Concrete floors on their own aren’t the most attractive ones in the world. Luckily, epoxy coatings were invented, and they quickly became a popular choice for homeowners and businesses alike. They create beautiful finishes with fantastic durability. However, there’s a new darling hitting the scene and its quickly knocking epoxy off it’s concrete-finishing pedestal. We’re talking polyurea polyaspartic coatings. In order to figure out which one might be best for your particular job, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both coatings.

Pros of epoxy coating

  • Commercial

  • Been around for years

  • Inexpensive

  • Hard, beautiful finish

  • Lots of finish options available (colors and various mix-ins)

  • Highly durable

  • Good adhesion (won’t lift from concrete)

  • Easier to apply because the pot life is longer than polyaspartic

Cons of epoxy coating

  • Commercial

  • Longer drying time than polyaspartic

  • Less flexible and less resistant to abrasion

  • Potentially hazardous VOCs with drying (older versions)

  • Not always UV stable

  • Cannot be applied when temps are below freezing

Pros of polyaspartic floor coating

  • Commercial

  • Rapid curing (5-120 minutes depending on formula)

  • Temps are irrelevant (can be applied to a surface at temps between -30 F and 140 F)

  • Bubble-free surfaces (even in high humidity)

  • UV stable (will never yellow and provides UV protection to under layers)

  • Crystal clear finish

  • Resists most stains (including oil, gas, and grease)

  • High abrasion resistance (3x higher than epoxy)

  • No/Low VOCs

Cons of polyaspartic floor coating

  • Commercial

  • Relatively new

  • More expensive than epoxy

  • May have to thin first coat for better adhesion

  • Doesn’t stand up as well to battery acids, as opposed to epoxy

  • Slippery when wet (top aggregate, such as chips or flakes, is recommended)

  • Short pot life (requires automatic application guns)

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Want to talk to someone directly about the differences between epoxy and polyaspartic coatings?

Call us at 763-208-9987 and one of our team members will talk to you about the floor coating differences and help you decide which is right for you. You can also email us your questions at info@alamtalflooring.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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