The Ultimate Introduction to Epoxy Flooring Coating Types

epoxy floor coating in hallway of office building

Epoxy flooring is becoming increasingly popular for its affordability, aesthetics, and durability. The epoxy resin market is expected to grow to $23.4 billion by 2030. The fast-paced growth is due to the many benefits epoxy coating offers. There are also several types of epoxy floor coatings to choose from. Whether you’re looking for decoration or durability, an epoxy floor coating type fits many people’s residential and commercial flooring needs. It’s an affordable and low-maintenance solution.

Self-Leveling Epoxy Floor Coating

Concrete tends to crack quickly because of shrinkage. As concrete cures, water starts to evaporate, and it shrinks the more it dries. The shrinkage causes hairline cracks to appear on the surface and can worsen with time. Dust, moisture, etc., accumulate over time and break the concrete down. A concrete epoxy floor makes it durable and will last longer than a regular concrete floor.

For concrete, a self-levelling epoxy floor coating works the best. Professionals apply it on new, old, and crackly concrete to create a smooth and durable surface. A self-leveling epoxy leaves a shiny and seamless look. The coating type also comes in various colors. It’s popular in commercial and industrial areas like manufacturing buildings, warehouses, and commercial garages.

epoxy floor for industry building

Pros and Cons

There are several advantages of self-leveling epoxy.

  1. It’s among the strongest flooring options available.
  2. It’s slip resistance.
  3. It has good environmental resistance
  4. It’s easy to clean.
  5. It looks attractive, and the appearance is customizable.

It has only a few cons:

  1. It tends to be a more expensive epoxy coating type.
  2. The thicker the layer, the longer it’ll take to dry. It requires good ventilationduring the process and multiple checks to ensure air bubbles don’t form.

Epoxy Mortar Floor Coating

The epoxy mortar floor is the most stringent option in epoxy floor coating. It comprises 100% solid epoxy with graded/quartz sand as aggregate to reduce slipping. It’s an ideal option for those looking for a highly chemically resistant coating. It’s popular in warehouses, commercial kitchens, garages, manufacturing plants, etc.

clear epoxy coating in factory

Pros and Cons

Epoxy mortar floors are great for industrial use for the following reasons:

  1. It’s affordable compared to other flooring options common in industrial buildings because professionals will apply it directly over concrete.
  2. It is highly resistant to nearly every chemical and spill, like transmission fluid, bleach, gasoline, etc.
  3. Like all epoxy floors, it’s extremely durable.

While it’s a great choice for epoxy floor coating type, there’s one disadvantage.

  1. Epoxy mortar floors are not long-lasting. Property owners will need to apply a new coat to the floor every couple of years.
  2. Air bubbles form if the coating isn’t done correctly. But it’s easy to prevent if you hire an experienced epoxy floor contractor.

Epoxy Flake Floor Coating

The epoxy flake floor coating is one of the most common epoxy floor types. Flakes are added to the epoxy to create a vibrant look with multiple hues. The flakes give the floor a smooth surface and create subtle grooves, which improve the slip resistance of epoxy. The flake floor is also customizable, which is why it can be used in garages, sports venues, showrooms, commercial areas, and more. The colorful flakes create an aesthetically appealing effect. It’s not so much as different flooring than a different decorative technique. But if you want to get epoxy flooring with flakes, you’ll need a professional that specializes in epoxy flake coatings.

concrete floor coating with flakes

Pros and Cons

There are a lot of pros to using epoxy flake floor coating.

  1. It has all the benefits of epoxy flooring coating.
  2. It has a high resistance to impact.
  3. The disbursement of flakes hides scratches and cracks on the floor below better than any other epoxy coat.
  4. It has infinite color and size options to create a bespoke floor.

Epoxy flake floors are popular for both residential and commercial flooring because of the following:

  1. Flake size can differ from box to box, depending on the manufacturer.
  2. It’s not a DIY epoxy floor coatingsince it requires an expert eye to create a uniform distribution of flakes.

Anti-Static Epoxy Floor Coating

Anti-static epoxy floor coating has become increasingly popular in industries or any space where an electrostatic charge is a threat. According to the ESD association, an anti-static or ESD-resistant floor can withstand 1 million Ω. The floor coating has a conductive compound that dissipates electrical discharge. It’s highly recommended for places that contain flammable material.

Pros and Cons

There are many pros to adding anti-static epoxy flooring:

  1. It has a moderate initial cost.
  2. It is seamless.
  3. It is long-lasting.
  4. It’s easy to recoat.
  5. Extremely high chemical resistance.

ESD epoxy floor coating has just one con:

  1. You must hire a qualified professional to apply the anti-static epoxy coating. However, this should be the case with all types of epoxy coatings if you want a durable and even floor coating.

Epoxy Flooring Contactors in Las Vegas & Surrounding Areas

There are even more types of epoxy floor coatings coming out every year. However, to get an even surface and a durable floor, you need qualified professionals to install it. Steel Coated Epoxy Floors offers epoxy and steel flooring coatings to make the floor durable. We provide epoxy floor coating made of resin and hardener, making the space look incredible and ensuring no damage for decades.

We offer residential and commercial epoxy floor coating in Layton, Draper, Las Vegas, and Prescott. Some of the most common spaces we add flooring to include garages, shops, basements, patios, and warehouses. Get the exact floor you want with our multiple shades and flake options.

Contact us today to request a quote!