny and, so, basic cleaning will keep them looking fabulous.
Disadvantages of using epoxy flooring in your home:
- The curing process requires that the area be unused for at least twelve hours (or in some cases, even longer) after application.
- Chemical compounds may cause irritant and/or allergic contact reactions.
How is Epoxy Flooring Installed and Maintained? Can I Install it Myself?
One of the greatest advantages to decorative epoxy flooring is that it is applied as you would apply paint to the floor.
The epoxy is brushed on (after a primer coat, of course) and left to dry.
The video below shows the entire process of applying a luxury epoxy coating to concrete flooring by a professional.
The initial hardness can be felt at twelve hours after application, and at twenty four hours, you’re able to feel the real strength.
Over the course of the week, the total strength and firmness will be evident. Owing to the above, in most cases, you wouldn’t need an expert to do that for you.
Most people can do this on their own if they have an understanding of floor painting and the necessary equipment.
However, if done incorrectly, the main appeal of epoxy-it’s seamless shine-can really fail. For this reason, I strongly recommend you hire a contractor who is familiar and experienced with epoxy flooring installation.
Regardless of who does the install, it is strictly advised that the floor is not used before at least 24 hours for best results.
But waiting for this length of time results in the aspect of epoxy most find attractive: for the day of sacrifice, you get a surface that can handle truck traffic and chemical spills.
And in the industrial arena, these are well worth any initial investment.
While this finish is strong and durable, it is not infallible. Epoxy can be scratched and may yellow over time, especially in an area exposed to a lot of sunlight.
The seamless look makes it more difficult to make small repairs and damage is not easy to hide.
Now, For Some Technical Specifications
And here are some technical facts about epoxy finish: the bond strength (ASTM C-882) is 2110 p.s.i., which is much stronger than any other floor covering. Its flexural strength, or ability to move without breaking, (ASTM C-580-68) is 6,075 seven days after application.
The compressive strength (ASTM D-695) is 9,910 p.s.i. — extraordinarily high, and though it shouldn’t be a shock, the hardness, Shore D, is 65 in the 24 hours after application and goes up to 75 in the 7 days after applying.
Best Selling Epoxy Flooring
Colored Expoxies 10002 Clear Epoxy Resin Coating
- Flexible
- 100% Solids
- Odorless
- Impact Resistant
Even if you don’t know what all these numbers mean, you should be able to understand that epoxy is well worth the time that you can’t walk on it.
Most traffic needs to be curtailed for at least twelve hours after application.
The longer you wait the better. Scheduling the epoxy flooring for a holiday or a Sunday is definitely the better choice owing to the low traffic or footfall.
Where Would You Put Epoxy Flooring?
- High ended gym
- Industrial style, modern looking basement
- Professional garage/ workspace
I shy away from recommending epoxy flooring in kitchens or other main areas of the home.
Because the curing process takes place in the location where the epoxy is applied (as opposed to any kind of prefabricated flooring which is cured in a strictly controlled environment), there are many factors which are difficult to control and can have a negative effect on the final flooring.
Temperatures, humidity levels and even insects can impact the final product.
For this reason, limiting the locations for this flooring to areas that are easier to control is the best way to ensure you’ll be pleased with the final result.
I am also not convinced that outdoor applications are the best place for epoxy, as any flaws will be easier to see in the sunlight and yellowing will happen more quickly.
I really see epoxy flooring as the right choice if you are more than just a hobbyist. If your gym is where you spend a lot of your time, if it’s a part of your life, a room you care about, and somewhere you want to be not just functional but truly a conversation piece, epoxy flooring is the right choice.
Similarly, if your basement or garage is your sanctuary and you want to elevate the beauty so that the room feels like a high end luxury showroom, epoxy flooring is going to be a smart decision for you.
If you have an area that needs to stay tough, like a garage, driveway, or carport, seamless epoxy flooring is one great way to go. It is also finding increased application in gyms and other places that witness regular physical activity.
For durability, attractiveness, and ease of application, decorative epoxy flooring is a very interesting option.
I am looking for a epoxy finish for my linolum floor ,that will last a long time can you help me
I’m not sure we are using the concept of epoxy flooring in the same way. Why would you want to put epoxy, as discussed in this article, on a linoleum floor?
Linoleum flooring will last a long time with proper care — without putting an epoxy finish on it. Or any finish, for that matter.
i’m looking for a epoxy for a sport court
Look in the phone book. Check with various flooring stores. Ask commercial builders. When you see a floor you like, ask who installed it, and contact them directly.
Good luck!
How well does epoxy perform over a plywood surface? Concrete is a better choice but when you can’t add a concrete base over plywood, how long can you expect the epoxy floor to hold up? Will it crack?
You don’t say what room your plywood surface floor is in or what the room is used for. The answer is going to have to be as vague as the question and information provided.
Epoxy can be a good finish on a plywood surface, if the plywood surface and flooring joists are solid and in an enclosed area. If the joists are too far apart and/or the plywood is thin, floor flexing could cause any flooring surface installed on top to have problems.
If, on the other hand, you have a solid subfloor you can expect the flooring material to hold up as designed.
Epoxy flooring is a durable surface when applied right and to a good subfloor.
Sorry for being vague. This application is for the first floor of a 1 story small office building (3000sqft; built in 1970) that has a plywood floor over wooden joists. I imagine there is some motion caused by traffic and wooden floor, but I don’t have a way to quantify that. What thickness would you recommend for the subfloor? And what are the ways that epoxy can fail? Thank you!
Regarding subfloor thickness it really depends on what kind of flooring is being applied. For heavy flooring materials — tiles, flooring bricks, stone — I think a 3/4″ subfloor is the absolute minimum. For carpet, linoleum and wood flooring 1/2-3/4″ is most typically used
But your subfloor is your flooring, from what I understand you to say and it is what it is, and that’s probably 1/2″. There will be some give in the flooring as people walk across it, but I think the epoxy flooring you seem to be considering should hold up fine. But ask your installer and even the manufacturer.
Linoleum would also be a good flooring choice for you to consider. I’m pretty sure it would hold up nicely too.
I too am interested in an epoxy floor over wood subflooring.
I’m interested in failure points. With application being with a roller, I don’t see thickness as being an aspect I should count on, and am concerned with cracking. Solid subflooring is an absolute must. But wood absorbs water seasonally, and can be subject to minor swelling. Does the epoxy flooring have fibrous fillers to help with expansion/contraction laterally?
Is this a material where I should consider building up a “frame” around the entire room and “pouring” in an epoxy floor, or is that cost prohibitive?
Where can I find the raw materials, any tools necessary for application, etc? I have local stores that market epoxy flooring for garages for a very pricey sum! Are there expected “barriers” for purchasing materials for application sort of like certain counter tops which require “factory training”?
I also think that a valuable addition to your web site would be to have a matrix that has materials on one axis, and a number of qualities/attributes on another axis (durability, cost, variety, experience for application, special tools required, area of application (all rooms, garage, kitchen, entry, etc), susceptibility to damage (water, stains, heat, dents, sharp objects, etc).
Perhaps also have links to how-to sites or industrial suppliers (you can make money via advertisements and referrals).
While I see an effort to be vendor neutral, independent and free of marketing hype, your site and descriptions often prompt more questions than answer them. Having pictures of samples may also help to visualize what some types of material are or what they might look like. Reading about bamboo flooring is interesting, but what does it look like?
Anyway, I’d like to hear more about epoxy flooring and durability of it over wood floors. We have lots of kids and traffic is horrible over vinyl flooring. Too many spills lead me to shy away from wood flooring products that may swell around seams or where sharp objects have penetrated the top layer finish.
I am pulling the vinyl up in my bathroom. Under it is finished 80 year old quarter sewn pine. I am pretty serious about finishing it and have a pine floor. We have had all kinds of spills in the rest of the house and mop it up and the pine is fine. I am looking for a clear epoxy to( like you would see on the deck of a boat) to water proof the floor.
I am interested in using the garage epoxy for my sons bedroom floor. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what he wants and I know where I can get it at a fraction of the price. The subflooring is plywood. I’m assuming I need to prime it first. What would you recommend to prime it with, Kilz, flat paint? Also, should I be concerned about chemicals in the epoxy causing any problems for my son? We will not be moving into the home for a week or so after applying the epoxy.
Thanks,
Amanda
For sealing your old pine flooring you could use Defy Epoxy, though it doesn’t come in clear anymore, or Diamond Coat Varathane Urethane. The Diamond Coat is a low VOC product, unlike the Defy, making it better for indoor use in my book.
A basketball court finish would also give you the durability you may be seeking. Just watch out for the air quality impact.
Read the directions on the can to see how to apply the epoxy to a plywood subfloor. The can will also tell you about the offgassing of the product. But yes, I’d be concerned about the air quality for your son, and everyone else in the house..
You can try to force the offgassing, which you can then vent, by closing off your son’s room after the epoxy application and turn the heat on high, baking the chemicals. That will go a long way to getting rid of some of the chemical compounds, but it could offgas for years.
I think the concept is great for your son’s room. See if you can find a low VOC epoxy to use. And let us know what you do, and how it turns out.
i’m a 1st time homeowner and would like to epoxy the living & dining room floors. My concern is applying it to the hardwood floor and then not liking it(I’d like to get a little creative with the colors). If i put down vinyl flooring and then epoxy over top of that, would that work?
I’m not sure what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to cover over the hardwood flooring? Why are you going to put epoxy over vinyl or linoleum? What do you have in the living and dining rooms?
I just bought a house with an aging epoxy pebble pool deck. The pebbles are coming loose and I wanted to know if there are any new techniques to cover and seal it, as I’m in Florida the UV is a major detriment.
Can the epoxy be tinted? Is there a rubberized coating that can seal over the pebbles? Any information on the best approach would be appreciated.
I actually haven’t heard of anything to do for resealing that epoxy pebble pool dock. There are various rubberized coatings that are supposed to be UV resistant (though very little actually is), but I don’t know if that’s the best approach.
I’m thinking of doing something like I see in restaurants and bars where they put things on their tables and then pour epoxy on it to keep it safe, but don’t know if that would work in your case. And that stuff can be bad for the environment, and the people working with it.
Let us know what you learn and do.
pebble flooring on pool deck…I think I can help you! I,lock down the pebbles with a moisture insensative uv epoxy.then,you may apply a polyurethane..I have done this many times before,with great success..For help with epoxy flooring,call or e-mail me at 412-478-1328 or e-mail me at [email protected]
thanks,pete pawlikoski (npi sales rep.)
I just got epoxy floor with all the extras done in my Garage. I hear a light cracking sound when I walk on some parts of the floor, not other parts. There are also patches missing the top shiny coat exposing loose color chips. My contractor says he will sand and redo. Does that make sense ? with all the color chips, it is hard for me to picture repairing.
Something’s not making sense here. I can see that sanding and redoing will take care of the imperfect top surface, but I don’t see it taking care of the cracking sound.
Have your installer figure out what the cracking sound is about. My hunch is the epoxy hasn’t adhered to the concrete and the sound is a reflection of the epoxy moving. Or the epoxy wasn’t mixed thoroughly and you are finding the bad spots through the sound.
What kind of warranty do you have with this installer? If he can’t fix the sound issue and the floor goes bad a few years down the road, will he repair it then?