Different Types Of Commercial Coatings And
Which One Is Right For You.
Regardless of what you are looking for, epoxy coatings have a wide range of commercial flooring options available. In this article we will cover the different types available and give you a brief explanation on how each one is used. By knowing your needs and matching them with the product best suited to your need you will improve your chances of getting maximum return from your investment.
Epoxy coatings have found many uses because their versatility allows them to be applied to nearly any material that can take a varnish or a paint. Now days, they are being used more in construction business than ever before thanks partly to their low cost and ease of use in both small and large projects alike when compared to other surface treatments such as painting or wallpapers.
Epoxy coatings are also called two-component coatings because they are always composed of two components, an epoxy resin and a hardener. Each component must be thoroughly mixed together before it can be applied to the surface or else you will end up with a useless product that cannot dry properly. The ratio at which these two components are mixed determines how fast the coating dries as well as its hardness.
You should always determine your specific needs before choosing your products, whether you want to protect your floor, change its color or improve its look there is bound to be an epoxy coating suited for it. Let's take a brief look at some of commercial paints available on today's market:
Commercial Epoxy Flooring Coatings
Epoxy resin is a tough and durable product that can withstand an extensive amount of wear and tear, but it does have its limitations. Not only will it not adhere properly to metals, stones or tiles but also porous materials such as wood don't hold it very well either. Even though epoxy resins are chemically inert they will still need a good surface preparation in order to yield outstanding results in the end. Depending on your needs you should choose from one of the following three types:
- High Performance Epoxy Flooring - These two component coatings are thick and will crack if applied too thin which makes them ideal for industrial use when heavy foot traffic is expected. They dry at medium speed so they can be often used indoors without having to close the area to other activities. They can also be used in garages and warehouses during winter for added protection against water, oil and gasoline spills because they don't get brittle when exposed to low temperatures. However, do try to keep your application within one hour of sunrise or one hour before sunset because these epoxy flooring products take a long time to dry and curing even longer if exposed directly to sunlight. One last feature worth mentioning about these coatings is that they usually come with special adhesion promoters suitable for both metals and porous surfaces so you won't need an additional primer before applying them.
- Flexible Epoxy Flooring - If you are looking for a commercial epoxy coating product suitable for floors this would be the best option. They are also thick but dry much faster than high performance epoxy coatings which allows you to apply them in larger areas without too much inconvenience. One feature worth mentioning about these commercial flooring products is that they are not affected by water so they can be applied indoors or outdoors, though if the latter is your case you should keep it away from sunlight because it will take longer to dry under direct exposure.
- Standard Epoxy Flooring - These would be the typical epoxy coatings suitable for most household uses. They are cheap and easy to use but their drawback is that they dry very slowly which makes them unsuitable for large surfaces or areas with heavy foot traffic. You should also avoid applying them on concrete floors because humidity will cause cracks and once this happens your floor will start peeling off. They can be used as a top coat to protect other surface treatments such as wallpapers and paint against moisture damage, however.
Color Change Epoxy Coatings
Epoxy colors are very durable because they cannot be easily scratched or removed but these types of commercial paint products do not only have aesthetic appeal, but also provide protection against abrasion and chemical spills. You should always try to use them on hard surfaces such as tiles which won't scratch you epoxy coating. The downside with color change epoxies is that they don't wear well so you should keep their applications light otherwise your coating might peel off in the end. The good news is that most standard two-component epoxy flooring products come in a variety of colors already so you won't have to worry about this.
If you don't know what type of epoxy coating would be best for your needs, always go with the standard two-component commercial epoxy flooring. They are cheap and versatile enough to use for applications where other types wouldn't be appropriate.