Polyurethane Floor Vs Epoxy

Epoxy vs polyurethane is a common topic brought up during my conversations.

Polyurethane floor vs epoxy.

Generally a polyurethane floor coating is highly flexible and elastic while epoxy flooring is harder and more brittle. In general it is believed that the best approach is to use epoxy to build up floors and then urethane to seal and protect them. Epoxy benefits epoxies come in a variet. With urethane as a topcoat over epoxy the floor will outlast unsealed epoxy 3 1 and you will get excellent wear and abrasion results.

This makes polyurethane coatings more resistant to scratches and similar damage and is why you ll often find urethane resin floors in heavy traffic areas such as multi storey car parks. Epoxy floors are harder more durable and have a much higher compression strength than polyurethanes. They are both light reflective easy to clean and long lasting. Often i receive a call from a facility manager who has been tasked with coating his or her production floor.

Epoxy and polyurethane are great for protecting your floor against stains damage chemicals oils and wear. Basic estimates on epoxy floor costs can run from 2 to 12 per square foot. This is why they are the preferred choice for heavy duty industries warehouses and logistics centers with heavy forklift traffic. Diy epoxy flooring done for homes can be 2 to 5 a square foot for materials only.

Polyurethane floors are generally softer and more elastic compared to the epoxy giving them better resistance to scratching ideal for spaces like multi deck car parks which experience high levels of foot traffic. If you want unquestionable insurance against yellowing you also have the option of using highlighted polyurethane as a color coat prior to applying a clear coat. We will take a look at some of the differentiating factors between the two so you can decide what product suits your floor best. The polyurethane will also keep the epoxy from yellowing and give the floor a long lasting surface that has an exceptional degree of scratch resistance.

The conversation usually starts off something like this. Overall the qualities of the polyurethane system outweigh those of a roller applied epoxy coating. I need you to take a look at my concrete floor the facility manager says.