Epoxy flooring is made from polymer materials will begin their lives as a liquid and then can be converted into a solid polymer through a chemical reaction. Not only are these types of floorings mechanically strong but they are also resistant to chemical elements once they become solid as well as being highly adhesive during the stage when they altered from liquid to the solid form that you see on many floors today. Plus there are a wide variety of basic epoxy chemicals which can be used in order to produce epoxy flooring.
But basically any type of epoxy flooring system is made up of 2 components a resin and a hardener.
1. Resin - This is usually light and is almost clear in color as well as being almost odor free.
2. Hardeners - This is much darker in color than the resin and will normally smell like ammonia.
Yet when these two components are mixed together in the correct way they react to each other chemically and begin to link together and you will find that once the change reaction starts it can not be reversed. Once the reaction has been completed they then form a rigid plastic material.
The great thing about most types of epoxy flooring is that they are very strong and are able to resist all household chemicals as well as being resistant to mechanical shocks as well as being scratched etc. Finally they are easy to both maintain and keep clean as well. Today there are three types of epoxy flooring available and these are shown below.
1. Industrial Floor Epoxy - This is normally thick and shiny and contains no solver or odors. However, it can become slippery when wet.
2. Water Bond Epoxy - This is thin compared to either the industrial floor or rough coat epoxy coating described below. Although it can not hide cracks or flaws in the flooring it is covering it is the most functional as well as being the most user friendly of all three types of epoxy flooring covering. It may in some times be used as a primer prior to the industrial floor epoxy flooring being laid.
3. Rough Coat Epoxy - This is a solvent based epoxy and again is thin but comes with an anti-slip grit mixed into it. Unfortunately this only comes in one color, tan, but it can be used either by itself or with other epoxy floorings.
The most commonly used type of epoxy flooring for the home is the water based version as it probably the easiest of them to use as it is made up both of the primer and/or topcoat and is certainly great for using in garage areas.
For more information on flooring try visiting http://flooring-solution.com, a website that specializes in providing helpful flooring tips, advice and resources to include epoxy flooring and more.
