Epoxy Flooring Versus Polyurethane Flooring

At Impact Floors, we cater to an expansive range of flooring products that are resin-based. But for your business, how are you to know which is the right one? The choice is made more difficult when you have to choose between epoxy flooring and polyurethane (PU) because these are the most popular resin flooring products.

In this article, we’ll delve into the details of Epoxy Flooring Versus Polyurethane Flooring to help you make an informed decision for your space.

Epoxy Flooring vs. Polyurethane Flooring: Which is Best?

Both epoxy and PU have their own strengths and their own characteristics. Both suit different applications and different industries. Both, though, do possess some key characteristics that are similar, if not the same. They are hard-wearing and durable; they both offer waterproofing properties; they both provide concrete floors with protection from dirt and damage.

Epoxy flooring, while being harder, is also more brittle. Polyurethane floor coating is particularly elastic. As such, PU coatings have a higher resistance to scratches and other damage of a similar nature. And this is why PU resin flooring is frequently used in heavy-traffic areas.

The extra flexibility means that PU flooring is desirable where there are extreme temperatures, given that the flooring is able to expand and contract depending on temperature variations. That in itself prevents cracking.

Epoxy flooring and PU flooring, while they are both chemical resistant, that resistance comes in different ways. As an example, PU systems have a higher resistance to natural chemicals like lactic acid. For this reason, PU flooring is frequently used in food processing environments, particularly those that handle dairy products.

If, on the other hand, epoxy flooring was used and it was exposed to lactic acid, it will likely undergo some corrosion and there will be some yellowing. Nevertheless, epoxy affords much better protection when it comes to artificial corrosives like sulphuric acid.

In terms of making repairs to concrete flooring both PU and epoxy flooring come with their own benefits. Epoxy, because it is a thinner compound, is suitable for filling cracks in concrete. PU being more flexible is ideal in terms of bridging cracks and gaps in existing substrate.

In terms of installation, PU flooring solutions are particularly sensitive to humidity. A PU coating that is curing and is impacted by moisture may be structurally compromised. In turn, when being installed, the area of installation must be kept completely dry. During application, epoxy flooring may also be negatively impacted by moisture, but this occurs to a far lesser degree. Thus, epoxy flooring is better suited to areas that are impacted by moisture.

Though all of Impact Floors’ epoxy and polyurethane flooring products are suitable to any industry, because of its sensitivity to moisture and because PU systems have a fast cure time, the installation process is much more difficult than when opting for epoxy flooring installation.

So which is the winner? Epoxy flooring or polyurethane flooring?

No outright winner can be declared as the choice as to which is the best alternative will depend on your own industry’s requirements and what you require your new surface to do. For any further information, please get in touch with us, and we can provide you with more information.