Concrete has, for a long time, been a reliable flooring solution for many homes and commercial buildings. In residential buildings, concrete has become a top solution for garages. This is because it is affordable, easy to clean, and more importantly, durable.
However, concrete floors are susceptible to damage caused by vibration and corrosion. When this happens, the floor becomes uneven, or some sections start breaking off, which increases the risk of tripping. Slip and fall accidents can cause severe injuries to family or employees and come with a substantial cost.
Fortunately, several concrete floor coating techniques can protect your floor from damage. For a long time, epoxy coatings have been the preferred floor coating for garages. However, you may want to consider a polyaspartic coating for your garage floor. In fact, it comes highly recommended by some of the most reputable residential floor coating contractors from Northern Virginia. Here are some reasons why.
The ability of a coat to adhere to concrete significantly affects its durability. Though epoxy has better adhesion than paint, it does not compare to polyaspartic. Changes in temperature cause concrete to expand or shrink. These changes in size affect the integrity of epoxy coatings as they can become brittle in under a year.
On the other hand, polyaspartic coats adhere better and thus offer more protection against chipping, peeling, and delamination. As such, garage sealing companies provide warranties for polyaspartic coatings.
When applying epoxy coats, you have to wait up to five days for your garage to become usable. This can be inconveniencing as you have to move your car and anything else stored in the garage till it cures. You also have to be wary of dust and any other contaminants that can stick on the uncured epoxy coat.
Polyaspartic floor coating, on the other hand, is more convenient as it cures in less than a day. This lowers the chances of contamination, and you will experience no-hassle finding new parking.
The ultraviolet rays from the sun cause epoxy coats to fade. As a result, your floor will lose its visual appeal. To prevent the epoxy coating from losing color, you have to limit its exposure to sunlight. This can be achieved by limiting the amount of time your garage door is opened, a method that may not be practical.
On the other hand, you will not have to worry about fading with a polyaspartic coat as polyaspartic is UV resistant.
Even after your epoxy floor coating becomes usable, it continues to harden and thus never fully cures. As such, the continual hardening will cause the floor to become brittle. This makes it more susceptible to damage when concrete expands and shrinks due to changing external temperatures.
When it comes to flexibility, polyaspartic is ten times better than epoxy. As such, it can withstand changes in size caused by fluctuations in temperature.
Most people with epoxy concrete floor coating in their garage are forced to cover the floor with rubber mats. They do this to prevent hot-tire pickup. This is a situation where epoxy floors peel off as tires drive off the floor. When temperatures rise, so does the risk of hot tire pickup.
In comparison, polyaspartic is chemically bonded to concrete, creating a strong bond that eliminates the risk of peeling.
For epoxy to be used as a concrete floor coating, it must be applied at temperatures above 32 degrees, or it will not cure well. As such, it cannot be applied during winter, and this can be very restrictive. With polyaspartic, you do not have to wait for ideal conditions as it will cure well any time of the year.
A damaged floor poses a significant risk to you and your family. With polyaspartic concrete floor coating, you can be rest assured that your floor will be safe from damage, and its visual appeal will be preserved for a long time to come.