Metallic epoxy flooring is quickly gaining popularity among homeowners. It used to be a popular choice for industrial concrete floors – but homeowners started to catch on to the various benefits of epoxy coating. Here are some of the top uses for metallic epoxy flooring today:
Basements and Garage Floors
The basement and garage flooring usually take the brunt of heavy equipment in the house. This is where cars are parked, all the appliances, store all the extra materials, and basically used it for storage. Metallic epoxy flooring is extremely durable and can withstand the impact of heavy items on top. It’s not surprising that epoxy coatings are also used for commercial parking garages. Metallic is highly recommended for epoxy garage flooring.
Schools and Universities
An upgrade to old-school floors, educational institutions are having metallic epoxy installed on top of the existing concrete surfaces. This helps extend the floor’s life while keeping it clean and shiny. With daily foot traffic in the hundreds, schools understand the value of investing in floor coating with excellent wear and tear.
Commercial and Residential Kitchens
The beauty of metallic epoxy flooring is that they’re highly versatile. They can look smooth and seamless but with slight corrugations that prevent slippage. Unsurprisingly, this makes epoxy coatings the perfect choice for kitchens. The spills can quickly create slippery concrete floors but the corrugated epoxy coating can improve the grip and safety of the space.
Showrooms
I find that the mirror-like quality of epoxy flooring after being polished creates a level of sophistication that one can’t just get with hardwood floors. It’s not surprising that car showrooms use this for garage flooring. The cars look tempting reflected on the surface and combined with the durability of the metallic additive, there’s no need to worry about the added weight.
Commercial Gyms
Most commercial gyms come with concrete flooring since this is the flooring that can best withstand the weight of exercise equipment. In most cases, gym owners have to sacrifice style with this approach. Fortunately, epoxy paint floor coatings make it possible to combine both style and durability. The gym looks good with an expanse of impressive flooring that can withstand heavy foot traffic at the same time.
Entryways
Hotels, hospitals, and condominium entryways love to install metallic epoxy on the existing concrete floors since it gives the place a measure of sophistication. Not only that – the epoxy floor is actually very easy to clean. Even with heavy foot traffic, property owners only need a few minutes each day to restore it to its former glory.
Dining Halls
Great venues are the gateway to great events – and it all starts with impressive flooring! I’m always impressed by dining halls with a metallic epoxy surface that somehow creates an old-world expensive appeal. Not only that, but the sleek look of the floor actually helps reflect the light so the whole event looks and feels brighter and more open. Not surprisingly, these features are the reason why I like to use the same flooring in living rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Uses of Metallic Epoxy Flooring
Metallic epoxy flooring is far more durable than concrete flooring alone. It’s been judged to be 800% tougher than a bare concrete floor – significantly extending the useful life of the surface.
Once installed, epoxy floor coatings can extend the life of the floor for up to 20 years. Note though that this estimated lifespan is available only with proper care of the epoxy floors. Fortunately, this epoxy floor coating requires little maintenance and just a few cleanups in between.
No. It will take a lot of force to scratch a metallic epoxy floor coating. Of course, some care is still needed when using the surface.
The installation process itself takes just one or two days to finish. The old floor needs to be prepped though. It usually takes at least one day for us to get the preparation done – depending on the size of the space or garage floor. Preparation is really the most important part of the whole process. If the flooring isn’t prepped right, the coating might chip, fade, or need reapplication.
No. It looks slippery, but I can assure you it’s not! The floor only looks this way because it can reflect light. The truth is that the epoxy floor is slip resistant so it’s perfect for surfaces that tend to get wet – like the kitchen or the gym.
Newly installed flooring needs time to cure. The curing process is affected by different factors like the epoxy installed, the temperature, the airflow, the size of the room, and more. Typically, the curing process is enough around the 18-hour mark. At this point, I can already walk on the surface. However, for best results, I would usually wait up to 72 hours. A full cure happens only after 7 days but there’s no need to wait that long to start using the floor.