Polyaspartic vs Epoxy Floor

Polyaspartic Vs Epoxy

Garage Floor Coating:

What is the difference?

We are asked this question all of the time in our daily epoxy floor estimates, on the phone, by new technicians and it is a great one, so let's dive into epoxy coatings and get some of the mystery answered.

Both options offer a durable and cosmetically pleasing result and you will hear different opinions on each from almost everyone. let's weigh the pro's and con's of each.

Durability

   A polyapartic coating is a hard, flexible finish that is durable, wont chip or 

scratch.

 Epoxy is a hard finish but it is rigid and vulnerable to abrasion

Polyaspartic is the clear winner here

Cost

Polyaspartic is certainly more expensive and requires increased installation costs due to the short cure time in the bucket, it needs more people to apply it

Epoxy is the more affordable coating here. 

Dry Time

Polyaspartic, One layer can dry in an hour or less

Epoxy can take up to 16 hours to dry so polyaspartic is the better choice here

Diy Installation

Polyaspartic is not for the new painter, even an experienced applicator can have issues with it

Epoxy can be done with some experience , the proper tools and help but when things don't go as planned is when you need an experienced contractor

Non Slip

Both can be made to be non slip with additives, we do not or recommend not adding non slip additives to any floor.

Uv Stability

This is the big one, polyasaprtic coatings won't fade or yellow while epoxy can lose its sheen and color very quickly when exposed to the uv.

With our floors we like to use an epoxy undercoat and a polyaspartic top coat for the ultimate benefit from both

You can choose almost any color flake to make your floor your own creation and something to wow your neighbors.

Proper Prep

It goes without saying the proper prep of your floor is the most important thing you can do.

Without the proper knowledge, equipment and products your floor will be doomed to a coating failure. 

We have seen many floors fail, even ones that we were told we grinded by other companies.

The proper concrete surface profile (CSP) is key to a good coating.

All epoxy and polyaspartic coatings will come with specifications needed to apply them and there will be listed the minimum csp needed.

We like to have our floors feel like sandpaper before we coat them, this usually cannot be done properly without a diamond grinder. As you can see you need more and more specialized equipment to do your epoxy floor correctly.

By the time yiu would rent all of this, buy the materials and risk applying them and mixing them correctly, you could of hired someone to do the floor professionally in most cases.

Pro's and Cons Of Each Floor

Pro's of an epoxy floor

Affordable: if your working on a budget, this may be the way to go.

Longer pot life: A longer pot life makes it a bit easier to use

Chemical Resistant: Can withstand almost anything

Durability: Dries very hard and can withstand traffic

Cons of an epoxy floor

Not Uv Stable: Epoxy will change color and lose it's shine 

Dry Time: Takes longer to dry, takes a few days to complete installation

Rigid: Will not expand or contract along with the concrete, can chip, less durable

Pro's Of A Polyapsartic floor

Versatile: Can be applied in may conditions and temperatures, even exterior

Durability: Dries hard but remains flexible which increases it's durability

Quick dry time: Cures within 30 minutes, making jobs go fast

Colorfast: Will not fade or yellow

Cons of a polyaspartic floor

Expensive: This will be your most expensive floor, extra skilled labor is needed due to the quick cure times

Hard To apply: The hardest to apply even for a skilled crew

Possible failure: If your concrete gives off moisture, polyaspartic may lose its bond and peel

SO what's your pick? For us it is a combination, an epoxy undercoat with a polyaspartic top coat