Does your epoxy floor need to be restored?
Epoxy flooring systems are known to be hard, abrasion-resistant, and have high-impact strength. This leads to some flooring technicians often referring to epoxy as “a coating for life”. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a misconception.
The average lifespan for epoxy floor applications in commercial and industrial settings is between 5 to 10 years. Industrial and commercial settings like car showrooms, parking garages and warehouses are generally subject to much higher rates of vehicular and foot traffic, as well as spills, accidents, or other issues that can wear epoxy down faster.
However, in residential settings such as in garages and kitchens, epoxy floor coatings have been known to last for 30 years or more.
How do you know when your epoxy floor needs to be restored?
If you’ve been maintaining your epoxy floors and notice your floor coating is wearing down, cracking and appears to be dull and full of scratches don’t hesitate to call in a flooring epoxy flooring professional to take a look. You want to make the most of your time and money and you certainly don’t want to repeatedly restore your epoxy floor coating more than needed due to the lack of maintenance.
Factors that influence how long an epoxy coating lasts
There are many factors that influence an epoxy coating’s lifespan:
The Strength of the Concrete Flooring Itself: The initial layer of concrete is the base of your floor, and is the first factor that will determine the lifespan of your epoxy floor coating. Usually, concrete floors in industrial or commercial establishments have a minimum strength of 3000 PSI. A concrete floor with a strength of 2500 PSI or less is not recommended. If needed, densifiers can be added to help with this issue.
Surface Preparation: One of the main prerequisites of a well-performing epoxy flooring is going to be how thoroughly the surface was prepared before application. The surface should be free from dust, oil or other liquids, and should have no damage. (Here are the elements a proper surface preparation process entails.)
The Thickness of the Epoxy: An epoxy coating can range from 400 to 1,000 microns on industrial floors (that is, between 0.4 mm and 1 mm). The thinner your epoxy coating is, the sooner it is likely to wear down and need replacement. In some industrial settings, the thickness of epoxy system can sometimes exceed 1,000 microns.
Quality of the Topcoat: Often a floor coating contractor will recommend the epoxy have a urethane topcoat applied to resist abrasion and scratches. A thickness of 50 microns or more is recommended in industrial floors.
Extent of Traffic: High levels of pedestrian traffic can wear down even a well-installed epoxy coating. Forklifts and other wheeled vehicles will take its toll as well. If your facility will be subject to heavy traffic, consider an additional topcoat.
Exposure to UV Light: Epoxy floor coating has very poor UV resistance. The binder will chalk, turning powdery when exposed regularly to sunlight. This is why epoxy coatings are not typically recommended for exterior applications.