Choosing flooring for your industrial space will have ramifications for many years to come; choose the right one and you can be worry free for 20+ years, chose the wrong one and you may be losing time and money on unnecessary repairs. For high-traffic industrial spaces, an industrial floor coating applied over-top an existing concrete slab offers a durable, cost-effective flooring option that is easy to maintain and will last many years before needing any attention. The most popular options are epoxy coating or polished concrete, both are similar in terms of durability, and the right one for you will largely depend on the state of your current flooring, and your desired finished product.
Epoxy Floor Coating
An epoxy coating, applied directly over-top your current floors, is a highly efficient and cost effective way to finish your concrete floor to help preserve its integrity and extend its life expectancy. Unlike polished concrete, and the epoxy coating is available in a wide variety of colours and finishes, with optional additives that can increase its strength, provide added traction, offer anti-microbial properties, and incorporate commercial logos. An epoxy coating is also able to self-level to a certain degree, which is beneficial for surfaces that are not completely level throughout.
Polished Concrete
Polished concrete is actually a sealant rather than an industrial floor coating, but acts very similar to epoxy. Polished concrete offers some customization options in terms of gloss or matte finish, and colour options are also available. Unlike an epoxy coating, which is can self-level, polished concrete is simply a thin layer of sealant applied directly over-top a mechanically polished concrete slab. In order for the final product to be even, the floors must be in good condition, or repairs will need to be performed before the sealant is applied.
Both an epoxy coating and polished concrete are highly durable industrial floor coating options; applied professionally they can be expected to last over 20 years before needing any sort or major attention. They are also similarly easy to maintain, regular dry or wet mopping and occasional polishing are enough to keep your floors looking new.
Polished concrete and an epoxy coating are also highly cost-effective when compared with other industrial flooring options. Due to the additional material and labour costs, epoxy is slightly more expensive to install, however as is it is more forgiving towards the condition of your current floors it may actually be a less expensive option in some cases.
