Gone are the days when the garage used to be a bonus space where homeowners would dump stuff they no longer use but don’t want to throw away. Nowadays, it’s an integral part of the modern home and can be used as a utility room, a workshop, or even a hangout space. But to make it more than just a designated parking space, you ought to add a little style and color to it.
One easy way to do so is by replacing the current, worn-out concrete floor with garage floor epoxy. Below is a review of the different types of epoxy floor coatings, which will help you make the best decision easily.
Water-Based Epoxy
Commonly referred to as waterborne epoxy, this is the most popular option when it comes to garage floor epoxy. It is incredibly easy to apply and rolls on smoothly, like paint. That is why most manufacturers will often advertise it as paint.
Other than ease of application, water-based epoxy has a longer pot life. It means you don’t have to rush during the application. Additionally, it is gentle on your budget. Water-based epoxy is the ideal choice if you like getting things done by yourself.
However, even though it rolls on smooth and has a beautiful glossy finish, water-based epoxy isn’t as durable as other options. The bright side is that you can enhance its durability using a multi-coat of clear epoxy as the topcoat.
100% Solid Epoxy
This type of epoxy coating does not contain any water or solvents. Thanks to that, it is often much thicker. It is much durable and boasts of better resistance to abrasion and chemicals than water-based epoxy. However, note that how thick your epoxy floor turns out depends on the brand — but you should expect a thickness of at least ten mils.
Apart from excellent durability and resistance, solid epoxy also comes in an array of colors. It gives you options as you can go for the one you feel suits your personality and garage space the best. However, it is more expensive than the latter, and due to its thickness, it doesn’t roll on easily. Therefore, it isn’t DIY friendly. It also has a short pot life and has to be applied within 30 to 40 minutes after mixing.
Clear Epoxy
Also referred to as topcoat epoxy, this type of epoxy is often used to enhance the durability of single coat water-based or solid based epoxy. But other than strengthening single coat epoxies, it has a much shinier appearance. Most people will often use it to create a smoother and glossier finish on their garage floors. It is also pretty easy to apply.
Premium Multi-Coat Epoxy System
This type of garage floor epoxy is like the mother of all epoxy coatings. It contains a primer coat, colored paint chips, and a solid basecoat. Depending on the manufacturer, you can even come across a premium multi-coat epoxy coating with topcoats of clear epoxy. Since it contains a primer, a premium multi-coat epoxy product will usually have a thinner consistency making it easy to apply. But as you would expect, this type of floor epoxy is the priciest.
Although 80% of American homeowners have a garage in their homes, it is usually messy and neglected. But yours doesn’t have to be — bring it to life using any of the garage floor epoxy options listed above.
