Epoxy Floor Coatings Can Extend the Life of Floors
Epoxy is material that is both hard and durable and is well suited for use in flooring. It can be used to seal and protect floors made of concrete. It can help to prolong the life of a floor and will look elegant and colorful in addition.
Epoxy flooring acts to provide a protection to an existing concrete floor and can also produce a glossy surface that can have anti-slip surfaces. It is also quite often used, as added protection for terrazzo, mosaic, or marble flooring. Any floors having a covering of epoxy will have a long life, and this is especially helpful for floors that are subjected to a large amount of traffic, whether from footfalls or shifting and lifting equipment. The epoxy flooring makes the surface treated, waterproof and become dust repellent. This makes it much easier to clean and maintain in the best of a condition.
Epoxy resins are the materials that are at the core of such floor coverings and can be made into primers, sealants or top-coats. They can also act as fire-retardants, and provide the treated surface with waterproofing qualities and allow the treated floor to resist damage. Depending on the floors, the coatings are tailored to meet specific requirements and can be used on any type of surface that forms a floor. You can even use them on steel floors that you will find in warehouses and other industrial applications. The cross-linking of epoxy resin molecules makes them almost impermeable and able to resist water, chemicals, and air.
Epoxies can also be combined with other materials to improve appearance, give better adhesion, and fast curing times. They have very impressive adhesive properties, which can be as high as 1500 pounds per square inch. This allows the floors treated with them to remain intact, even if they are constantly subjected to heavy loads and traffic. Most epoxy floor coatings will contain pigments that will expand when heated, and form a thick barrier that protects the surface from fire, giving time to bring in other firefighting methods.
Most epoxy floor coatings are water or solvent-borne. They may also have high solids content and these are various factors that can affect curing time. These floor coatings are made by mixing resins and hardeners so that there is a chemical reaction that gives a rigid and strong plastic material. They can be colored to provide the required aesthetics.