The average person thinks of concrete as a nearly indestructible material, but homeowners with concrete surfaces know better. Are you tired of chips, cracks, and stains in the concrete of your garage floor, driveway, or patio?
If you’ve decided to coat your surface to protect it from further damage, you’ve got to decide whether to use epoxy or polyurea. To help you choose, we’re going to give you a quick comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the two.
Installation
What time of the year will you install your garage floor coating? You shouldn’t apply epoxy in cold weather. However, you can use polyurea any time of the year.
Depending on the air temperature and humidity, you can expect an epoxy coating to need about three to four days to set fully. During that time, the coating will release volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
VOCs are chemicals used in many modern products. You’ll notice a distinctive industrial odor. The smell isn’t overpowering, but you should be aware of it if you’re considering using epoxy.
Polyurea needs only 24 hours to set fully, even when you include a decorative chip layer. After that, you can feel free to use the area as you normally would. For example, you can bring the cars back into the garage.
Toughness
Will your floor coating receive sunshine? If so, consider how the two treatments react to the sun’s ultraviolet light.
Epoxy will begin to shift from clear to yellow after prolonged sunlight exposure. You’ll have to decide how significant the color change is to you. If you only want inexpensive protection for your concrete flooring, the yellowing may not matter.
On the other hand, if you feel a cloudy, yellow floor will make your space appear dingy, old, and neglected, you should opt for polyurea. A polyurea floor coating can receive full sunlight daily without turning yellow. That’s why it’s often the choice for homeowners who want to cover their patios and driveways.
Cost
How tight is your budget? Epoxy represents the low-cost solution. There are various types of epoxy at differing price structures, but generally, they’re cheaper than polyurea.
Additionally, you may decide to DIY the project if you’re trying to save money. Epoxy is better suited for non-professionals.
If you use polyurea, it’s better to let an experienced installer tackle the job. The faster curing time for polyurea means less margin for the kind of errors that DIYers are likely to commit.
Lifespan
How long do you need this coating to last? Is this a short or long-term solution?
To keep it in top condition, you’ll need to refinish an epoxy floor coating for a garage in a few years. On the other hand, a polyurea garage floor coating will last much longer because it’s around 20 times stronger than epoxy.
Will It Be Epoxy or Polyurea?
Has our comparison helped you make your decision? We hope you’ve chosen polyurea because we feel that you’ll be much happier with it in the long run. We speak from experience.
We’ve applied polyurea coating to concrete surfaces for satisfied customers throughout northeast Houston. Would you like us to do the same for your garage or patio? If so, get started by contacting Garage Force for a free quote today.