K and A Coatings Frequently Asked Questions

Epoxy flooring offers several benefits over alternative floor systems. It has a low lifecycle cost and thanks to its longevity and durability, it’s easy to maintain. Unlike many commercial systems, it never needs to be polished or waxed. It doesn’t even require special care instructions aside from mopping and sweeping. 

Additionally, it’s one of the few floor systems strong enough to withstand even the most demanding factory and commercial settings without deteriorating. Thanks to its attractive design options, it can be used in commercial settings as well as in your home.

The longevity of epoxy flooring depends on the quality of the epoxy product, how well the concrete is prepared to ensure a strong bond, where the epoxy is installed, and how well it’s maintained. 

Professionally installed epoxy floor coatings can last up to 8 years in harsh industrial environments with adequate protective measures and care. In low-demand commercial settings, epoxy flooring can last longer. 

Garage and basement epoxy has even been known to last up to 20-25 years as long as a new clear topcoat is added every 5 to 7 years or so.

No matter where it’s installed, epoxy floor coatings have a lot to offer. 

Garage floor epoxy withstands heavy-duty wear and tear including heat, extreme cold, road salt, gas and oil spills chemicals, abrasion, impact, and vehicle traffic. You can isolate spills on the surface for fast and safe cleanup and it has a slip-resistant surface when wet but skid-resistant additives can also be added. The seamless and nonporous surface protects your concrete from damage, stops moisture from seeping up through a concrete floor in a basement, and can last 10-20 years when installed by professionals on prepped concrete.

There is very little maintenance required for epoxy flooring and it's easy to clean with sweeping and mopping. Even pressure washing is possible in industrial settings with cove protection. Additionally, it increases the brightness of the floor to make any space look larger and brighter. USDA approved, the seamless surfaces can be used in commercial kitchens, public restrooms, and more. Epoxy flooring may increase the value of your home, too. It's also easy to customize the look of epoxy with endless colors and design effects.

Epoxy flooring has many uses in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. 

In Columbus homes, it’s frequently used in the garage and basement, but it can also be used to cover concrete floors anywhere on the main living floor. A wide range of commercial and industrial settings can also benefit from an epoxy floor coating. 

Popular applications for epoxy flooring include grocery stores, retail stores, and food service settings such as commercial kitchens, processing plants, factories, and warehouses. Epoxy flooring is also used in medical facilities such as physician offices, veterinarian offices, and hospitals, public safety buildings and correctional institutions, breweries and distilleries, hotel lobbies, and bars and clubs. It's also found in office buildings and auto shops and showrooms.

An epoxy concrete coating is actually one of the most practical flooring solutions available for your basement. It won’t suffer from mildew, mold, or warping due to moisture problems, unlike carpet, laminate, and hardwood. Epoxy is commonly used to seal concrete and waterproof a basement floor to stop moisture from coming up through your basement floor. It’s also a cost-effective way to transform an unfinished basement into a usable living space.

One of the most unique benefits of epoxy flooring is that it dramatically increases floor brightness while stopping concrete dusting. Your basement will look brighter, larger, and cleaner instantly. You can customize the appearance of basement epoxy to get any look you’re going for from solid colors and neutral epoxy flake flooring to sophisticated metallic epoxy that adds movement and depth to the floor. Epoxy flooring even offers a long-term solution to basement flooring with a seamless and durable surface that can last up to 20 years.

Epoxy flooring comes in many varieties, both in terms of the formula and its appearance.

Self-leveling epoxy is the most common type of epoxy flooring. It's easy to level and create a smooth surface in office buildings, garages, and other settings. 

100% solids epoxy is the most durable form of epoxy and can last up to 20 years even in the face of heavy abuse. DIY garage kits, by comparison, may be only 30-40% solids and only last a couple of years at the most. 100% solid epoxy floor coatings cure into a solid and durable surface with a layer up to 2mm thick. 

Water-based epoxy coatings are useful in some applications, but they work more as sealers and primers because they spread thinly and do not offer the durability of 100% solids epoxy. 

Epoxy mortar flooring is the most durable type of epoxy available. It’s made up of 100% solid epoxy with ground quartz. Mortar epoxy is best used in industrial settings where extreme chemical resistance and impact resistance is needed.

Quartz epoxy combines epoxy polymer resins and colored quartz for a decorative floor system that’s also sanitary and durable. 

Metallic epoxy floor system anti-static epoxy, also known as electrostatic charge (ESD) epoxy, is a type of epoxy made with a conductive compound that holds static electricity that dissipates any discharge. It’s used in areas containing flammable materials and sensitive electronics. 

Epoxy flake flooring is a type of epoxy concrete coating that uses colorful epoxy flakes to add a multi-colored and textured effect to your epoxy floor. These flakes offer a skid-resistant surface and come in a huge array of colors and textures. 

Metallic epoxy flooring creates a one-of-a-kind visual effect thanks to metallic pigments in the epoxy. They are agitated in various ways before the epoxy cures. The end result is a floor with the illusion of depth and movement that may resemble lava, flowing water, lightning, smoke, or marble.

Garage floor epoxy is an excellent application for epoxy flooring. It’s a surprisingly affordable way to stop concrete dusting and give your garage floor an attractive, low-care floor system that can resist stains and damage from gas and oil spills, dropped tools, hot tires, moisture, and other perils. With garage epoxy, you can finally use your garage for anything you’re imagining such as a personal workshop, clean storage space, or even a fitness center. Garage floor epoxy also offers an excellent return on investment and may help boost your home’s value.

The amount of time necessary to professionally install an epoxy flooring system depends on the size of the floor area and the condition of the concrete. Prepping the concrete typically takes more time than the epoxy installation itself. Professional garage floor epoxy usually takes just 1-2 days. For large areas and custom epoxy designs, it may take several days to install the floor system. In commercial and industrial settings, we can use a fast-cure epoxy formulation to reduce downtime.

An epoxy concrete coating is actually very affordable, especially in terms of garage epoxy flooring. Even commercial epoxy in large facilities can be much more affordable than alternative floor systems. In addition to an affordable upfront cost, epoxy flooring requires no expensive maintenance and it can last up to 10 years or much longer to deliver a low lifecycle cost.

Absolutely. In fact, epoxy floors were developed for use in commercial environments that are subjected to heavy wear and tear. Commercial epoxy flooring can withstand forklift traffic, constant foot traffic, chemical spills and moisture, cart wheels, heavy loads, and more without showing its age or deteriorating. It’s attractive enough for areas open to the public yet strong enough for areas in which forklifts and heavy machinery are used.