You spend more time walking in your home than in your garage. That is why it is possible that you may take your garage floor coating for granted.
Take a few minutes to walk in there now and inspect the floor. Do you see cracks, stains, or anything else that needs work? If you find you feel a little disappointed when you look at it, this is the time to make a change and give your garage floor a much-needed make-over.
You have a few options to fix this. There is polyurea vs epoxy. But what’s the difference?
Let’s dive into a few details to help you decide which is better for your garage floor, but we can guarantee you will go with polyurea. Here is why.
Your Garage is Important
Before we compare the two, let us stress the importance of your garage floor. According to an Impulse Research survey, 55% of Americans will spend one to two hours per week in their garage to do a hobby or another activity. For a home of average size, a two-car garage makes up about 13 to 15% of the overall square footage of the home.
The Wall Street Journal ran a survey that only 11% of homeowners reported they are “satisfied” with their garage and would not wish to improve it. A Peachtree Consulting survey revealed that, in the next two years, over half of homeowners plan to reorganize their garage.
In fact, when you think about it, really great things begin from garages. Amazon, Apple, Disney, Google, and Harley-Davidson are all companies that started in a garage.
Do I Need to Update My Garage Flooring?
Beyond the aesthetic appeal, coating your garage floor is practical because of the protection you get. Concrete is tough, but not invincible. It does not possess superhuman strength.
Cars drive over it, tools drop on it, and so on and so forth. It takes a beating as you can imagine.
If you have a nice coat on the garage floor, it can enhance your property value. Did you know that 80% of home buyers factor in the home’s garage before making a purchase? A nice garage floor coating will reflect well to a potential buyer.
Both Popular Flooring Options
Your garage floor is the hardest working area you have. When not cared for properly, it is more than just the aesthetics, it may be unsafe. The new coating will protect your garage floor for years from future damage.
Polyurea and epoxy coatings are not a paint, but rather coating that acts as a barrier, shielding the floor. They are both popular, but which should you choose? Here are the differences.
Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring is a garage coating that comes in various degrees of thickness. If you want to know about epoxy benefits, one thing is that it can bond well to concrete. Also, it is moisture-resistant and durable, especially if you go with a thicker variant.
As with any material you use for your home, there are a few drawbacks. The color can fade a lot over time, particularly if exposed to sunlight.
This type of coating lacks flexibility, too, which can mean that you may have to make frequent repairs and perform a lot of maintenance because of freezing temperatures and abrasions.
Also, epoxy coating is prone to bubbles and blisters. This can mean that your flooring is weaker in the long term.
Polyurea Flooring
Now, let’s get into the details of polyurea flooring. To begin, polyurea coating is a type of polyurethane that is created from a chemical reaction that involves a mixture of two parts.
Polyurea flooring is beautiful. It is waterproof and impact resistant.
When comparing polyurea vs epoxy, polyurea is very flexible, unlike epoxy. This enables polyurea flooring to withstand extreme temperatures. It does not crack or peel.
Plus, the color will not fade from direct sunlight, which is another one of the polyurea benefits. Further, polyurea is twenty times stronger than epoxy. Even better is that it will last over fifteen years without needing expensive regular maintenance.
Polyurea coating cures fast. It takes a day to process the finish.
There are a couple of downsides, and one is that polyurea settles quickly. The second is that when it does dry, it is slippery. You can compare it to an ice rink if you add snow, water, mud, and oils on top of it.
Polyurea vs Epoxy
When you break down the differences, polyurea comes out as the winner between the two. Since polyurea is more flexible, it has material that moves with the concrete.
Is an earthquake coming? Do not fear!
Additionally, polyurea is more impact resistant than epoxy and much more durable. If you think polyurea is the right choice for you, we agree.
If you are ready to install this new coating, remember that it dries fast. We do not recommend trying it on your own. Hire an expert to help you with adding polyurea coating to your garage floor.
Call Blackhawk Coatings
Doug Larson once said that “A clean basement, garage, and attic are signs of an empty life.” If your garage needs work, then you must be living life to its fullest.
Chances are that you haven’t updated your garage floor lately, and now is the time to do it. Call Blackhawk Coatings for spray-on coatings. We serve Northern Texas.
We provide spray-on polyurea coatings for garages, commercial floors, parking lots, patios, bed liners, furniture, and much more. Call us, email us, or complete our online form today and ask us everything you want to know about polyurea coating.
