Epoxy Flooring FAQs

An epoxy floor is a highly durable coating which is applied to suitably prepared concrete. It consists of two parts, part A being the epoxy resin & part B being a hardener. Once mixed together, a chemical reaction takes place which when cured leaves a super hard coating.

Epoxy floors are a great choice as they last much longer than painted floors, are generally more cost effective then other flooring options such as tiling/timber flooring & look far better than plain concrete.

Epoxy gets applied to a concrete floor or slab. It is crucial that the floor is prepared properly so that the epoxy can adhere to the surface. If preparation is not done to a certain standard, the risks of coating failure are much higher. There are two common methods of preparing a floor for epoxy - acid washing & diamond grinding. Diamond grinding a floor with a specialist concrete grinding machine & diamond tooling is considered the gold standard in terms of preparation - this is what we do for every floor at Express Epoxy.Grinding a concrete floor prior to applying epoxy does three things. Firstly grinding removes the surface layer of the concrete, removing dirt & stains and allowing us to work on clean, fresh concrete. Secondly grinding helps to form 'teeth' on the surface of the concrete. This is essential for optimal adhesion of the wet epoxy resin. Consequently, the epoxy dries securely, reducing the likelihood of shifting and warping on the concrete surface over time. The final advantage is that it can help to level out the concrete. Most concrete surfaces have slight dips & high points, grinding will help to level these areas out to a degree. Floors that have a significant amount of high/low points may require a self levelling compound prior to coating.
After grinding we fill the chips or cracks that are present in the floor. Once that step is complete, we run a shot blaster over the floor to completely remove any remaining dust on the floor. Overall the preparation process with Express Epoxy Flooring is well over 60% of the work. Clients are often surprised to see just how much equipment & effort it takes to get their floor to the point where it is even ready to start applying the epoxy.
The other method of preparation - acid washing or etching is another form of preparation that some people still practice. This method is typically carried out by DIYers and contractors at the bottom end of the market due to it not requiring expensive grinding equipment. There are 3 main issues with this approach. Firstly it doesn’t give the concrete “teeth” like grinding does, the concrete often still remains smooth after an acid wash. Epoxy relies on a mechanical bond to adhere, acid washing simply doesn’t roughen up the concrete enough to accept a coating long term. Secondly the acid residue that remains after the procedure needs to be thoroughly cleaned up otherwise it can cause curing issues & ultimately make the coating peel. These residues can be hard to see when the floor is damp & often aren't completely removed when the time comes for coating. The last issue is that in order to clean the acid residue from the floor, it requires the floor to dry first in order to check if any residue is remaining, this leads to a much longer preparation time compared to grinding.
If you are wanting an epoxy floor to last for a long time - avoid acid washing and opt for a thorough diamond grind.
Q: Is an epoxy floor waterproof?
A: Yes it sure is! Any spills however should be attended to promptly.
Note: If you are experiencing waterproofing issues (e.g. a leaking balcony) and expect an epoxy coating to fix the issue, then you are mistaken. An epoxy coating is no substitute for a purpose built waterproofing product - contact a waterproofing specialist for advice.

Generally speaking, no. Under normal use & conditions epoxy flooring is a very hard wearing coating. Like most things, if you are super rough on it then you can cause damage. A small amount of care goes a long way to help maintain the beauty & integrity of the coating. If you do experience a chip the good news is it’s very easy to repair.

Epoxy floors can have different slip resistances depending on your needs. We can add slip reducing additives such as aluminium oxide which help to create a textured, non slip surface. Please keep in mind the higher the slip rating the harder it is to clean with a standard mop.

There are two types of epoxy systems. The most regularly used is solvent based & cures via evaporation. During the curing process these solvents are released from the coating in a gas, also known as VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). These VOC’s are considered toxic and take a number of days (up to 10) to be released from the coating. Once fully cured the toxic fumes are no longer present.
The second system and one that Express Epoxy Flooring uses is 100% solid and cures solely via a thermal reaction from mixing the part A & B of the epoxy together. Our standard system does have a "smell" for approx 24hrs after installation. Allowing adequate ventilation of the area helps this dissipate quickly.

Under normal use & conditions it’s very unlikely. We utilise a polyaspartic top coat which is scratch & abrasion resistant.

Not when applied correctly. The main reason that epoxy coatings fail is normally due to shortcomings in the prep stage. The best insurance against peeling is to confirm that concrete grinding is taking place as opposed to a half measure like acid washing.

Acid washing is a cheaper way for a contractor to prepare a floor as they don’t require the expensive grinding equipment & diamond tooling. The big issues with this approach are that the concrete doesn’t get “roughened” up sufficiently for the coating to stick to it like it does when grinding. Also it is very difficult to ensure that 100% of the acid residue has been neutralised. This residue can have disastrous effects on an epoxy coating - causing it to peel and bubble.

Colour sealers and paints aren’t a long term coating unlike epoxy. Normally these paints & sealers last 1-2 years before they start looking dull, faded and worn. A high quality professional epoxy coupled with the right preparation can however last a lifetime.

This varies across contractors. Most offer between 1-5 years, some offer 10 years & Express Epoxy Flooring offers 20 years! Why are we so far ahead of the others when it comes to warranty? The products we use are backed with a massive warranty from the manufacturer, the high quality and level of prep we do allow us to confidently back our floors for 20 years.

Yes it sure is! Any spills however should be attended to promptly.

Costs vary depending on level of prep required, level of desired slip resistance, style of flake and other factors. Get in touch with our team and we can quickly provide a ballpark estimate for your area before you decide if you’d like us to attend your property to provide a formal quote.

Epoxy flooring materials like just about any other product exist on a spectrum of quality. Much like new cars, you have well built & expertly engineered cars and then you have cars which are dirt cheap but are often plagued with quality issues. The same can be said for epoxy flooring materials. DIY grade epoxy garage floor kits are made from lower quality resins and come packaged with lots of solvents or water in them (DIY kits can be 30% epoxy resin with the rest being solvent or water). When applied these additives evaporate, leaving a thin coating which is oftentimes not bonded to the floor very well. Whereas a professional epoxy resins are in the vicinity of 85-100% solids - meaning little to none of the product evaporates - it all stays on the floor which means a thicker coat, better bond & more strength. Aside from the solids content, the resins in professional epoxy coatings are of higher quality, are much more UV stable and cure far quicker.
DIY style epoxy kits also get the user to do an acid etch as preparation. This is simply not good enough for multiple reasons. 1) The acid etch won't open up the concrete slab enough (leaves the surface too smooth) to form the necessary bond required for a long service life. 2) Residues from the acid are often left behind which interferes with proper coating adhesion. 3) Acid etching introduces excess moisture into the slab = higher chance of delamination.
The difference between the epoxy materials that a professional uses versus what can be acquired from the hardware store are a night and day difference. Yep, you'll pay a lot more up front but what's cheaper in the long run? Doing the floor once & right with a professional or having to re-do it every few years due to poor floor prep & using cheap materials?