Epoxy Flooring - Epoxy flooring explained by professionals and their benefits.

What is epoxy, and what role does it has in the flooring? You can think of epoxy as an adhesive material composed of epoxides polymer, which resembles paint or molded plastic. Usually, this term is used when two chemicals are combined together to create a coating which is also called resin. That's why we can classify epoxy as a copolymer as well. If we get more technical, short-chained players combined with the epoxide group are called epoxy resins.

The use of epoxy as a floor coating is on the rise due to the vast range of benefits in commercial and residential settings. When compared to other resin types or flooring options, there is nothing that can compete with epoxy in terms of benefits. In fact, epoxy provides the highest level of strength than any other resin. But how does epoxy achieves that? By creating a strong bond between reinforcement and the resin, which means highly durable floors!

One of the major benefits of epoxy is its excellent dimensional stability as well as its mechanical properties. Furthermore, a properly cured epoxy floor offers resistance against heat and chemical substances. On top of that, the shrinkage is also extremely low, which is usually not seen in other resins.

Another function of the epoxy is its ability to be used for repairs - It can create a strong bond with any previous material to fix the damage. In fact, the bonding of the epoxy coat is much higher than other options such as polyester, vinyl ester, and so on.

A common practice among the installers of epoxy resin floors is curing it with heat to increase its dimensional stability, strength, and service temperature. But during the practice of curing, the heating temperature must not exceed the maximum service temperature. A higher temperature can actually distort or warp the epoxy.

Epoxy Flooring Explained

The use of epoxy as a flooring option in industrial, commercial and residential buildings is on the rise and for the right reasons. As mentioned earlier, the strength, resistance, and other benefits of epoxy cannot be found in any other flooring option out there.

Any epoxy floor coating is made from two parts:

Resin
Hardener

By combining the resin with a hardener, we get an epoxy-based floor that offers the highest level of resistance and protection.

Depending on the manufacturer and special requirements, sometimes additives can also be added to improve acceleration, flow control, adhesion, and even inhibit the UV. Using these additives, a wide range of performance features can be achieved (improved viscosity, higher resistance, less abrasion, and so on).

If we talk about aesthetics, many additives such as glitters, coloured quartz, vinyl flakes, and similar material can be used as well to enhance the appearance of the floors.

Another option (additive) is sand blends which are also commonly used to create a highly durable and thicker flooring system that also exhibits non-slip properties. Tuff Krete Floor System, which is also an epoxy floor, is usually used when a floor of a higher thickness (6 mm - 9 mm) is required. This provides better protection against thermal shocks, chemical attacks, and thaw/freeze cycles.

In short, you can think of epoxy floors as a highly versatile option for flooring, which can provide a wide range of aesthetic and performance characteristics.

Epoxy History

In 1936, a person named Pierre Castan from Switzerland introduced epoxy resins for the first time. Around 10 years later, epoxy resin was offered for the first time in an industrial fair. Fast forward to today, the epoxy floor has become the first choice in a wide range of industrial and commercial settings. In fact, the unique aesthetics of the epoxy has also allowed it to make its way into residential buildings as well.

Over the years, epoxy made its way into different buildings and applications such as aerospace, snowboards, hockey sticks, food industry, manufacturing, and even for defence and military.

Dr Sylvan Greenlee is responsible for introducing epoxy in the USA during the mid 20th century. Dr Sylvan used Bisphenol and Epichlorohydrin to create the epoxy resin. The epoxy, which is commonly used today, is made using the same formula used by Dr Sylvan and is known by the names such as BADGE or DGEBA.

Benefits of Epoxy Flooring

When we talk about using epoxy, there are a lot of benefits. In fact, the list of benefits can be further extended by using additives in the epoxy as well. So let's explore some of the benefits of epoxy:

Affordable - There is no doubt that using epoxy as a flooring option is more affordable than any other material. In fact, the higher durability offered by epoxy means that you get the best value of your money over the long run.
Durable - The chemical bond of the materials used in epoxy ensures that epoxy floors offer high durability in commercial and industrial buildings. In spaces with a lot of heavy lifting, traffic, and intensive usage, the only option is epoxy.
Visually Appealing - Besides being affordable and highly durable, epoxy also offers a smooth and shiny finish. Such a smooth finish looks very visually appealing in residential buildings, commercial warehouses, garages, and so on. In fact, the smooth surface allows for easy maintenance and cleaning as well.
Safety - The use of epoxy floors is common in various industries such as food, distribution, and so on. In fact, even the FDA and USDA has approved the use of epoxy floors in various industries.

Disadvantages of Epoxy Flooring

The discussion about epoxy flooring would not be complete without discussing the disadvantages... In general, the three main disadvantages of epoxy flooring are:

Smell
Sensitivity
Moisture

These three are the common issues encountered by most people - Fortunately, all of these problems are fixed with quality and proper installation.

In fact, the smell from epoxy flooring only lasts for a brief period of time during the installation. Once this period has passed, one doesn't have to worry about the smell as well.

The problem of moisture also happens due to poor installation. During the installation, all the moisture must be properly removed, or it would get trapped between the floor and the epoxy coating. Once again, this problem also arises due to inexperienced installers of the epoxy.

The last problem is related to sensitivity, and this also happens when the epoxy is installed during the wrong season - For best results, epoxy flooring must be installed when the humidity is lower.

Epoxy Flooring in the Philippines

As you can see, you will have to face a lot of problems if you get your epoxy floors installed by an inexperienced team. That's why it is important to get a trusted provider of epoxy floors to ensure that you encounter no problems and also avoid any excessive costs as well.

In the Philippines, Green Floor Innovations is one of the trusted providers of epoxy floors. So if you are in search of epoxy flooring in the Philippines, feel free to visit and get a quote from https://greenfloorinnovations.ph/.