What Is Epoxy Flooring?

Unlike conventional paints, epoxy flooring is a coatings that are two parts, consisting of Part A & and Part B, which you mix together. The benefiets of using an epoxy floor coating over conventional concrete paint is that adhesion is much higher, the gloss finish is much higher, the scratch and abrasion resistance is much higher, the impact rating is considerably much higher, they're much easier to keep clean and unlike conventional concrete paints and sealers they're far superior to chemical and acids exposure.

This is not to say that simply choosing and applying any epoxy flooring product you will get all those superior benefits. In fact, it's more likely you will not, and you would have been better off leaving your floor bare. Using a low-grade product or the wrong product for your application can turn into a costly mess very quickly. Just ask Larsa Pippen, who paid a lot of money for an "Epoxy Professional" to coat the garage floor in her new home. You can see the results in CASE STUDIES along with other documented ArmorGarage floors that are 16 & 17 years old! 

The reason this happens more often than not, and epoxy flooring gets a bad rap online, is that there's a lot of what we call misinformation and misdirection out there. Years ago, this wasn't the case, but in today's world of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, everyone's an expert! But the fact is 99% of the epoxy experts out there have no clue what they're talking about. They know nothing about epoxy chemistry or specifications; all they know is that Part A mixed with Part B equals hard paint. So to differentiate themselves, they advertise nonsense such as 10X stronger than epoxy! Which is usually a polyspartic or polyurea, which by the way are epoxies, but are in no way stronger than our military grade epoxy floor systems. We make both polyspartics and polyureas, and we were the contractor that did the Freedom Tower epoxy floors, so we know what the best type of epoxy paint is and what's not.

The next thing you'll see pumped is one day epoxy floors! Wow! Sounds great, but again, what you'll end up getting is one thin coat of a polyspartic that dries in 2-3 hours and then one thin coat of the same polyspartic in clear as the final coat over color flakes or a final coat in the same color if not using color flakes. This is a deal for the contractor where he can grind and paint in one day, maximizing their profit, but doing you no favors as far as getting a floor with long-term durability.  Polyspartics are great in the right situations and done the right way. To be durable, they require 3-4 layers. The main reason to use them is if you're business with little to no downtime and you need an epoxy floor fast. We usually will do at least two polyspartic base coats followed by our military grade urethane epoxy topcoat for scratch, abrasion, and impact durability. That's the right way to do it.

Next in line is the 100% solids moniker that is misleading and misunderstood. There are many types of 100% solids epoxies and take it from us not all 100% solids epoxies are created equal just as with anything else you can buy in life. There are fake 100% solids which are usually imported but not disclosed, so you think you're buying a quality product when you're not. Fake 100% solids are epoxies that are not 100% solids in both weight and volume, meaning they're fake, misleading, inferior products. Next are hybrid 100% solids such as cyclioalphatics, they tend to be Jacks Of All Trades But Masters Of None type single type epoxy flooring. Compared to, say, our Military Industrial Epoxy Flooring System, which is 3 distinct and different layers of epoxy coatings. This is a tried and true bulletproof epoxy flooring system.

After that is the statement "High Solids Are Good Enough". This is totally false and this company obviously has never applied a high solids epoxy versus a true military grade 100% solids epoxy. The difference is night and day. One is thin and runny, while the other is very thick and gooey. Are high solids epoxies good epoxies, yes, but only as primers never as your main base coat.

We could go on and on, but we think you get the idea. We've made, tested, tortured, and installed every type of epoxy flooring there is, and we now make and sell what has proven to work better than anything else. 

As a final thought, you need to have the right epoxy floor coating for your specific project. Most companies sell a one-type epoxy fits all. This will lead to regrets you read about online. Our garage floor kits have options such as primers and military grade topcoats because certain garage floor projects require them. We offer a Commercial Epoxy Flooring System for the projects that need a heavier-duty system but not a full-blown Military Industrial Grade System. We also have what we call the Toughest Epoxy Flooring On Earth. There's nothing that is more durable than this coating system. 

ArmorGarage has a large selection of specific coatings to match any floor project's traffic loads. See our MAIN EPOXY FLOORING PAGE for a list of all our most popular epoxy floor coatings or our SPECIALTY COATINGS PAGE for your not everyday type of projects. If you can't find what you need, we'll help you find it either on our website or elsewhere.

EPOXY FLOORING FAQs

Q:How much does epoxy flooring cost? Costs can vary greatly depending on the type of epoxy being considered. Our Garage Floor Epoxy starts at $1.09/SF for a complete kit, while our Two-Layer Commercial System varies from $1.32 -$1.50/SF depending on size and options chosen. Our Military Grade Three Layer Epoxy System runs $2.15-$/SF-2.25.SF, depending on size and options chosen, and our Heavy Tonneage Epoxy System costs about $2.50/SF. Lower-cost epoxy flooring can be found, but at lower grades.

Q: Is epoxy flooring easy to apply yourself? Yes, all our epoxy flooring systems are designed for first-time users and require no prior experience. Plus, we offer unlimited phone and email support to ensure your project's success.

Q: What's the best way to prep for an epoxy flooring system? Diamond grinding is always the best way but not always necessary. If your floor is new and or older but in good shape, you can Acid Etch it. Or you can rent the Floor Prep Machine from Home Depot if your floor is on the small side and is just bare concrete in good shape. If you are doing a heavy industrial application, we recommend you do a diamond grind, the same if you have an existing epoxy paint that has failed. For more detailed instructions, photos and videos see our How To Prep & Paint Your Floor Page.

Q: What is better than epoxy for garage floors? Well, as far as dramatic looks and wow factor, nothing. As far as ease of installation and longevity, the only product we would recommend is solid PVC Interlocking Tiles.They install in a matter of hours and will last you several lifetimes! If you buy hollow core polypropylene tiles, you'll wish you had an epoxy floor. So it comes down to personal taste, budget, and the available time you have to do the install.

Q: Can you power wash an epoxy floor? Yes, you can power wash your epoxy floor if the floor was prepped properly and you use a quality epoxy flooring product. If you used an inferior quality product that we discussed about or didn't prep your floor propperly a power washing will probably blow the epoxy of f the floor. If you used one of our epoxy flooring products, you shouldn't have to power wash it; it should come clean with Simple Green and a garden hose. If you do have a floor that gets to the point where it needs power washing, your ArmorGarage epoxy floor will be unaffected.

Q: I live in a harsh winter area. Is epoxy flooring a good choice in this situation? Yes, if you do the job right. We would recommend two good acid etchings or a diamond grind to get the floor prepped properly. Then use a primer with one of the ArmorGarage garage floor epoxy kits and the military grade topcoat. Or the commercial epoxy system is that you don't want a color flake floor finish. Both these epoxy flooring installations can withstand the harshest weather conditions, with road salts, vehicle fluids, and road debris having no effect on the floor.

Q: How long will epoxy flooring last? That depends entirely on the epoxy floor coating you use to start with. If you use the wrong epoxy for your application, you will have failure quicker than you can think. If you use a low-grade epoxy coating or fake epoxy coating, you'll get a bout 1-2 years of service. We pride ourselves in making epoxy flooring systems that can last up to two decades! In epoxy flooring, you really do get what you pay for!

Q: Can I epoxy paint my curbs and walls? If your curbs and foundation walls are 24" or less, you can use the same epoxy as you're applying to the floor. Keep in mind that block walls will absorb much more product. If your curbs and or walls are more than 24" high, we suggest you use our Industrial Epoxy Wall Paint. It's designed for vertical application without dripping or sagging and is extra thick to fill in block wall voids.

Q: Can I avoid the negative things I read about epoxy flooring happening to me? Yes, and the best thing we can say to you is to read our article on this exact subject; it'll ensure you don't end up writing about how much you hate your epoxy floor. HOW TO AVOID AN EPOXY FLOOR FAILURE.