Best Epoxy Floor Paint – Complete Guide for Epoxy Painting
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One of the most hard-wearing and tough paint materials you can purchase today is Epoxy Paint. Also, if you need to add a little extra shine onto your floors, this is the product to use. When applied to a cement floor it works like a sealant and, as such, is often used on basement and garage floors. The internet is full of information as to how you apply epoxy paint, and sometimes this produces a lot of confusion as to whether you should use Epoxy Paint or Epoxy Coating. The only way to understand which type to use is if you learn the difference between the two. So, we are going to help and provide you with all the necessary information you need to make the correct choice.
Table of Contents
- What is Epoxy Floor Paint?
- Epoxy Floor Paint Pros and Cons
- Best Epoxy Floor Paint
- 2-Part Water-based Epoxy Floor Coating
- 1-Part Floor Coating
- The Purpose of using Epoxy Floor Paint
- Benefits of Garage Floor Epoxy Paint for Concrete
- How Scratch-Resistant is Epoxy Flooring?
- Is the price of Floor Tiles cheaper than Epoxy Flooring?
- Difference between Epoxy paint and Epoxy Coating
- Summary
What is Epoxy Floor Paint?
Epoxy Paint was initially designed for use in the industrial sector. The paint is made up of latex acrylic, which also includes a minute amount of epoxy in its blend. The paint is mostly used for floor applications.
Epoxy Paints give you a hard-wearing and tough protective coating and require little maintenance. Epoxy Paint has a few unique properties such as resistance to chemicals, corrosion-resistant and requires hardly any maintenance. These properties make it an ideal paint for warehouse floors, garage floors and many other applications and is an excellent epoxy garage floor paint.
Comparing normal paint and epoxy paint. The epoxy paint is much more durable and adheres much better to concrete floors than normal paint does. The normal standard acrylic paint will ultimately flake and peel off, especially in areas where there are high traffic volumes.
Epoxy Paint is a popular choice, as it is hard-wearing and tough and seals the area completely where applied. Also, the paint provides an appealing shine, is shock-resistant and also protects your floor from any damage that could be caused by chemicals and heat.
So, it is the perfect product to use where heat, chemicals or any other damaging materials are used.
Epoxy Floor Paint Pros and Cons
Pros
- Long-lasting: It may take a little time to set up but when the epoxy is applied and set, it will last for a long time. Not only is it long-lasting but it is also durable, hard-wearing and can endure excessive traffic.
- Resistant: Epoxy Floor Paint is resilient, can endure excessive shock, chemicals, heat and also water. Can be used as a garage floor epoxy paint, as cars are prone to emit corrosive chemicals and Epoxy Garage Floor Paint is a perfect choice.
- Protection: Creates a barrier to protect your floor from cracking, stains and day to day wear and tear.
- Maintenance: Epoxy Floor Paint forms a layer over the floor and will prevent dust from settling on the floor and is, therefore, dust resistant. Also, it forms a flat smooth surface which is easy to keep clean by using a vacuum cleaner, a mop, or a broom.
- Cost-Effective: Epoxy Paint is easy to apply over your existing garage floor, which will save you a lot of time and money instead of replacing the floor.
Cons
- Temporary: Apart from the fact that Epoxy Paint is resilient and tough, it will eventually need to be replaced. Over the years wear and tear can damage the floor and cracks or chips may develop. You will then need to apply another layer to make sure it keeps its appearance. This could be a major problem if the area where it is applied bears heavy equipment, or heavy things are dropped onto the floor. For example, the gym.
- Slippery: Generally, an epoxy floor is skid-resistant, but if some oil is spilled on it, the surface becomes slippery. This can also be the case when the floor is wet, so epoxy flooring is not ideal in areas that are subjected to water.
- Removal: If you intend to change the design, the color of your epoxy floor, or have it removed, it will be expensive and labor-intensive.
- Application: To ensure your epoxy floor paint is properly applied, it takes a great deal of preparation. The existing floor needs to be properly cleaned of all oil, grease and dirt and all the cracks need to be filled. This process is very tedious and time-consuming. Once the first coat of epoxy has been applied, it can take up to a week before it has properly cured, and only then can you proceed to apply the second coat.
Best Epoxy Floor Paint
Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit
- Low odor, low VOC formula is ideal for use on interior coated or bare concrete surfaces including garages, basements, workshops and more
- Two part, 100% solids epoxy coating provides excellent adhesion, durability, chemical resistance and resists hot tire pick up
- Each kit covers up to 500 sq. ft. on painted surfaces, 250 sq. ft. on bare concrete
- Heavy duty coating is walk ready in 24 hours, vehicle ready in 72 hours and comes in an easy to use burst pouch that reduces waste
- High-gloss protective finish provides a show room quality floor that lasts
This high gloss epoxy paint comes in a 2-part kit, is water-based, and claims a review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars from customers at Home Depot. So, what makes it unique? In the kit, you will find an etching compound, a stirring stick and 2 gallons of epoxy paint. This amount of epoxy paint is sufficient to cover a 2½ car garage floor or 500 square feet.
Once you have mixed the 2-part kit properly, you can apply by simply using a roller or a brush. When it has properly cured, this garage floor epoxy paint will give you a long-lasting coating. The coating will protect your garage surface from harm including things like road salt or other substances caught in the tread of your tires.
This garage floor coating can also be perfect as an Epoxy Basement Floor Paint.
So, this garage floor epoxy paint will protect your floors from:
- Anything that could cause corrosion
- Car oil
- Gasoline
- Antifreeze spills
- Heavy foot traffic
- Hot tire-pickup
Kilz 1-Part Epoxy Paint
- A good concrete floor paint is highly durable, easy to clean and won't scuff, fade, crack or blister easily, even from hot tires and other heavy activity.
- This single component, water-based floor paint is formulated to last in hard to clean areas like basements and garages. It's resistant to staining and damage from chemicals, Oil and gasoline.
- Use this high-durability floor paint on coated or uncoated concrete, masonry, stone and brick. This paint is ideal on high-traffic surfaces such as garage floors, basements, driveways and porches.
This 1-Part Epoxy Paint is really easy to use, just open the can and start painting your indor or outdoor floor. The paint is very durable and resistant against Gasoline and oil, as well as chemicals.
Kilz is an established brand for paint and primers. So you cannot go wrong with this product.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Dries very quick – after 4 hourse you can walk on the surface
- Very affordable, 1 Gallon is enough for up to 380 square feet
Cons
- Not as durable as 2-part Epoxy Paint
- Scratch-resistance could be better
Rust-Oleum EPOXYSHIELD Concrete Floor Paint
- Advanced acrylic formula
- Indoor/Outdoor use: UV and weather-resistant
- Easy soap and water clean up. Hot tire and chemical resistant
This is a self-priming 1-part acrylic floor coating, which gives areas exposed to the elements a waterproof coating and is also used to seal cracks. This concrete epoxy paint can be applied to concrete floors in your patio, porch, and garage areas. The paint can also be applied to fixtures and walls.
The floor paint is weather and UV resistant and can handle any household spills like car oil, pool chemicals and other garden or home spills. Many users discovered that it worked well when applied to a basic floor that had just been cleaned with soap and water.
The application was consistently smooth and did not need sanding down or any other heavy preparation work.
This paint provides asolid smooth surface finish and do not chip or flake when subjected to difficult conditions.
2-Part Water-based Epoxy Floor Coating
Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield and Quikrete both offer the DIY enthusiasts a 2-part epoxy floor coating that is easily available at most hardware, paint, and home improvement stores. Both products are classified as hybrid products. This means they contain genuine epoxy elements such as epoxy resin and hardener or activator, but they also contain water as a solvent.
These type of products can easily be identified as they comprise a 2-part system which needs to be mixed, but if spilled can easily be cleaned up by using soap and water. Many of them are marked as ‘low odor’ or ‘low VOC’, which differs vastly from the true epoxies that require strict ventilation measures when applying.
Another characteristic of these types of epoxy floor coatings is they take much longer to cure, up to 3 days or more since the solvent first needs to evaporate completely. As a water-based product, they are easier to handle than the 100% solid epoxy flooring coatings, similar to latex paint. One drawback, however, is that they give you a thinner coating which does not last very long.
Most of the 2-part water-based epoxy coatings can cost you less than $100 per gallon. You can use vinyl texture or color chips with some, you sprinkle over the surface before it cures. However, many do not provide this option at all.
Summary for Epoxy Floor Coatings that are Water-based
- Takes around 3 days or more to cure properly.
- Consists of 2-parts, a hardener and the resin.
- Easy to clean your tools by using soap and water.
- Will cost you around $50 to $100.
- May be necessary to redo the surface every few years.
- Containers are marked as ‘low VOC’ or ‘low odor’.
1-Part Floor Coating
All true epoxy floor coatings consist of a 2-part system, which has a resin and hardener or activator. So, before use, you mix the resin with the hardener. However, a floor coating system that goes by the name of epoxy but is a solid product in a single container is not regarded as a true epoxy but is classified rather as a form of paint.
This type of formulation may perform better on your floor than ordinary paint but is still not a true epoxy product.
Summary of a 1-part Floor Coating
- It will cost in the region of $40 per gallon.
- The containers are often labeled as a ‘1-part epoxy’ or as an ‘acrylic epoxy’.
- Will only take about 1 hour to dry to the touch.
- Marketed and sold in single containers and not as 2-part mixing epoxy.
- You will need to redo the surface every few years.
- Easy to clean up after you finish by using soap and water.
The Purpose of using Epoxy Floor Paint
- Epoxy Paint is a lot cheaper than completely replacing an existing floor with new flooring.
- It Will not be necessary to repaint your epoxy painted flooring very often.
- Because it has a high-build formulation, you need only to apply one coat to give you a solid, thick coating. The paint can also be used on many surfaces.
- Provides a shiny finished surface, cleans effortlessly and does non-permeable. Therefore, it is perfect for use in garages, gyms, or any area where there may be a risk of spillage. Can also be used as an Epoxy Basement Floor Paint.
- Moisture-resistant and can tolerate high temperatures. So, it is just right for use in kitchens, swimming pool area bathrooms and saunas.
Benefits of Garage Floor Epoxy Paint for Concrete
- The hardened surface provides a coating that is tough and able to resist chipping, heavy impacts, stains, chemical spills, and abrasive actions.
- Transforms your old unattractive cement garage floor into a beautiful eye-pleasing surface
- Has a moisture-resistant quality that will not absorb spills or stains, leaving your floor looking unattractive with marks that you cannot get rid of.
- Without this epoxy flooring, your old concrete floor attracts dust which builds up on your tools, your car, and any other storage equipment you may have.
- Dust-resistant and easy to clean, it seals your floor forming a protective barrier not allowing any dust particles to penetrate the epoxy surface.
How Scratch-Resistant is Epoxy Flooring?
This depends on how much epoxy is in the mix, which determines if it will be scratch-resistant or not. The epoxy coating that is a thicker mix has a resin and hardener, this will be scratch-resistant when something heavy is dropped onto it or pulled over its surface.
Epoxy Paint, however, has a much lower content of epoxy in its mix and will show signs of scratching when something is dropped onto it or pulled over its surface.
An Epoxy Floor Coating is considered to be far more scratch-resistant than other floor coverings such as wood or tiles. Because Epoxy Floor Coating is moisture, abrasion, and scratch-resistant, it is the ideal type of floor covering for pool and sauna floors due to the moisture in these areas.
Also, for any outdoor areas such as decks, outdoor work areas, or where foot traffic is high, then epoxy floor coatings are the answer.
Is the price of Floor Tiles cheaper than Epoxy Flooring?
If the floor surface area you want to coat is fairly large, whether you use an epoxy coating or epoxy painting, this type of floor covering is reasonably cheap and will last you for many years.
Looking at the numbers, epoxy paint covering will cost you around $30 per gallon and will be able to able to coat a surface area of a couple of hundred square feet.
Now, if you had to compare this with floor tiles, it could cost you quite a few dollars per tile, which makes epoxy flooring a lot cheaper.
Apart from the cost of the flooring, epoxy flooring is a far better option than floor tiles, as it is stronger, more durable, and tougher than any standard floor tile. For example, your garage concrete floor, once covered with concrete epoxy paint, will be difficult to damage. On the other hand, floor tiles can quite easily break or warp.
Difference between Epoxy paint and Epoxy Coating
Many people are confused with the terms Epoxy Paint and Epoxy Coating and think they are identical, but this is not the case as there is a marked difference between the two. So, if you want to upgrade your outdoor floor, garage floor or any other concrete flooring with Epoxy, you need to be clear as to the meaning of these two types of floor coverings so you can make the right choice.
When you have to choose between epoxy paint or an epoxy coating, you need to consider one especially important factor and that is its toughness and hardness. If you only want to brighten the appearance of your floor surface, all you need is epoxy paint.
But, if you desire to improve the area because of the increase in traffic movement, or there is a risk of some chemical spillage, then your best option will be to use an epoxy coating. Epoxy floor paint is a lot more durable than ordinary latex paint, but it will fail when it comes to chemical spills, stains, or excessive abrasion, which is why epoxy coating is a better option.
So, what is Epoxy Paint? Epoxy Paint is made from latex acrylic. Some of the products do contain small amounts of epoxy resin in their formulation.
When this is the case, the paint will adhere much better to any concrete surface and will make it slightly more durable. However, if the paint does not contain any epoxy in its formulation, it experiences high people traffic it will ultimately crack and peel. This type of floor covering can easily be done by anybody.
Epoxy Coating, on the other hand, has a 2-part composition, which cures and will most probably need a professional to install.
In the overview below we lay out all the main differences between these two products, making it easy for you to understand and choose the product that will suit you for your project.
EPOXY PAINT
- You can apply it yourself easily.
- A form of paint that any DIY enthusiast can use for their projects.
- By far the cheaper product and easily obtained.
- It is paint and, therefore, dries
- Once dried it can succumb to stains, chemical, oil, and grease spills, and can easily crack and scratch.
EPOXY COATING
- Higher quality grade product and will cost you a lot more.
- Consists of 2 parts resin and a hardener, which will last long time.
- It is a 2-part epoxy and so it cures.
- Once cured, it is extremely resistant to oil, stains, grease, chemical spills, impact and abrasion.
- You will probably require a professional to install it for you, or your check out our epoxy floor guide
Before you apply either the Epoxy Coating or Epoxy Painting, you need to ensure that your concrete surface has been properly prepared and cleaned. If the concrete has been damaged in some way, this needs to be repaired first.
When your Epoxy Coating is applied the surface first needs to be cleaned, damaged areas repaired, and a moisture test has to be conducted. All these necessary preparations for your concrete provide a surface that is ideal for your epoxy application.
This allows the epoxy coating to adhere much better to your concrete surface. The installer will make use of special equipment and tools like squeegees and rollers as he applies the epoxy coating.
When the Epoxy Paint is applied the surface first needs to be cleaned and damaged areas repaired. Next, all that needs to be done, is to apply the paint by spraying it on or using a roller or paintbrush.
So, when you compare these two methods of application, it is obvious that a professional installer or contractor needs to be hired for applying epoxy coatings.
Apart from the cleaning of your surface for both application methods, another similarity is that both epoxy coatings and epoxy paint need to have 2 or 3 coats of epoxy covering.
Epoxy Coating is durable, long-lasting, and strong and provides protective layers, but it is not a paint. The coating is versatile, well-pleasing to the eye and slip-resistant. That is not all, you can also have the option of choosing from a vast range of different colors, or you can add metallic flakes for added beauty and appearance.
Summary
So, if you want a floor that is easy to maintain, is hard-wearing and also has a beautiful glossy finish, then Epoxy Floor Coating is the answer. Great for high traffic surfaces that have a possibility of chemical spillages. Besides this, it also gives you a shock-resistant, easy to maintain and a damage-free floor surface.
