Epoxy vs Polished Concrete Flooring
When refurbishing a commercial business premises, it can be tricky and time consuming ensuring you choose the best flooring type for your space. Before making a decision, you should always weigh up the pros and cons of all your options. Here, we look at epoxy flooring vs polished concrete including their benefits and drawbacks.
Epoxy Flooring
Cons
The biggest disadvantage to resin based flooring is that it doesn't tend to have a long lifespan. Heavy footfall and wear and tear can easily damage the material, which also doesn’t make it a good choice if it’s likely heavy items will be dropped onto it. This means every so often, you’ll need to lay a new coat to keep a fresh appearance. The flooring may also need repairing if you notice cracks forming on the surface, as these usually lead to much larger outbreaks very quickly.
Although this flooring type is resistance to liquids, it can become slippery when wet, which can be a huge risk factor, especially in commercial settings. If spillages are likely to happen, epoxy probably isn’t the best choice. If you do plan on laying epoxy flooring, expect to put in time and effort to make it safe. The existing surface has to be perfectly prepared beforehand, it can take many days to dry and usually requires many coats. You should also be cautious of the fumes it emits and will need to buy appropriate safety equipment and chemicals. If epoxy flooring isn’t laid properly, it can lead to all sorts of issues and unlikely to last very long before showing signs of damage. You may want to spend that extra money to hire a professional.
Pros
The first obvious advantage is the appearance of the material. It provides any space with a bright, clean look which is perfect for commercial premises, bringing a very professional feel. Not only this, but the smooth surface makes it very easy to maintain. Epoxy is also highly resistant, even with the most difficult to clean substances, like oil, the coating stays undamaged. It hosts heat and water resistance too. The cleanliness of epoxy doesn’t stop at it’s appearance; the material is also resistant to bacteria so provides a more sterile environment. Resin based flooring provides durability; the only other material to beat it in that category is concrete. This means it has a long life span, and with it being a pretty cheap material too, you’re sure to get your money’s worth. To feel the benefit all of these advantages, you should make sure this flooring is correctly installed, which is low in cost too. Epoxy allows you to immediately improve the atmosphere of a home or work space, without the huge expenses. You can choose from a variety of patterns, designs and colours to fit with any look. It’s also handy to know that if you are looking for flooring for a work space, this material reflects light from its surface creating an added safety feature.
Polished Concrete Flooring
Cons
Cracks can be a big issue for polished concrete, as well as epoxy flooring. If it’s not properly sealed and fitted, moisture can penetrate the surface and lead to cracks forming and can cause mould to form. During temperature changes, contract contracts and can be another cause of cracks appearing on the surface. Although there are ways to repair cracks, it can be extremely difficult to match the exact colour and texture of the primary surface. Polished concrete requires regular maintenance and will need to be re-polished over time.
Pros
Polished concrete is becoming more and more popular in both commercial and residential settings, mainly due to the wider variety of appearances becoming available. You don’t need to spare huge expenses when it comes to maintenance; soapy water will do just fine instead of the need to purchase specific cleaners. It is also provides cleanliness as it doesn’t allow for dust to collect, like in carpet. Another added benefit is that polished concrete is more sustainable than concrete due to manufacturing, transporting and installing processes.
Generally, due to the shiny appearance polished concrete gives, it would be easy to imagine the surface is extremely slippery. However, when clean and dry it is just as slip resistance as many other standard flooring types and provides more resistance than many other polished or waxed floor surfaces. You can also purchase anti slip coatings to apply to polished concrete to further reduce the risk of slips, even on wet surfaces. It is important, as with any flooring type and especially in a commercial premises, to frequently hire a professional to carry out a slip test. This ensures that your flooring is always at it’s safest for users, and for a business you have a duty of care by law to provide this.
For more assistance on choosing the right flooring type for your needs, and guidance on slip resistance testing, contact the helpful team at National Testing today.