Epoxy flooring has grown in popularity in recent years, given just how practical it is for an industrial and commercial setting. If you are thinking about having epoxy flooring installed in your establishment, then you’ll want to be fully aware of all of the advantages and disadvantages that come with it. In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about it.
Let’s not waste any time and get straight to it!
What are the advantages of epoxy flooring?
So, what are the advantages of having epoxy flooring installed? Let’s take a look…
- Epoxy floors are highly resistant to a great number of different chemicals such as solvents and acids. This makes them ideal in an industrial setting, in a kitchen, and in a home garage. Having this freedom to make a bit of a mess without damaging your flooring is a huge benefit.
- Epoxy flooring are rather decorative. These are available in a wide variety of different colours and designs. It is even possible to create a rustic concrete look, or to even sprinkle the floor with flakes, giving it a more textured depth to it.
- Another great advantage of having epoxy floors installed is the fact that they have a very fast application. This means that when it comes to having them installed, there will be a minimal work interruption. So, you can get straight back to work and enjoying your new epoxy floors without having to shut down your establishment or turn away business.
- In addition to that, epoxy flooring is incredibly easy to maintain. These are seamless and liquid tight which also makes them highly easy to clean, benefiting hygiene. Again, this is what makes them a popular choice in commercial kitchens and industrial environments.
- Epoxy flooring can also be combined well with underfloor heating. This is a very sustainable approach to keeping your establishment at a suitable temperature. In fact, with a combination of underfloor heating, you can save a lot of money on energy as you will no longer need to have radiators, thus saving you space as well. In addition, the fact that epoxy flooring as no seams or edges allows it to blend completely into your space, concealing the underfloor heating application. Great for the environment and reducing your business’s carbon footprint.
- Epoxy flooring is robust. This is what makes them so suitable for heavy use such as mechanical loads, forklifts, and heavy traffic in areas like workshops, production areas, and warehouses. Having durable flooring that can sustain heavy foot traffic is a huge bonus.
- This type of flooring can also offer excellent value for money.
What are the disadvantages of having epoxy flooring installed?
What are the disadvantages of having epoxy flooring installed in your establishment? Let’s take a closer look…
- Epoxy floors are very hard which means that there is an awful lot of contact noise during walking. As such, they’re not so popular for the home and in office spaces. If you are looking for the appropriate flooring for an office environment, sometimes a flexible polyurethane option is more suitable.
- If you have epoxy flooring installed without underfloor heating, it can feel incredibly cold, similar to that of tiled flooring. That being said, if in an industrial environment, or in a commercial kitchen, having cold flooring isn’t going to be a disadvantage.
- If there are any cracks or the surface is uneven in the substrate, the ripples can become visible in the flooring. That being said, this will only happen if the epoxy flooring can no longer bridge any existing cracks and gaps. Thus, having a professional installation is paramount. You see, the floor adheres to the substrate. Therefore, it is vital that you only have epoxy flooring applied on a smooth surface. In that case, there might be a fair amount of preparation work involved before epoxy flooring can be installed, adding to the overall cost and labour.
- Without a suitable finish, epoxy flooring is highly sensitive to UV radiation. However, with several coatings and a Him finish coast, the UV resistance can be easily improved. So, if you are thinking of having epoxy flooring installed in an area that will be exposed to plenty of natural light, then be aware of this.
A professional epoxy flooring installation expert
As you can see, the advantages far-outweigh the disadvantages. In fact, most of the disadvantages can easily be overcame with some simple solutions. The main thing however, is having a professional install your epoxy flooring so as to ensure that a proper, thorough installation is carried out. In that case, many of these disadvantages will be null and void and you can simply enjoy this incredible flooring solution.
If you are interested in exploring epoxy flooring services further, we recommend shopping around and finding some reputable experts in your area. For example, Apex Asia Constructions will be able to offer plenty of advice and options to give you a better idea of how realistic such an installation will be in your establishment.
Conclusion
All in all, epoxy flooring wins out. There are many excellent benefits that come with having this flooring installed in your establishment and we couldn’t recommend it enough—particularly for business’s that will see a lot of foot traffic, chemical spillages, and so on, and so forth.
We hope that this article has been helpful for you and that now you have a better idea as to whether or not epoxy flooring is the right choice for your business.