Oil stains, chemical erosions, abrasions—all are avoidable. With commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City, you can keep your concrete floors in tip-top shape so you can focus less on damaged floors and more on making your company great.
We would say don’t just take our word for it, but at Big Red Decorative Concrete we’ve been in the flooring business for almost 20 years! After countless commercial epoxy coating applications, we’ve found that it does wonders for a variety of industries such as automotive, food, medical, and much, much more.
If you’re still on the fence or simply want to learn more, keep reading for everything you should know about commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City.
What is epoxy coating?
Alright, let’s start with the basics. You can’t decide whether or not you need a commercial epoxy coating if you don’t even know what it is.
Epoxy coating is a two-part chemical mix consisting of an epoxy resin and a hardener. It applies to surfaces as a liquid, but once it cures (when it’s 100% dry), epoxy coating becomes an extremely durable solid. As a result, it’s a great option for countertops, decks, and even concrete floors.
Before you wave it off as “not necessary,” think about this: whenever your concrete floors crack, stain, and start showing signs of wear and tear, what are your customers going to think? You want your floors to shine just as much as your company does. To do so, oftentimes you’ll have to call in for repairs, which takes your focus away from actually getting work done.
We have a better option.
With commercial epoxy coating, not only do you get more durable concrete floors, you also get floors that could last around 10 years (or more!) if they’re taken care of properly. That means no more cracks, no more stains… Just pristine floors for years to come.
No, an epoxy paint is not the same as a commercial epoxy coating.
It may be tempting to go to your local hardware store and pick up a few cans of epoxy paint, but you won’t get the same grade of product as you would with professional, commercial epoxy coating services. Many people believe that epoxy paint and epoxy coating are synonymous, and we don’t blame them. Once the two phrases became associated with each other, manufacturers started using both terms to describe epoxy paint. It’s confusing, we know.
In a lot of cases, but not all, what you find at a store is a paint, meaning it’s a latex acrylic product with some resin in it. Does that mean it doesn’t work? Not necessarily. It will make your floors look better. However at the end of the day, paint is just that— paint. Outside of aesthetics, it’s not going to do much to protect your floors, and you’ll end up repainting your floors over and over again.
That brings us to epoxy paint home kits.
There are times when throwing on those DIY gloves may seem like a great way to save on business expenses. Then there are other times when, in the long run, you may just be wasting your money. On the surface, kits are an easy way to apply a “coating” (we use the term lightly here), and you may even think, “hey, I can turn this into a team bonding activity.”
While we’re all for team bonding, we’re not about spending time on something that won’t give you the results you’re after.
With a low solid content, epoxy kits have a much shorter lifespan than a commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City. Remember, a true epoxy coating can last up to 10 years. On the other hand, kits may only last about 1 to 2 years max.
That’s why we definitely recommend getting an epoxy coating applied by a professional. Professionals have access to high-quality coatings that can ensure you get sleek, protected floors that will actually last.
Still, all epoxy coatings are not created equal.
If you do find an epoxy coating that isn’t paint, keep in mind that quality does matter. Other than price, here are a few ways you can decipher whether or not you’ve gotten a cheap epoxy coating.
Contains a chemical thinner
A cheap commercial epoxy coating may include large amounts of nonylphenol, which is a non-solvent thinner. Because nonylphenol is pretty inexpensive, manufacturers use it to keep the price of their epoxy coatings down.
Has to “sit” before you can apply
Another big sign of a cheap epoxy coating is a required “induction time.” That means the solution has to sit for several minutes after you’ve mixed the resin and hardener.
Has crystallization
Epoxy crystallization isn’t automatically a sign of a cheap coating. Sometimes it just happens, but it’s more likely to happen in cheaper mixes. Factors such as impure additives, moisture, and temperature could all cause tiny specks in your commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City.
If you have a clear resin, crystallization is a lot more noticeable, but in black or filled resins, it’s a little harder to spot. Either way, you should never try to use crystallized resin until you’ve reheated it.
Shows excessive “blushing” after the epoxy cures
Moisture in the air causes a waxy layer to form on the surface of the epoxy coating called blushing. All epoxy coatings have it to some degree, but a cheap coating will have a lot of blushing, causing your floors to not look as appealing.
In addition to cheap epoxies, you also want to decide what percentage of solids you want for your company’s concrete floors. Keep in mind that a higher percentage is harder to apply (but if you hire a professional you won’t have to worry about that).
When we say “percentage of solids”, we mean how much of the epoxy solids will evaporate during the curing process. So a 100% solids epoxy coating will have zero evaporation, meaning all the product you applied stays as protection. On the other hand, with a 50% solids epoxy coating, half of the product will evaporate, reducing how much protection you have in the final result.
The choice is all your own, but if you ever need help deciding what percentage of solids will work best for you, you can always speak to an epoxy expert for help. If you’re in the Kansas City area, feel free to call Big Red Decorative Concrete at 816.734.8930 with any questions or concerns.
Choosing the right commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City
The best way to decide between which commercial epoxy coating is right for you is by getting to know the types of coatings that are out there. By all means, this isn’t a complete list, but the following epoxy coatings are our top picks for bringing our customers the best floors possible.
Epoxy or Urethane Coatings for Garage Floors →
SunVapor Epoxy Coating Systems
The versatility of the SunVapor Coating System makes it great for both low traffic and high traffic areas, and it fights against moisture transmission from the air. Especially in the Kansas City area, moisture fluctuates just as much as our crazy weather does. This year, you could have an extremely dry slab of concrete just to find that next year it’s oversaturated with water.
For those below-grade spaces, such as basement-level offices, the SunVapor system reduces moisture transmission so you have high-quality, reduced-moisture floors.
The system is a three-step process that includes:
- Epoxy vapor primer
- 100% solids vapor epoxy
- 100% solids clear epoxy
SunEpoxy Flooring System
If you’re looking to take your concrete floors to the next level, the SunEpoxy Flooring System adds beauty, value, and easy cleaning—all while protecting your floors against stains, cracks, and other damage.
Designed to withstand years of foot and vehicle traffic, this epoxy system is great for car dealerships, schools, and machine shops.
SunMetal Effects Epoxy Systems
SunMetal Effects combines all the benefits of a traditional epoxy coating system with the flair and elegance of a marble floor. Metallic and reflective effects create an amazingly custom design that’ll transform your basic concrete floors into something that is beautiful, rich, and timeless.
This epoxy system is great to upgrade your office space and will have your employees ooh-ing and ahh-ing all day long. Or you can apply it to your retail space to really up your game.
Bonus: Sunone polyprotic Urethane Coating Systems
For some serious protection, polyaspartic urethane coating systems will become your best friend. They have the same benefits of a traditional epoxy system but take those benefits to the next step.
Polyaspartic urethane coating systems are high impact, heat resistant, and stain resistant. We’ve found that their ideal for industrial kitchens, public restrooms, commercial offices, manufacturing warehouses—truly any place that needs to kick it up a notch.
Discover the best commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City at Big Red Decorative Concrete
When it comes to commercial epoxy coating in Kansas City, don’t you want to give your floors the best treatment possible? At Big Red Decorative Concrete, we serve businesses in the Kansas City metro area on both sides of the stateline, and our results speak for themselves! Our wide variety of epoxy coatings range in color, chip blends, and finishes. We can even add your logo to the floors to really make them your own!
From start to finish, we pride ourselves on having a seamless customer service experience, so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your upgraded concrete floors.