Sometimes customers ask us about the difference between epoxy paint and epoxy coating. Why? Because the terms are easily mistaken as the same. However, there is a big difference between the two. Before you choose either, you may find it profitable to get the facts about both.
The Source of the Confusion
Concerning paint, within its industry, paint is used as a coating for a variety of materials.
To be fair, even industry experts will toss around the word paint to describe the coating material they are applying for a particular job. However, epoxy paint and epoxy floor coatings are not the same.
Epoxy Paint. Typically, epoxy paint is a latex acrylic product that may have a small amount of epoxy in the mix. These products may have better adhesion and durability than standard acrylic paint, but they shouldn’t be confused with epoxy floor coatings.
Epoxy Floor Coatings. Two compounds, epoxy resin, and polyamine make up the epoxy floor coatings. To prepare the compound, you’ll need to mix the parts before it can be applied to the ground. The mixed coating compound is abrasion and chemical resistant.
Application and Durability Differences
Without question the only area that epoxy paint trumps epoxy coating is in application. As long as the floor is clean, a roller paint brush is all that is needed to place a coat or two of epoxy paint.
Applying epoxy coatings is a much more involved process. First, the floor will need to be prepared. This is accomplished by grinding or shot blasting the concrete (we’ll cover a fuller breakdown of this process next month). Once the concrete is ready, the epoxy coating mix is spread in the following layers:
- Primer
- Body coat
- Broadcast layer
- Top coat
All of these layers play a vital role in creating a highly durable floor that can resist heavy traffic. Compared to a coat or two of paint, epoxy floor coatings are far superior and the better investment.
Our team at Garage Vision installs epoxy floorings that last decades with little or no maintenance. Are you thinking of upgrading your garage flooring? Give us a call! We’ll give you all the information you need to make a decision and get started.
760-443-7787