Polished Concrete vs. Epoxy Floors

August 29, 2019

If you own or manage an industrial space or garage, the floor you use for your workspace is incredibly important. You’ll want a surface that’s easy to clean, acts as a safe and stable foundation to prevent accidents, and makes for a more secure work environment. Furthermore, how your floor responds to dangerous chemicals and acids is important in determining whether it’s appropriate for the kinds of work you’re doing on your floor. When it comes time to decide what’s the perfect flooring for your purposes, you’ll need to choose between polished concrete and epoxy. They both have their advantages, but before you call for water blasting surface preparation in New England, here are a few things to consider.

Epoxy and Polished Concrete: Differences and Similarities

Both types of floors rely on concrete slabs as the foundation substrate. While concrete floors are comprised entirely of concrete and achieve their burnished and smooth surface via the use of fine polishing heads, epoxy flooring systems require several layers of a t2-3 component for their coating. Both kinds of floors are ideal for several different applications, depending on what’s required.

Polished Concrete

With its beautiful shine and even appearance, polished concrete floors aren’t just popular in garages. They’re also in demand in lofts and restaurants all over the country. A very strong floor, concrete is resistant to most kinds of dangerous chemicals. While not suitable for environments with extremely high pH substances or particularly harsh chemicals, concrete is the material of choice for garages and similar workspaces. Polished concrete doesn’t stay polished on its own, so it will have to be maintained regularly to retain its appearance. While this won’t affect its viability, it will require polishing.

Epoxy Flooring

An easier to install flooring solution than concrete, epoxy is generally considered the more cost-effective option. Epoxy doesn’t have to be made out of any one combination of materials, and in fact, is available in several different formulations to protect its integrity in the face of whatever harsh chemicals or heavy use it might be challenged with. Some of the other benefits of epoxy include its ability to resist puncturing and abrasions, and to control static. Epoxy floors also have the unique characteristic of concealing imperfections in its surface through the use of decorative flakes as well as high-quality nonskid topcoats, making them ideal for workspaces that see a lot of moving traffic or are in use 24 hours a day.

Of course, whether you choose epoxy or polished concrete, your floor won’t do you any good unless you have the right floor coating surface preparation. So, before you get started on your next floor installation, call Advanced Prep Coat, Inc. We’re the leading experts on polished concrete and epoxy flooring surface preparation in New England. We know that your floor is only going be as effective as its preparation allows. That’s why we always take the time and attention to make sure each floor is prepared according to our own rigorous standards. Call us today at (800) 230-2937 for a free quote.