If you’re thinking about getting residential floor coatings, it’s a great idea for durable protection against wear and tear, and corrosion. It will enhance the life expectancy of your floor and give it more of an aesthetic appeal. The floor coatings market was at $313 million in 2021, according to Grandview Research, and shows no sign of slowing down. There’s a good reason for this increase in numbers; floor coating is an effective way to protect your flooring. You may think it takes a long time to coat a floor with a protectant, but installation and curing of a polyaspartic coating could be done in as little as one day, depending on the conditions at the site and the floor size.
Many people were unaware that residential floor coatings are an option for their flooring problems, which is why this article will break down what floor coating is, what it’s used for, the benefits of investing in floor coating, and so much more. Our excellent team of professionals is excited to start working with you on your home project, so read on to learn more about this exciting option in residential flooring choices!
It doesn’t matter if it’s a garage, patio, workshop, or another concrete floor in your home, getting it coated is a great option. There’s a lot of versatility with these types of floors now and the real estate market has shown a favorable eye to these in valuation. Here are some of the reasons you may choose to have your residential floor coating done.
Got a concrete floor that has some cracks and scratches in it? A floor coating will fill in the damaged areas with a thick and solid patch of durable coating. With proper prep work, the coating will find the flaws and fill them so that you see nothing but a beautiful solid floor after it’s done. Chipped sections are gone and only a smooth surface shines through after it’s all done.
Not only does it add value to the property in a cost-effective manner, but it makes the floor more aesthetically pleasing to look at. Instead of dull concrete, the floor can be colored and texturized to look like granite or just simply a solid color that is more durable and flake-free than painting. Residential floor coatings are adhered to the concrete, meaning that it will not lift or peel like regular paint, leaving a long-lasting gorgeous floor.
While a bare or painted floor has little to any resistance to chemicals and impact, a hard and thick floor coating will be able to resist marring from any dropped items. Drag something across it without worrying about a mark or drop a garage tool without risking a floor chip, floor coatings will take care of your floor for years of usage.
One of the best parts of residential floor coatings are the difference between cleaning up a bare floor and a floor-coated surface area. There’s dirt, grease, perhaps mud and snow, and even oil and chemicals. With a bare floor you’re scrubbing and scrubbing and chances are there is still going to be a stain. With a residential floor coating surface area, it’s going to be easier to clean as the water will not penetrate, and the oil and stains will lift with ease. For the majority of cleanings, you’ll just need to spray down the surface. If there is much more grime than usual, you’ll need to sweep, use a water and ammonia solution to go over the floor, and then spray down. Using a squeegee on the floor afterward is smart just to remove everything off the surface as well.
While you may think that these types of floor coatings are for manufacturing plants or mechanic garages, they are also great for a variety of residential applications as well. We love them in garages, home gyms, patios, basements, sunrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
When considering if the room you wish to apply the residential floor coating to is the right choice, think about what level of protection you wish to have, and what you want the overall look to achieve. Luckily, with floor coatings, you have a plethora of options to choose from so you can customize your space to look how you want it to look with the added functionality and protection of the coating.
While you may only remember the glitter confetti floors from retail garages, today’s floor coatings come in a variety of colors and applications that can make your floors look like marble or granite. They can give you the protection you want in a kitchen or bathroom from the water, or give you a durable surface for a child’s play area. These floor coatings aren’t just for industrial and commercial use anymore.
Combining polyaspartic ester with other components, polyaspartic coatings are a type of aliphatic polyurea sealer. It’s tough yet flexible and resists stains. Applying this type of coating is done by painting, spraying, or plastering it onto the floor surface. It dries faster than an epoxy coating. We like the polyaspartic coating choice because of being able to apply it in varying weather conditions and temperatures. The coating resin will dry in an hour because of its fast cure rate. The flexibility of the coating makes it ideal for high-traffic areas.
A resin polymer with chemical resistance, epoxy is used to coat floors for protection. It’s a less expensive method of coating versus polyaspartic, but also has less ability to resist abrasion. The epoxy may fade in the sunlight and might also have a problem with moisture under the concrete. It can then smell when wet because of this. To apply, the floor has to be completely clean and dry and it takes roughly 16 hours for the first coat to dry. Epoxy is temperature sensitive and must not be too cold or hot during the application process.
There are many things to love about polyaspartic residential floor coating, such as:
Epoxy has some good benefits for usage, such as:
Once you’ve decided on coating your flooring, whether it’s in the garage, a patio, or another surface, next you’ll want to decide on polyaspartic or epoxy coatings. We’ve given you the benefits of both epoxy and polyaspartic floor coatings and now we’ll break it down so that you can make the choice that is right for you and your home.
You’re not going to go wrong with the appearance of either of these choices, they both provide a beautiful finish in many different color choices. They are also both super protective of your concrete floors and resist most chemicals. That is what both of them offer and that is where the similarities end.
It has been said you can get something cheap, fast, or good, but not all three and that is definitely the truth with these types of floor coatings. Epoxy is going to be good and cheap but not fast and Polyaspartics are going to be good and faster but not cheap. Epoxy coatings are not quite as durable as polyaspartics because of their sensitivity to UV rays.
While polyaspartics are more durable, longer lasting, and have better options, it’s the more expensive of the two and those on a strict budget may not be able to do that choice in large areas. Keep in mind also, epoxy has a much longer cure and dry time which will eat into your contractor day labor charges
Epoxy coatings may work better where there is no sun such as on a garage floor versus using it for a patio where there will be sunlight. Polyaspartics are definitely your choice for high-sun areas where you are going to want to not have slippery floors that fade and yellow. Making sure that the coating matches the usage of the area you want to cover is paramount.
No matter if you have polyaspartic or epoxy floors, you should do general maintenance every three months or so. This keeps the floors in their best condition and keeps your floors looking beautiful.
You should always clean spills as soon as they happen. Always get the small spots off the floor that have dropped the minute you see them. This can help keep them from getting “set in” your residential floor coating and require more thorough cleaning. For best results, keep a microfiber towel on your person so that when you see a spot, you can wipe it down. Then when you do a more thorough floor cleaning you will have the majority of the spill removed and can just get whatever residual was left behind.
Be sure to sweep the flooring often. We like microfiber dust mopping or a soft-bristled broom to clean up the floors and get the debris and dust off. With these small bits off the floor, you’re going to reduce the chance of wear and tear on the floor surface. Plus, if the surface is on a patio or walkway, you’re getting potential hazards out of your path.
Deep clean the flooring on a regular occasion. If you see that you need more than spot cleaning, you’re going to want about 5 ounces of ammonia in water and then mop that over the surface area. You can rinse it off with a hose afterward. This can be a great way to make sure that chemicals you may not see with your naked eye aren’t on there as well.
Take measures to protect your new residential floor coating and perform repairs when necessary. Keep in mind that the less you drag across the floor and the kinder you are to the surface, the longer your floor is going to look like new. Protecting the surface with mats can help. Should you find a gouge or scratch, treat the surface as soon as you are aware of it. Both floor coatings have a way to repair the surface, and you can talk to a residential floor coating specialist for options.
For us, we feel that polyaspartics floor coatings are a much better choice for any home and patio, but we work with all types of homeowners to ensure that their choice is right for them. We’ll discuss the ins and outs of residential floor coating installation, its cost, and its strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for a professional in the floor coatings market, we are here to help you and your decision. Give our office a call today and see how your home’s beauty can be expanded with residential floor coating into areas you’ve never thought of before.