How does cementious urethane flooring compare to epoxy resinous flooring?

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing an industrial concrete coating product. Two of the most commonly used products are cementious urethane floor surfaces and epoxy resinous coating products.

While every flooring situation is unique, how do the two products stack up in a side by side comparison? Surface Solutions Inc. an independent flooring contractor located in Indianapolis, IN has extensive experience with both applications and has determined cementious urethane to be the superior flooring application.

Surface Solutions through careful evaluation of a number of key factors has formulated a list of ten clear advantages cementious urethane holds over epoxy resinous surfaces.

Service Condition

Cementious Urethane

Epoxy Resinous

Corrosive Environment
  • Unmatched resistance to corrosion, inorganic and organic alkalis and solvents
  • Low Porosity of 0.5%
  • Fair resistance to some acids
  • Porosity is dependent upon seal coat
Physical Properties
  • High compressive strength
  • High flexural strength
  • High bond strength
  • High compressive strength
  • Good flexural strength
  • Good bond strength
Abrasive, non-slip and impact resistance properties
  • Excellent abrasion characteristics
  • Excellent non-slip
  • High impact performance
  • Fair abrasion characteristics
  • Fair non-slip performance
  • Fair impact performance
Thermal Stability
  • Wide range of thermal tolerance          (-50° to 220°F in same area)
  • Will handle live steam
  • All epoxies top out at 170° F
  • Cannot handle thermal shock
  • No live steam
Concrete Compatibility
  • Compatible thermal performance with concrete.
  • Few is any expansion joints needed

 
  • Thermal performance not compatible with that of concrete
  • Expansion joints required
Water ToleranceGood water tolerance, can be laid on 7-10 day old concrete where water content is below 5%Not water tolerant
ApplicationOne step placement

 

  • No reinforcement
  • No sealers
Open profile

 

  • Requires primer
  • Requires body coat
  • Requires sealer
  • Requires grout
Down timeInstalled flooring back in full service within 12 hoursEpoxy requires a minimum of 48 hours cure time.   Up to 7 days required for full benefits
Installation Hazards
  • Odorless
  • Non-toxic
  • Non-Dermatic
  • Non-tainting
  •  
Epoxy systems usually contain solvents and allergies can develop in field installers
CostPrice competitive with good toppings.  Can be up to ½ less than cost of brick or tileSimilar to cementious urethane systems with high-end epoxy systems however is more labor intensive

Surface Solutions is an independent industrial floor contractor specializing in seamless, polymer flooring systems. From epoxy flooring systems for the manufacturing industry to urethane concrete flooring systems (BASF UCrete) for the food and beverage industry to MMA for the pharmaceutical industry, Surface Solutions utilizes the most advanced materials and the most trusted brands in the industry.

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