Epoxy floors, and other types of floor coatings like polyurea, polyaspartic, and polyurethane floor coatings are an increasingly popular choice for homeowners around the country looking to protect their floors, while also adding style to otherwise drab concrete floors.
In many cases, homeowners choose floor coatings to mask cracked or damaged floors, but there is the common misconception that floor coatings can prevent cracks. This is not the case however. Cracking floors are generally formed by the home’s foundation settling. A floor coating cannot prevent this from happening, and if the settling process is significant enough, cracks can show through over time.
Do Epoxy Floors Crack?
Epoxy floors are very rigid. As a material, epoxy has very little flexibility, so slight shifts in the foundation can lead to cracks forming in an epoxy coating, leaving you with cracked floors that are difficult to repair without recoating with a new layer of epoxy–an expensive proposition.
A Better Floor Coating Solution
Here at Prestige Floor Coatingwe want your floors to look great and last. This is why we developed a proprietary blend. This floor coating is not epoxy and thanks to this it can stand up to a lot of use, continuing to look good for years to come.
Our floor coating’s unique blend makes is 6 times more flexible than epoxy. The flexibility of our product will allow for greater fluctuation in the floor without cracks showing through the floor coating. It will protect your floor, look good and is environmentally friendly.
If you are looking for a flooring product that was designed specifically for the the Mid-Atlantic area, contact the team at Prestige Floor Coatingtoday.
FAQs
Do concrete coatings crack? ›
While epoxy coatings themselves do not crack in extreme heat or cold, concrete does. Epoxy coatings cannot withstand the stresses associated with concrete cracks due to settling, dry shrinkage or other factors.
How long does floor coating last? ›Depending on the additives present in a coating and the levels of foot traffic, drop impact, wear from vehicles in a space and other factors, an epoxy garage floor coating can last between two and ten years with proper maintenance.
Why does floor paint crack? ›Causes of Flaky and Cracking Paint
Water/Humidity: Paint that's applied to a damp surface or paint that's exposed to high humidity can peel easily. Plywood especially can expand and contract depending on humidity levels, making it prone to cracks and flaking in the surface coating.
Typically, epoxy flooring lasts 2 to 3 years in heavy traffic. Commercial properties—like garages, restaurants, or factory spaces—with lots of daily foot traffic can expect this experience.
How do I stop my coating from cracking? ›- Reduced Cure Temperature: Lowering the initial cure temperature of the oven can reduce the cracking effect.
- Slow the cure: Allowing an initial drying time at room temperature before exposure to elevated temperature can help minimise cracking.
How Long Will The Product Last? Acrylic topical coatings have the shortest lifespan, needing re-applied every 1-3 years. Epoxy and urethane systems last between 5-10 years, closer to 5 if the surface experiences heavy traffic.
What is the most durable floor coating? ›Epoxy floor coating. Of all of the choices on this list, epoxy floor coating is the most durable. These coatings are waterproof and capable of withstanding significant amounts of abuse, including heavy weights, high traffic, abrasion, spills, stains and more.
What are the disadvantages of epoxy flooring? ›- Epoxy floors are hard and therefore there is contact noise during walking. ...
- Without underfloor heating an epoxy floor feels somewhat cold, similar to tiled floors.
- If there are unevennesses or cracks in the substrate, ripples can become visible in the floor.
If we're talking about your garage floor protection options, we may as well start with the best – a polyaspartic floor coating. This high-performance coating is comprised of professional-grade materials that are applied by trained pros using special equipment to deliver long-lasting flooring protection.
Will epoxy floor crack? ›Do Epoxy Floors Crack? Epoxy floors are very rigid. As a material, epoxy has very little flexibility, so slight shifts in the foundation can lead to cracks forming in an epoxy coating, leaving you with cracked floors that are difficult to repair without recoating with a new layer of epoxy–an expensive proposition.
Does floor paint wear off? ›
The lightly painted areas wear out quickly, while paint that accumulates in cracks and valleys often doesn't dry properly and ends up flaking off in clumps.
Can epoxy floor break? ›Epoxy flooring contains several layers of hardeners or resins that must equal a depth of two millimeters to be considered an official epoxy floor. Anything less is just a coating. That alone makes it a hardy material that resists materials that will scratch, mar, break, or crack its foundation.
Is epoxy floor coating worth it? ›Garage floor epoxy projects can cost anywhere between $1,500 to $3,000 on average, which may seem like a dealbreaker to some consumers. However, epoxy floors are a long-term investment that will last for years, making them well worth the time and investment.
Why do epoxy floors fail? ›The most common reasons for a failure in your epoxy floor coating are, the floor was not properly prepared, the epoxy floor coating used was water based or other low grade type of epoxy, the epoxy was not rated for the type of traffic on it and or the floor has an issue such as moisture, oil stains, corrosion or ...
What are the pros and cons of epoxy flooring? ›The strengths of epoxy flooring are relative affordability, high customizability, and great durability. On the other hand, the weaknesses of this material include long curing time, difficult installation process, and its possible slipperiness when wet or oily.
What is cracking in coating? ›Cracking refers to a type of coating defect that is characterized by the chipping away of the applied paint film in small sections or entirely. This results in the exposure of the substrate metal to corrosion causing agents and eventual degradation.
What is crazing in coating? ›What Does Crazing Mean? Crazing refers to a network of visual cracks on a coated metallic surface. It occurs due to tension stresses in some glassy thermoplastic polymers. Crazing is propagated in metallic surface regions that experience high tension and leads to the formation of microvoids and small cracks.
Are concrete coatings durable? ›Concrete coatings are remarkably resilient and don't chip or crack like floor tiles. A premium coating product like polyurea is chemical and heat resistant and is not susceptible to hot tire peel. The patented polyurea used by Garage Force is 20x stronger than epoxy, UV stable and VOC compliant.
Why is my concrete overlay cracking? ›You may experience shrinkage cracks, often the result of applying the overlay topping incorrectly or too thick. External forces, such as wear, impact shock or environmental conditions, can also produce cracks in overlays. Thankfully, these kinds of stress cracks are usually hairline cracks.
Is concrete coating better than epoxy? ›Benefits of Polyurea Concrete Coatings
As mentioned above, Polyurea is 4x stronger than Epoxy. It is also 98% more flexible than Epoxy. It is the flexibility of the material that makes it extremely durable and long-lasting. Since the material is flexible, it will not crack or peel.
Is concrete coating good? ›
Provides Great Protection and Longevity
Using epoxy coatings will also prevent cracks, stains, and moisture-related issues from compromising your concrete floor thus enabling a longer-lasting surface and lower maintenance.
Epoxy is the most durable concrete finish and can be poured into cracks and crevices to help level the surface. But epoxy also is available in a variety of colors, allowing you to create unique hues and designs on your floor so you can even make a concrete floor look pretty.
Why do coatings fail? ›A coating failure occurs when coatings no longer perform their designed function—whether practical or aesthetic. This failure often takes place when the bond between the coating and the substrate weakens or ceases.
Can you pressure wash concrete overlay? ›The proper care and maintenance of your Concrete Armor overlay will provide years of protection and beauty to your concrete. To maintain your coating, the installation needs to be pressure washed and resealed every one to three years depending on exposure to sun, weather and amount of use.
Is it normal for concrete to crack within a year? ›Concrete cracking can show up at any time, even on a one year old slab like yours. It is possible the base under your driveway wasn't compacted correctly, and that may have caused the concrete to sink or settle slightly, and thus to crack.
How thick should concrete be to avoid cracking? ›In residential concrete, 4 inches is the minimum thickness for walkways and patios. Garage slabs and driveways should be 5 to 6 inches thick if any heavy truck traffic is anticipated, otherwise 4 inches is adequate.