Are you looking for a way to coat and protect your garage floor? If so, epoxy is a great choice. However, there are many types of epoxy available for coating garage floors. Choosing the best garage floor epoxy depends on several factors, but three of them are commonly used. The more that you know, the better choice that you can make for your garage flooring.
Waterborne Epoxy
As the name implies, waterborne epoxy uses water as the base of its solution. You want to consider this coating if you’re looking for a safe option. It’s pretty easy to apply as a thin coat but requires more coats than other epoxies to get a thick layer. The reason for that is its water base. Most people use waterborne epoxy because it has waterproofing properties.
Solvent-Borne Epoxy
Unlike waterborne epoxy, this coating has a solvent base. Solvent-borne epoxy is one of the first types ever available. Because of its solvent base, however, it has a slightly higher impact on the environment than waterborne epoxy. It contains a number of organic compounds. When it dries and the moisture evaporates, a very hard coating remains on the floor.
You may love solvent-borne epoxy for its cohesiveness or how easy it is to apply. With that said, it can be toxic if you inhale the fumes while it dries. It’s also extremely flammable, so you should keep these facts in mind when you work with epoxy.
Solid Epoxy
This 100-percent solid epoxy does away with fluids as a base. Because of that, there’s no run-off, which avoids the environmental impact that the other two epoxies have. The biggest disadvantage to using solid epoxy is that it’s much harder to apply, especially if you want a thin coat. Homeowners who have never worked with solid epoxy before might want to contact a professional to do it for them.
Using this information about three commonly used types of epoxy, you can make a decision about which one fits your needs the best. While all of them have advantages, it’s important to weigh the disadvantages before you buy.