Epoxy garage floors and polyurea coatings are two most popular options for protecting and enhancing residential and commercial garage floors. While they share some similarities, there are notable differences between the two that you should know about. Here’s a quick summary of those differences:

Let’s look at Epoxies first. Epoxy coating are created by mixing epoxy resin with a hardening compound. The resulting chemical reaction forms a rigid, durable coating. Some key characteristics of epoxy garage floors are:

1. Application Process: Epoxy coatings typically involve a multistep application process. The concrete surface must be thoroughly cleaned and prepared before applying the epoxy. We recommend using concrete grinders with a commercial grade dust extraction system attached for best results.  

2. Curing Time: Epoxy coatings have a longer curing time compared to polyurea coatings. They usually require up to 24 hours before allowing light foot traffic and up to 7 days for full chemical cure. 

3. Durability: Epoxy coatings provide excellent durability and can withstand heavy foot traffic, impacts, abrasion, and chemical spills. However, they may show signs of wear over time, especially in high-traffic areas. 

4. Aesthetic Options: Epoxy coatings come in a huge range of colours, please note that some manufacturers would limit you to only a few colours but our suppliers can tint the epoxy we use to any colour you may think of. Epoxy floors come in a gloss or semi gloss finish that enhances the overall appearance of the garage.

5. UV Stability: Traditional epoxy coatings are not highly resistant to UV radiation and may experience discoloration or yellowing when exposed to sunlight over time. So if the floor is exposed to UV radiation or sunlight we would suggest you to consider using a UV stable polyurethane as a top coat.