| CHARACTERISTICS | POLYURETHANE | POLYUREA (POLYASPARTIC) | EPOXY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength of bond formed when applied directly to concrete | Strong Usually used as a topcoat with an Epoxy-based primer | Very Strong | Very Strong |
| Years in use in the market | 20+ years | Lasts indefinitely- even in challenging environments | Known to last indefinitely if properly applied in the right environment |
| Durability | Must be top-coated every 4-7 years | Lasts indefinitely- even in challenging environments | Known to last indefinitely if properly applied in the right environment |
| Elongation (stretch) properties | Similar to Polyurea (Polyaspartic) | Excellent – 50 times the elongation properties of Epoxy – making it highly crack-resistant | Poor – Cures to a very hard surface, so can’t withstand expansion & contraction, especially with unheated or outdoor concrete surfaces |
| Abrasion | Hard, smooth finish that is satin-and scratch-resistant, good for high-traffic areas. Clear and non-sticky when dry | Less flexible and less resistant to abrasions | |
| Use indoors & outdoors | Yes | Yes-it works well indoors and out-of-doors and can be applied in very challenging, extreme conditions. 100% UV stability. They will never yellow Must avoid high moisture vapour emission rate conditions when applying | NO- can’t withstand the extremes of outdoor conditions, and is not UV-resistant |
| Application temperature | -7 o C to 43 o C | -7 o C to 54 o C | Over 10 o C |
| Curing time (after application) | 2-4 days | One day | 6-8 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARACTERISTICS | POLYURETHANE | POLYUREA (POLYASPARTIC) | EPOXY |
| Susceptibility to ‘hot-tire’ pick-up | Moderately resistant | Highly resistant | Highly resistant when properly applied (not big box store products) |
| Adhesion | Might have to thin the first coat for better adhesion | Good – won’t lift | |
| Pot Life | Short pot life requires use of automatic application guns | Long pot life, allowing application with a manual gun | |
| Minimum people required to apply | 2 | ||
| Cost | Two to three times more expensive to purchase and apply | Not expensive | |
| Finish | Creates a hard, beautiful finish with many options, including colour and mix-ins | ||
| Chemical Resistance & Vapours | Doesn’t emit any vapours that may be harmful to people, animals or the environment | Low VOCs and odour | Resistant to chemicals. Has potentially hazardous vapours, although new formulations address this. |
Concrete grinding involves preparing the floor and grinding the concrete to transform the look of the existing floor. We can grind your old or new concrete floor surfaces to a mat or high-gloss finish. Concrete grinding is commonly used to prepare the concrete for other sub-floors.
If your floor happens to be chipped, cracked or has lost its look because of improperly done surface coatings, we have good news for you. Since you already have the floor intact, we will efficiently remove the epoxy mortar, paint, acrylic and other surface ingredients to restore your concrete floor into a beautifully finished and durable floor.
No matter what the condition of your current floor is, we can evaluate and repair it to convert it into the kind of floor you want to see. We also can do removal of glue, epoxy and paint, lippage removal, floor leveling, floor stripping, surface preparation, smooth sealing and non-slip sealing. We also grind rain damaged concrete to restore it back to its original finish.
With heavy duty polishing machines we grind down the concrete surface to the required shine and smoothness. You have plenty of options with polished concrete in terms of looks. As a highly durable flooring option that is low-maintenance, it is not surprising that both commercial and residential facilities prefer polished concrete flooring which is available in a variety of finishes due to selection of concrete colour and aggregate. What you get with a polished concrete floor is environmentally friendly flooring that is allergen free, easy to clean, safe, stain-resistant and highly durable.
We pride ourselves in using the best equipment, material and tools to make sure that we please you with beautiful flooring .
Concrete grinding and repair is an art and only experienced professional can help you achieve the perfect finish. We are a locally owned and established company, our team is professional, efficient and above all have experience in the flooring industry. Rest assured your project will be in safe hands. To know more about how we can add value to your floor, call us today.
What is polished concrete?
By choosing polished concrete — the most modern, eco-friendly and cost-effective flooring option available today — you have taken a right step towards an alternative flooring for your project.
Often called the perfect building material, polished concrete is a decorative flooring option that is not only durable but also cost effective. As innovative and economical flooring, polished concrete is extremely popular in a variety of applications. It involves a mechanical grinding and polishing process where industrial diamonds are used to cut the top surface of the concrete exposing existing aggregate. The concrete is then sealed to give it that perfect finish. Polished concrete is known for its preference in high traffic areas like warehouses and industrial facilities & for its low cost and super durability, long life and resistance to abrasions and stains. It is now hardly surprising that polished concrete is also the preferred flooring choice in residential, retail and decorative markets.
polishing concrete is an art and only experienced professionals can achieve the perfect results. For the perfect finish for your project call us today for a free quote.
Epoxy Floor Coating VS Polyurethane Floor Coating Vs Polyaspartic Coatings
Epoxy and polyurethane are great for protecting your floor against stains, damage, chemicals, oils, and wear. They are both light reflective, easy to clean, and long lasting. They also have their own advantages depending on the application. So which one should you use and what is the difference? Well, the short answer for most applications is to use both. Let’s see why.
Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer which is available in three different formulations for a garage floor coating and sealer; water based, solvent based, and 100% solids. These formulations allow for varying degrees of thickness from 3 mils to over 10 mils for a single coating for a garage floor. They also allow for ease of application, special bonding characteristics, and VOC considerations. Epoxy bonds extremely well to properly prepared concrete and can sometimes be used as a resurfacing agent for old or worn concrete that needs a new garage floor surface. The best epoxy formulations are 100% solids and provide for an extremely hard, thick, and impact resistant surface. This self-leveling thickness contributes to filling in the small hairline cracks and imperfections of the floor as well as providing protection. It also works well against hot tire pick up, scratching, and wear from abrasion. Though some epoxy formulas come with U.V. inhibitors, they will still eventually yellow or amber as the industry calls it when exposed to sunlight for any length of time. This is something to consider when choosing a garage floor finish.
Like epoxy, polyurethane is a thermosetting polymer as well and is considered a high performance coating. It is commonly known as urethane for short, though that it is technically incorrect and there is actually a big difference between polyurethane and urethane. If someone is advertising a urethane coating, it is actually polyurethane.
Of the different formulations available, aliphatic polyurethane is the desired choice for garage floors. Though they are approximately 60% to 70% solids depending on the manufacturer, a polyurethane coating is only about 2 to 3 mils in thickness and can’t be adjusted as with epoxy.
Don’t let the thinner dry film thickness fool you however. Aliphatic polyurethane has more flexibility than epoxy and it is this flexibility that aids in absorbing impacts better. It is also much more abrasion resistant. In fact, some manufacturer’s claim that the wear resistance of polyurethane over epoxy is almost 3 to 1. The resistance to chemicals is better than epoxy as well and this includes resistance to solvents such as methylene chloride which is the primary ingredient in paint stripper.
Another advantage of polyurethane over epoxy is that it is U.V. stable. This means that it won’t yellow like epoxy does when exposed to small amounts of sunlight over a period of time. The surface of polyurethane is not as hard as epoxy but it is much more scratch resistant, can tolerate larger temperature swings, and handles humidity much better. It is also available in different finishes from satin to very glossy.
Though polyurethane has many advantages over epoxy, it does not bond well to concrete and its thin dry film thickness will not work well as a self-leveling coating to fill in small cracks and divots in the surface. Another consideration is that most polyurethanes are solvent based, meaning they can have high VOC’s, and may require a respirator to apply.
So, which should you use? As a rule, it is believed that you will get maximum performance by using both polyurethane and epoxy together for your garage floor coating. Whether you are applying the coating yourself or hiring a professional, epoxy is best used for building up the thickness of your floor coating then following up with polyurethane as a clear coat to protect it. It will help protect the epoxy from yellowing and it will provide for a longer wearing and more scratch resistant surface. If you don’t want to worry about yellowing at all, you can always use a coloured polyurethane as a colour coat before the clear coat. Polyurethane is also a better medium than epoxy to mix in anti-slip aggregate if you truly want an anti-slip surface or want a solid coloured floor without paint chips.
Something else to consider is that most epoxy clear coats are not actually crystal clear like polyurethane is. Though they have no colour, there is a slight yellowish brown tint to the clear in epoxy. Unless you opt for a more satin finish, polyurethane can provide a very glossy surface that gives your floor depth.
So unless you are just doing a one-coat epoxy coating for your garage, a combination of epoxy and polyurethane is almost always the best answer to get the maximum combined benefit out of both materials. The result is a high performance garage coating that will stand up to the rigors of a working garage for years to come.
To better understand Polyaspartic, let’s first look at Polyurea, from which it is derived.
Polyurea is an elastomer that is formed by mixing an isocyanate with a synthetic resin.
Polyaspartic, like polyurea, is formed by mixing together an ISO and Resin, albeit a modified formula that has a less aggressive reaction. The result is a durable waterproof coating resistant to harsh chemicals impact and abrasion with the benefit of longer pot life and the ability to mix with simple hand tools and apply either by roller or low-pressure spray equipment. These qualities make Polyaspartic perfect for flooring applications where mobilisation of complex spray equipment is not available/cost effective and is suited to a large range of residential flooring and commercial flooring applications where strength, performance and quality is paramount.
Like Epoxy flake flooring, Polyaspartic is a seamless flooring system that can have decorative flakes or granules added for visual effect, perfect for residential and commercial applications. Whilst the finished products can have a similar appearance initially when completed, there are significant differences in the chemistry which makes ASPART-X superior across a number of key features.
The major difference between the Polyaspartic and epoxy floor coatings is how they react with the substrate. Epoxy is a topical coating meaning it sits on top of the substrate and is relying on griping to the surface such as a concrete surface and in most cases requires to be used in conjunction with a primer. ASPART-X however, penetrates deep within the concrete substrate and is the only coating of its type that improves the strength and integrity of the substrate. This gives ASPART-X superior adhesion as well as resistance to abrasion, impact, chemicals and hot tyre pick up.
Another benefit is that unlike Epoxy floor coatings, ASPART-X is 100% solids, meaning no VOC's (Volitile Organic Compound, otherwise known as solvents), which offer greater flexibility when it comes to application. With increased resistance to harsh chemicals, faster application times, faster return to service and UV stability, ASPART-X is the #1 choice for a wide variety of concrete flooring applications.
DCorp Pty Ltd was established in 1998 as Dudley’s Services, Melbourne Australia. We operate as Precision Facility Service (PFS) and Protective Surface Coating (PSC).
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