Are you considering epoxy flooring for your home or business but not sure if it’s the right choice for you? Here are some of the pros and cons of garage epoxy flooring.
Pros Of Epoxy Flooring
If you are looking for an upgrade that will improve the look and function of your garage, as well as protect your concrete from damage, then an epoxy garage floor coating is what you need. While epoxy flooring costs vary nationwide, installing the epoxy coating into your garage is relatively inexpensive per square foot without the need for a complete renovation overhaul. Epoxy is applied directly over existing concrete, wood, or steel garage surfaces to create a durable, low-maintenance, protective coat on your garage floors. Its resistance to cracking, peeling, and erosion makes it the ideal flooring choice for a garage. Cured epoxy is moisture resistant and does well with heavy weights from cars, other vehicles, shop tools, and other heavy weights or the occasional accidental power tool drop. While you may need to replace your epoxy flooring, you’ll be spending only a small fraction of the original costs and it’s likely your flooring will last well over two decades.
Cons Of Epoxy Flooring
While there are cons to epoxy flooring, they are largely minimal. One of the main concerns of epoxy flooring almost entirely involves the installation process. During the epoxy application process, wet epoxy gives off an unpleasant smell. Epoxy staff wears masks and safety goggles to protect themselves as the fumes are not only unfavorable in scent but can also be toxic with asthmatic individuals being at risk during the application process. This means epoxy flooring largely requires the expert installation and isn’t a weekend DIY project.
Epoxy also has a long curing time of 72 hours. That being said, this time frame largely depends on the size of the area being covered, with some smaller home areas and garages only taking a day to cure. The curing time can be an inconvenience if the epoxy flooring is being applied inside the home or business where there may normally be ample foot traffic, or if you are located in a humid climate, as this will increase drying time. Finally, epoxy can be slippery when wet due to its non-porous qualities and presenting a challenge to children and the elderly. There are mitigating factors to this and other disadvantages, all of which can be added or adjusted during the application process and should be discussed with your epoxy flooring experts!
