Did you know 63% of all housing units have either a garage or carport?
Does your garage receive frequent foot traffic and vehicle use? If so, then you should consider adding a floor coating.
The choices for garage floor coatings seem endless. Polyaspartic vs polyurea vs epoxy: which one is best?
Polyurea and Polyaspartic
Polyurea is a polyurethane subgroup and is a two-part component mixing resin with a catalyst to cause the curing reaction that hardens.
Because polyurea is 98% solids, it is much stronger and more flexible than epoxy. The coating will accommodate expansion, contraction, and movement within your garage floor concrete without cracking due to its elasticity.
Some more polyurea benefits include:
- Resistant to damage from ultraviolet light
- The second layer prevents moisture from causing damage
- Cures extremely fast
- Leaves fewer bubbles while hardening
- Great-looking finish that is stain-resistant
- Resistant to scrapes, extreme temperatures, and most chemical corrosion
You have plenty of flexibility when applying a polyurea coating because you can apply it anywhere between 30°F to 140°F. After the floor is prepped, they apply the primer or color coat and a clear protective layer.
If you need a longer cure time for a more manageable application, you can use polyaspartic, an aliphatic polyurea. It takes a couple of hours to dry but has a pot life of 5 to 20 minutes.
In most cases, your garage will be ready for foot traffic in four to six hours, and within 24 hours, it’s ready for your vehicle!
Typically, freshly coated polyurea floors are ready for foot traffic within 4-6 hours. It is vehicle-ready within 24 hours.
Epoxy
An epoxy concrete coating is typically what people look for when trying to find a coating for their garages. In fact, there are numerous epoxy floor coating options out there.
The most popular epoxy coating is a water-based epoxy that is easy to apply and offers a great shelf life. You can apply this type just like paint and it’s often referred to as epoxy paint.
Despite its ease of application, this type of garage floor coating is not as durable as other options. These epoxy coatings aren’t as resistant to stains and chemicals and are at risk for hot tire lift.
However, if you’re looking to save a few bucks, these are pretty cost-effective.
If you need an option that is more resistant to stains and other concerns, there is a high solid epoxy you can look into. This is a commercial-grade epoxy, and the coats are much thicker and more durable.
You can choose various color options, but you will probably want to add a clear topcoat if you choose to go with epoxy coating.
What’s the Verdict on Polyaspartic vs Polyurea vs Epoxy?
Were you able to figure out what we think the right choice is for polyaspartic vs polyurea vs epoxy?
We think polyurea coatings are the way to go. Garage Force offers polyurea garage floor coatings about 20 times stronger than your typical epoxy coatings.
Are you ready to get started coating your garage? Contact us today, and your garage will be ready in no time!