Polyurea Floor Coatings Are Not Only for Your Garage

Many people are looking for concrete floor coatings, especially for the garage. But today’s concrete floor coating choices, Epoxy and Polyurea, are not created equal. While both can be used in the garage, there are definitely places where Polyurea should be your only choice. Let’s take a look.

Can I Use Garage Floor Epoxy Outside?

No, garage floor epoxy can not handle UV rays or harsh weather, so it’s not suitable for exterior use, but polyurea is a good option that is durable outside.

You may wonder why we write so much about epoxy garage floors when we actually install something so much better. Well, the simple answer is that most consumers don’t know there is a much better alternative to epoxy called polyurea. And, when they Google these questions, we want to make sure they get the right information!

There is a new name to look for if you’re searching for concrete floor coatings that offer durability, longevity, waterproofing, and easy application: polyurea floor coating. In many areas, this coating eclipses the well-known epoxy flooring often used in home garages. You will find a multitude of usages beyond your garage for utilizing polyurea flooring.

What’s the Difference Between Epoxy Flooring and Polyurea Floor Coatings?

For openers, both applications can cover concrete, concealing years of wear and tear, but that’s where their similitudes come to an end. The two concrete coating selections differ considerably in visual appeal, UV stability, durable advantageousness, moisture deterrents, slip resistance, and period of effectiveness.

Why Are Polyurea Concrete Coatings Better For Exterior Applications?

Visual Appeal

Epoxy and polyurea applications can embellish your garage, basement, or patio. Epoxy can hide superficial defects but it is not an ideal way to smooth out cracked, split, or precariously unlevel surfaces. The polyurea chip system allows homeowners a myriad of options to select a color that will complement their interior or exterior decor.

UV Stability

Polyurea concrete floor coatings have UV-stable components that will not pale or yellow with exposure to the sun. Epoxy cannot stand up to UV damage and will become washed out over time.

Durability

Salts, chemicals, oils, and temperature fluctuations can markedly damage your garage door over time. Polyurea concrete floor coatings are among the most durable flooring choices. Certified to be nearly five times harder than epoxy, polyurea can endure heavy traffic, skids, abrasions, and impact. Polyurea concrete floor coatings also offer an impregnable barrier against moisture and unwelcome pests where epoxy does not.

Polyurea is immune to damage, accidents, and mishaps for well over a decade. Epoxy will shield your flooring from salts and chemicals, but only for a short time. Unlike polyurea concrete floor covering, epoxy delivers less-than-optimal temperature change security. Epoxy does not possess the elasticity to move with your home’s foundation when it broadens and compresses. That means it will crack and splinter over time in reaction to temperature volatility. Polyurea will expand and contract with your concrete and has demonstrated to be 98% more pliable than epoxy.

Moisture Barrier

If your garage floor has a high moisture make-up, moisture vapor transference from underneath the slab can cause flaking in the coating. Innovative Concrete Coatings will always bring a moisture reader to your property to ascertain whether you have a moisture issue. If so, our polyurea floor coating can help.

Slip Resistance

We know epoxy is a non-porous material that fashions a smooth surface. Having said that, this can pose a hazard when epoxy floors get wet and become slick, especially from oil spills. With a polyurea system, the floor becomes slip-immune. Ask about the various resistance levels Innovative Concrete Coatings offers.

Lifespan

Polyurea is particularly supple and will adjust to expansion and contraction and movement within concrete without fracturing. It has a service history that goes beyond 25 years. Epoxy is a thermosetting resin that coats the floor but is not pliant to the movement of your foundation. Epoxy floors experience pitting, chipping, and splitting. Polyurea coatings receive outstanding marks from homeowners and businesses for this reason, in addition to being stain resistant, UV stable, and antibacterial.

Residential Uses of Polyurea Coatings

Thanks to polyurea’s durability and longevity, you will find many flooring uses that don’t include a surface to park cars on. While most people think of this as an option as a garage floor coating, there are many more places where you can have this flooring.

Garage Floor Coating

Clearly, most people think of polyurea coatings for garage flooring. While an epoxy floor may suffer damage from parking your car with hot tires on it, a polyurea-coated garage floor will not. This type of floor can hold up to any temperature and moisture extremes.

Home Gym Flooring

Since polyurea can stand up to jolts and shocks and also has an option for varying levels of slip resistance, they are perfect for flooring in home gyms.

In such areas, you need a floor that can support heavy weights or machines, plus avoid cracking or chipping if you drop a weight on the floor. Whether or not you have several workout machines or a single treadmill and a set of free weights, polyurea flooring will offer the continual functionality that you need.

Laundry Room Floor Coating

Laundry rooms call for a resilient surface that can withstand moisture, humidity, and temperature variations. For example, when you run a clothes dryer, the room will warm and humidity will elevate. You will also require a surface that provides slip resistance in case the water from wet clothes gets on the floor. Polyurea flooring is the answer to these needs. As many laundry rooms tend to double as mudrooms as well, polyurea flooring is an ideal solution with its slip resistance, durability, and ease with which it can be cleaned.

Workshop Floor Coating

In a workshop, polyurea will fill the bill for most applications. The only possible worry you might have is when you weld materials over the coating. While polyurea coating can withstand heat, it may burn from welding’s inordinate temperatures. Apart from that, as a workshop floor coating polyurea will help minimize the dust that might collect on a bare concrete floor and offers a slip-resistant surface optimizing the area’s safety.

Finish Basement Flooring

For finished basements, you want flooring that is hard-wearing and clean. Polyurea needs only spot cleaning to erase spills. With polyurea’s stain resistance, you don’t need to fret about a spilled drink in your basement rec room causing a standing problem. Dust mops will do the trick for removing any dust from the surface, and you can use a sponge mop for spills and cleaning of frequently traveled areas.

Outdoor Pool Areas

Epoxy floor coatings won’t stand up to moisture, UV rays, and the temperature swings that an outdoor pool area would encounter. Consequently, you need a durable surface coating like polyurea. Additionally, you can choose a variety of slip resistance levels for your surface. Around a pool, you want the utmost possible slip resistance to make the area safe for all.

Commercial Applications For Polyurea Flooring

Residencies are not the only places where polyurea flooring has uses. Businesses in all industries have made this floor covering their surface of choice long before homeowners uncovered its benefits. From auto shops to hospitals, many businesses can make the most of this surface’s long life and durability with a faster application than epoxy.

Auto Shop Flooring

Auto shops need sturdy flooring that can resist damage from hot tires, dropped tools, and a plethora of stains. Polyurea floor coatings flourish in these essentials where epoxy floors would not. Moreover, with one-day installation, your business won’t need to hold up operations long when you have polyurea installed.

Warehouses

Warehouses have heavy vehicular and foot traffic, plus weight from shelves and stored products. Employees cannot chance slipping and falling in such a bustling location. You need polyurea’s slip resistance that can hold up for years and years.

Car Dealership Showrooms

Car dealership showrooms have singular needs. First, the flooring needs to hold up to customers and employees walking over it daily. In addition, the floor cannot experience stains from vehicles driven over it as model cars are placed in display locations. Not least of all, the floor must sparkle and hold up for a long time. Polyurea flooring has many color and chip options to personalize your space.

Hospitals

The flooring in hospitals needs to weather heavy traffic, but it also must be simple to disinfect. Polyurea is antibacterial, blocking viral spread and allowing for swift sanitation. It also safeguards people walking on the surface from stumbling and tripping. In a hospital environment, durability, slip resistance, and ease of cleaning are key factors for any floor coating.

Contact Innovative Concrete Coatings

With our one-day installation in most commercial and residential locations, you can begin to enjoy your new floor sooner than if you had epoxy installed. Contact us at (843) 295-1391 for questions or to request an appointment. Our professional technicians are ready to help you get better flooring for your garage, gym, workshop, or any other space where you need the extra benefits of polyurea floor coating.