Toledo experiences all four seasons, which means floors need to be durable enough to withstand snow, rain, and heat. Understanding how epoxy flooring works in this environment will help you choose the right option for your home or business. Hence, we’ve provided some common terms pertaining to concrete coatings and definitions to go with them.
Concrete Coatings: Coating Types
The strength of epoxy and related coatings comes from their ability to chemically bond with substrates, offering superior protection.
- Epoxy Coating: Epoxies are high-build (read “thick”), slow-curing coatings that create a strong chemical bond with concrete substrates. Consequently, epoxies are excellent primer/direct-to-concrete coatings. Although they can also be used as color and top coats, they’re not UV resistant (they tend to amber and fade over time), so best kept for use in interior spaces. However, in Toledo, using a moisture-mitigating epoxy as the direct-to-concrete primer for a garage floor is an excellent choice (as long as the epoxy is then covered with a full-flake spread). Moisture-mitigating epoxy primers help protect garages (and basement floors) from moisture vapor transmission that wicks up through concrete.
- Polyaspartic Coating: Polyaspartic coatings (also called polyureas) cure quickly and provide extreme UV and chemical resistance. Hence, these coatings are a great choice for outdoor spaces or garages in Toledo that deal with e.g., sunlight exposure and staining from automotive fluids. Unfortunately, polyaspartics can only be applied thinly and cure quickly in the presence of moisture. Hence, these coatings are poor direct-to-concrete primer coats. They tend to delaminate in time. (Albeit, this doesn’t stop the “1-day” installers from using them as primers!)
- Polyurethane: Often used as color coats or top coats for outdoor spaces, i.e.. patios or walkways, providing flexibility and excellent UV resistance. However, they provide poor resistance to “hot-tire” staining, and should not be used in garages.
Concrete Coatings: Environmental Adaptations
The varying seasons in Toledo require floors that can handle everything from winter snow to summer heat. These environmental factors play a significant role in the performance of epoxy and polyaspartic coatings.
- Moisture Mitigation: In a region that experiences significant snow and rain, moisture mitigation is key. Ensuring that floors are protected from water vapor helps prevent damage like peeling or bubbling.
- Freeze-Thaw Durability: With Toledo’s cold winters, it’s essential that floors can handle the freeze-thaw cycle without cracking. Epoxy and polyaspartic coatings are both designed to resist damage caused by expanding and contracting moisture.
Concrete Coatings: Practical & Aesthetic Enhancements
Epoxy coatings can also be customized with various decorative options, providing both style and practicality for Toledo homes and businesses.
- Flake System: Adding decorative flakes into the epoxy primer coat gives the floor depth and texture. The presence of flakes does provide some added slip resistance, ideal for wet or snowy conditions in Toledo. (However, in Toledo, an anti-skid aggregate should be added to the final clear coat to ensure a safe, anti-slip surface).
- Mica Flakes: For those looking to add a touch of luxury, natural mica mineral stone can be added to the flake blend. Mica provides a more reflective finish that’s both durable and light- (and eye-) catching. Hence, this option is popular in commercial spaces and high-end garages.
Conclusion
If you’ve come across phrases like garage floor paint or concrete paint, they’re literally paint that just goes on concrete (and thus not a legitimate flooring option, just paint), or they’re used informally to describe epoxy flooring solutions. People call it “paint” because the application process can resemble painting. However, epoxy coatings go much deeper by bonding directly to the concrete.
Toledo’s climate demands floor coatings that can handle everything from freezing temperatures to wet conditions. Understanding these key terms will help you select the right epoxy or polyaspartic coating for your space, ensuring both durability and style throughout the seasons.