Epoxy vs. Polyurea Floor Coatings: Pros, Cons, and Choosing the Best Option
When you are searching for a coating to protect your floors from stains, chemicals, wear and tear, oils, and damage, you may come across two main types of coatings, epoxy, and a family of polyurethane-based products, including polyurea. It can be hard to find a whole lot of information on either type of these floors and knowing which one might be best for your needs is even harder.
This post will help by tackling the pros and cons of both epoxy and polyurethane, giving you a clearer understanding of how each one works.
Epoxy Floor Coatings
Pros
- Epoxy coatings come in various degrees of thickness.
- When concrete is correctly prepared Epoxy bonds very well.
- This bonding makes it great for resurfacing or bringing old floors back to life.
- Thick epoxy coatings can be impact resistant.
Cons
- Epoxy will yellow when exposed to sunlight.
- If your garage floor is not prepared properly the epoxy may have a harder time bonding.
Polyurethane, Polyurea, and Polyurethane Coatings
Pros
- Polyurethane is flexible helping it to absorb impact better than epoxy.
- This flexibility also helps when it comes to being abrasion resistant.
- Polyurethane is more resistant to chemicals than epoxy.
- A polyurethane floor coating is UV stable so it won’t yellow over time.
Cons
- The thickness of polyurethane can not be adjusted and is usually only around 2 to 3 mils.
- Polyurethane does not bond well to concrete and will not fill in cracks and damage to the floor.
What's the Best Choice?
All types of floor coatings have their pros and cons, but at White Rabbit, we believe that polyurea based products offer the best performance. They offer superior abrasion and chemical resistance compared to standalone epoxy systems and more flexibility–allowing the coating to remain intact if the foundation shifts. Epoxy on the other hand is very rigid and can crack if the foundations shifts even a little bit.
Further, poly-based coating systems cure much faster, allowing for minimal disruption. Epoxy systems often require at least a full day, and sometimes up to 72 hours before floors can return to normal use. Polyurea systems like we use at White Rabbit can put your floors back in operation within a few hours of completion.
Related post: Epoxy Floors: DIY Kits VS Hiring a Pro | Should I acid Etch or Grind My Garage Floor?
Why Choose White Rabbit?
When you work with us, you’ll get much more than industrial-strength Monkey Bars garage organization and floor coating products that will stand up to heavy use. You also benefit from our lifetime warranty and 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not completely satisfied with our commercial flooring services, you can count on us to do what it takes to make it right. We are owner-operated, will treat you and your property with respect. Our honest, no-hassle approach means we will work with you to find the solution that is right for you and your needs.
White Rabbit has been transforming garages and basements across the Chicagoland area since 1988. We’re known for our design capabilities and high-quality, industrial strength products, including garage organizers, shelving systems and slatwall storage systems. Our team is also dedicated to excellence and exceptional customer service. We’ll go above and beyond for you. Rest assured we can provide you with a highly efficient, practical space with our Monkey Bars garage storage systems.
Schedule A Free Consultation Today
White Rabbit has been helping Chicagoland area homeowners transform their garages and basements for over 35 years. With tens of thousands of happy customers throughout the region, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are working with the top option for commercial flooring in Chicago.
Schedule your no-hassle in-home consultation today and see what the White Rabbit magic is all about!
