The Best Epoxy Paint Topcoats For Your Concrete Floor
Whether your coating a garage, basement, warehouse, or commercial floor the importance of using an epoxy topcoat is critical to your floors lifespan and health. Epoxy floors are manufactured with a couple of key qualities. They are extremely durable, resistant, flexible, and tough. What a topcoat does is allow these qualities to keep in good health for a number of years to come before recoating would be necessary.
Which Type of Topcoat Do I Use?
There are a number of different types of topcoats to choose from wheter it be an epoxy, polyurethane, novolac, or polyaspartic coating. Each coating comes with its own sets of unqiue characteristics. Many times customers are asking us what is the best topocoat for my floor. Let's review some of the pros and cons of each type to give you a better idea about what the best topcoat option is for you.
Pros
- Cost Efficient
- UV Stable (will not yellow)
- Very high gloss finish
- Chemical and Acid Resitant
- Usually lower in VOC count
- Scratch and abrasion resitant
- Usually lower in VOC count
- Can withstand heavy vehicle traffic
- Dry thick
- Very easy to apply
- Dry at faster rate
- Impact and abrasion resistant
Cons
- Slippery when wet (if non-skid is not applied)
- Odorous - High VOCs
- Shortened pot life
- Usually does not come in clear
- Will scratch easier
- Dries thin
- Usually more expensive than alternate options
- More exesnive than other topcoating options
- If subjected to the sun, can yellow overtime
- Should not be used on bare concrete.
- Can be slippery when wet (if non-skid is not applied)
- Flexibility is limited
Hopefully you have a better overview of what the best topcoat is for your floor. While epoxy topcoats are usually the most cost effiecient they are not always the best option. We always suggest spending a bit more money on the topcoat by using an industrial grade solution as this will help to lengthen the floors lifespan. If you are thinking about not using a topcoat alltogether we strongly suggest rethinking this decision. If you are unsure about which topcoat is right for you then a safe bet is to go with a clear polyurethane as these coatings are UV stable, scratch resistant, and very easy to work with.
Epoxy Central has been in business for over 20 years. We sell all of the above mentioned topcoats and related flooring products. We have tested every product we offer so we know what will/will not work for your flooring needs. Feel free to take a look at our topcoating products here.
2 Responses
Kira
Thanks for information. visit too Jasa Epoxy Lantai
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Concrete Lady
March 15, 2020
Lesson learned on the slippery when wet problem…Note to self: Do Not Use for garage floor without anti-slip agent. It’s like a darn ice rink when it rains or snows… YIKES! -Concrete Lady