The Benefits of Epoxy Floors for Michigan Residential Home Garages
Gone are the days when garages were that boring space in your home where you throw items that you rarely use or don’t want to get rid of yet. Nowadays, it is fashionable to have a beautiful and professional looking garage where you can spend time doing something constructive for hours without getting sick due to dust and mold. One of the best garage flooring options that you can choose is epoxy. It has become popular in the recent years because of the many benefits it enables homeowners to enjoy.
There is a lot of confusion about this type of floor coating. Most people think it is paint which is not the case. Of course, there are some paints that have a small amount of epoxy as one of the components used during the manufacturing process to make them more long-lasting. Such paints are referred to as 1-part epoxy paint or simply epoxy paints.
Epoxy, on the other hand, is a real thermosetting resin that is usually applied as a coating. It is made by mixing 1-part polyamine, hardener with 1-part epoxide resin. Another major difference between paint and epoxy is that paint has to dry after it has been applied while epoxy cures meaning that it reacts when the two ingredients are mixed and forms compact polymer structures that give epoxy its strong and durable qualities.
Here are the benefits of this great floor coating material:
Durability
As mentioned earlier, epoxy is durable as compared to other types of floor coatings such as paint. It is also resilient to chipping, impacts, stains, surface abrasions and chemicals. This means that you will not have fears about the floor getting damaged if something falls on it.
Easy to clean
An epoxy floor is easy to clean since it is stain and chemical resistant. Therefore, oil, anti-freeze, brake fluids and gasoline spillages will not cause you any distress when you get down to cleaning the garage. You will only need to use water, mild soap, and a rag to wipe the dirt off.
Decorative purposes
Epoxy comes in different colors and hues. You can even get customized colors that suit your taste and décor. Therefore, this flooring material will give you a chance to transform your garage from a boring room in your house to a beautiful space. An epoxy coating is also useful when it comes to covering blemishes on the concrete. It also does not form dust when it wears out as it happens with concrete.
Environmentally friendly
Since it is durable, it means that you will not have to scrape it off and replace it from time to time as you would do with a concrete floor. Thus, you will be protecting the environment by using this coating for your floor.
Safety
These coatings are relatively safe even for a garage that is normally exposed to spillage and wetness. This is due to the fact that it is resistant to temperature, impact, spillage, and fire. Some oil based epoxy coatings can be quite slippery, but this problem can be mitigated by adding texture to the epoxy during application.
Brightness
Epoxy can brighten up your garage because of its reflective nature. The high gloss option is usually the one that has this reflective characteristic. This means your garage will not look gloomy and dark and it will have some life in it.
Low vehicle maintenance
An epoxy coating is soft on vehicles thus you will not have to spend too much on your vehicle maintenance expenses.
Moisture resistant
Epoxy is non-porous which makes it stain and moisture resistant. Since epoxy is moisture resistant, it is perfect for use by people who live in snowy climates. In the winter months, salt brine and snow usually accumulates on the floor and leaves salt and water rings that can increase with time. When you have this type of coating, you can wipe off the excess moisture easily. Cleaning slat residue is also a breeze with epoxy because you will only have to use a mixture of water and mild soap.
Easy to prepare and apply
Preparation for epoxy laying involves washing and clearing of the concrete. Applying the coating is also an easy task that anyone can pull off without any problems.
Saves time and money
Applying epoxy garage floor coating does not require a lot of time. The flooring material is also affordable regarding application and maintenance.