Epoxy floors - They are all the same, right?

When I though about putting an Epoxy floor on my well worn
warehouse floor, I tackled the task with the optimism that
my only job was to find out which company was the most
reasonably priced and still gave a quality install. My
education began there. All epoxy floor products are not
created equal!

The first part of my education began with the discovery
that there were several different types of epoxy floor
applications - Epoxy paint, poured applications,
self-leveling and troweled on. Wow!

So, lets put these in perspective before I get into the
details. The quality and durability of these products ranks
from Epoxy Paint on the lower end to Troweled-on at the
upper end, with self-leveling being the middle of the road.

It is important to identify the needs of the job you are
considering. Is it high traffic? Will there be heavy
equipment rolling across it? How about chemical spills?
Will smooth and slippery cause a problem? What do you
expect its longevity to be? Is beauty an important factor?
If your are doing, say, your garage floor at home to make
it easily cleanable, the high traffic and beauty aren't a
factor, and longevity probably won't justify a higher
price. On the other hand, if you are doing a hotel hallway,
hospital halls or a loading dock, most or all of these
factors need to be considered.

Epoxy paint. For the home owner who uses his garage as a
workshop, the cost and ease of application probably
dictates your choice. If you have to redo it in five years,
it still justifies the choice, and it is available in
several colors. You can install it yourself or hire a local
odd-jobs contractor. It would be a very bad choice for
hotels, loading docks, kennels, and other high-traffic or
heavy equipment areas. It is always slippery, it is a thin
application compared to the other two, and there isn't much
beauty to it.

Self-leveling Epoxy floors. These products work great for
small areas. Some can be done by a handy homeowner, others
may need a skilled handyman. If you are doing a shower
area, a small bathroom, steps or small kitchen areas and
many other small jobs that don't require choices such as
smooth or non-slip, this may be perfect for you. Although
they will outlast many other flooring materials and
withstand a lot, they aren't the choice for large areas
that receive lots of abuse. Most self-leveling products
offer a range of color choices.

Troweled-on Epoxy floors. When traffic wear matters, when
you have to make a choice between slippery or non-skid, and
still receive a beautiful floor, this is the first choice.
Most troweled-on epoxy floor companies offer up to
twenty-four design and color choices. It can be installed
as either a smooth (hotel hallway) or non-slip (loading
docks) finish. This type has the longest life expectancy of
the three. It will stand up to heavy equipment, most
spills, and rough treatment. It comes with one caveat; it
is not a do-it-yourself application. In fact, you need to
be sure that the installers are well trained in this
particular product. Many a tradesman with years of concrete
finishing have a hard time getting this product right. If
this product is what you need, make sure that the company
uses well-trained installers before you move ahead.

The next time you walk down a hospital hallway, or Hotel
halls that have epoxy instead of carpet, pay attention to
the seamless beauty of this floor - it's probably a
troweled-on epoxy floor.

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For more information on the process, pictures of floors,
color samples and installation pictures go to
http://www.commercialepoxyfloors.com
Lee is a freelance consultant for the DPS Group. Besides
content writing Lee specializes in consulting on websites
and E-commerce. Lee can be reached though his employment at
http://www.thedpsgroup.com