What Is Epoxy Paint Used For?

Looking for a little extra shine when it comes to your floors? Epoxy paint is an excellent choice for covering garage, basement and patio floors. Epoxy coating uses a chemical mix of two liquid components, epoxy resin and hardener, to create a tough, solvent-resistant finish that can be applied to floors, countertops and decks. Many types of epoxy are noted for their durability and can be used to seal concrete floors, steel and other industrial materials.

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Epoxy paint and epoxy floor coating are terms that are often used interchangeably. If you were to buy an epoxy paint to use as a floor coating at a home improvement store, you may see both the two terms used on the can or kit. (Another term you may see is epoxy sealant.)

Paint companies may also sell their own proprietary epoxy paint. Epoxy coating isn't technically a paint, even though the name may be used. Straight epoxy paint will contain both acrylic paint and epoxy in the mix, sometimes called 1-part epoxy. The acrylic formula can allow for customizations in coloring, and this type of epoxy paint dries like regular paint. The epoxy component is attributed to the paint's resistance to chemical stains on the floor like gasoline or oil, so it's often used on garage and workroom floors.

Epoxy coating uses a mix of two separate components to coat your floor. Kits bought at the hardware or home improvement store will have you mix one part epoxy resin with a polyamine hardener. Unlike epoxy paint, this mix will cure instead of dry. A concrete floor will benefit from this hard curing because the process seals the porous concrete. The resin gives the floor a shine, and an epoxy floor coating protects the floor from stains, spills and scratches.

Ready for a floor refresh? Epoxy paint formulated for garage floors comes in a variety of colors to add a bit of personality to a standard garage. From metallic blues to clean, fresh creams to neutral tones of gray, applying an epoxy paint to your floor can not only brighten the space but also protect it from tire marks, oil stains, spills, scuffs, peels and cracks.

An epoxy concrete floor made from a mix seals and adds extra shine. The same can be applied to a basement floor to prevent abrasions and to stand up to any lingering moisture in the space since epoxy paint is moisture resistant. Using epoxy paint in the kitchen protects your countertops from stains from tomato sauce, coffee and other spills.

The amount of epoxy will affect how scratch resistant an epoxy floor coating can truly be. Thicker epoxy coating uses a mix with resin and hardener that prevents scratches when something heavy is dropped on the surface. Epoxy paint with a lower epoxy mix may still show scratches given the right amount of force or sharpness of the object.

Compared to tile, wood or other flooring covers, an epoxy floor coating is considered the most scratch resistant. High traffic areas, outdoor spaces, decks, workspaces and areas with lots of moisture like pool floors or saunas are excellent candidates for epoxy floor coatings because of its scratch, moisture and abrasion resistance.

Depending on the size of your space, an epoxy floor coating kit or an epoxy paint is an inexpensive flooring option that lasts for years. Epoxy paint can cost as little as $30 a gallon, which is enough to cover a few hundred square feet of space. Compared to floor tiles that can range from a few cents to tens of dollars per tile, epoxy paint is much cheaper.

The benefits of an epoxy floor coating outweigh tile as well; an epoxy paint is tougher, stronger and more durable than a standard tile. While an epoxy concrete floor is hard to damage, tiles can eventually warp or break. The only downside to epoxy coating is that it may yellow over time depending on how clear the resin is and how much exposure to the sun the floor experiences. This mainly affects clear and off-white epoxy coatings, not epoxy paint.

You can find lots of options to choose from at Home Depot, Lowe's, or even Amazon.