When it comes to commercial floor coatings, sometimes bare concrete just won't do the trick. Maybe you are looking for a flooring solution that has more durability or maybe you want one that is more high-end and has a quality appearance. When looking for your next floor coatings for your industrial space in Flint, commercial epoxy resin flooring could be the perfect solution for you. Here at Trusty Tread, we understand the needs of our commercial clients and we will work with you, your budget, timescale, and aesthetic needs to install the perfect epoxy resin flooring for your space.
Epoxy resin is derived mainly from petroleum. The way that epoxy molecules are formed means that they can absorb both heat and mechanical stress, which makes the resin durable.
Epoxy resin flooring consists of epoxy resin and a hardener, combined in a precise ratio so that when it cures it will form a hard surface suitable for heavy-duty use. It adheres to the concrete beneath to create a very strong bond which means that a resin coating won't peel or flake away.
More details > What is resin flooring?
The installation process for epoxy flooring is precise and should be completed by a professional, especially for a commercial or industrial space.
The first step to completing a resin flooring project is to ensure that the room preparation is perfect. It is at this stage that many epoxy floors go wrong because any deviation from the ideal circumstances in the room will prevent the epoxy resin from curing as it should. This will affect both the appearance of the resin flooring and also its durability.
The room needs to be in dry conditions because any moisture or dampness will negatively affect the epoxy resin. It also shouldn't be too cold. The ideal ambient temperature should be 20 degrees celsius, including the floor (the resin should be this temperature as well). And there shouldn't be any dirt or dust around that could get trapped in the resin flooring.
Once the room is prepared, the concrete surface needs to be made ready as well. The room needs to be completely sealed. Remember that epoxy flooring is liquid when it is poured onto the floor so if there are any gaps in the walls, including the skirting boards, then the resin will seep out into the next room.
Builders caulk is often used to seal up any gaps in the wall or skirting board and waterproof barriers are used to block up doors.
Concrete floors can often have little dinks and cracks in them and all of these need to be filled in before the resin flooring is poured in. Any imperfection in the concrete floor will show in the finish of the resin flooring above.
Finally, the concrete floors need to be thoroughly sanded and cleaned. Shot blasting is also a good option.
Once the room and floors are prepared then the epoxy resin can be mixed ready for pouring. The exact ingredients in the mix will vary depending on the colours chosen and the finish as well as elements that can make the epoxy resin into safe flooring.
Whatever is used in the mix it is vital that the correct ratio of each element is added and that it is mixed thoroughly using a paddle mixer.
The next step in the process is one where some skill and experience really comes in handy. Pouring the mixture onto the floor of the room may seem like an easy task but the goal of resin flooring is for it to have a perfectly smooth surface and this takes some skill.
The entire room is covered in one go and the person in charge of the installation will go over it using a notched squeegee or hand spreader to ensure that it is completely smooth. Any bubbles that don't pop on their own need to be torched to prevent them from appearing in the final floor coating.
Many resin flooring systems are applied in layers to achieve the desired thickness (a bigger thickness is often necessary for places like garages that will withstand a lot of weight) and each layer needs to fully cure before the next layer is added.
Our expert team of installers in Flint will ensure that your resin flooring is perfectly poured and layered to the desired thickness of your floor.
More details > How thick is resin flooring?
This is a hands-off part of the process and it involves leaving the epoxy flooring alone so that it can release its gas, level out, and harden. It is important to ensure that the room is completely sealed during the curing process so that no draughts can get in and spoil the finish.
As you can see, the process of installing a commercial resin floor in Flint requires skill and experience. We have 10 years experience in installing just these kinds of flooring solutions so we know how to ensure that the final product is completed to the highest standards, the first time.
There are many benefits to epoxy resins as flooring solutions. It is often used on industrial floors but it can also be installed for domestic use, such as in living areas. And there are plenty of reasons why it can be the most appropriate flooring choice for commercial environments. Let's take a look at a few.
The reason why epoxy resin is so often used for industrial floors is that it is highly durable and heavy-duty. It can easily take the knocks inflicted by heavy vehicle traffic and machinery. Which makes it perfect for garages, warehouses, and other industrial resin flooring. But durability is also important for commercial environments.
If your space has a lot of heavy traffic from people walking, such as retail spaces, hospitality venues, and public buildings. It is surprising how much damage can be inflicted over time when lots of people walk over a floor surface, especially ones that are exposed, such as wood or bare concrete.
So flooring solutions that are heavy-duty, hard-wearing, and durable can help to preserve the integrity of your floor coating, and a resin floor will do just that.
Slip resistance is, of course, important for these types of spaces. Resin on its own can be slippery when wet because it is non-porous but adding an anti-slip sealant, such as silica sand, can give it more grip. Our technical team will be happy to talk you through your slip resistance options.
More details > Are resin floors durable?
Resin floor coatings are highly hygienic. They are naturally resistant to bacteria and germs and can withstand heavy-duty sanitising and disinfecting without it causing damage or abrasion. And seamless resin flooring solutions don't have any small gaps, they can be fully cleaned without any pockets of dirt and grime.
This feature makes a resin floor coating suitable for food preparation areas such as commercial kitchens, breweries, dairies, etc.
Again, slip resistance will likely be important in a food preparation area and this can easily be achieved by choosing suitable floor coatings.
More details > How to clean resin floors
Another hallmark of a resin floor coating is that, as well as being hard-wearing, it also has good chemical resistance. Other types of flooring solutions, such as a wood or concrete floor can degrade from contact with high levels of chemicals which many industrial spaces will need to handle.
That epoxy flooring systems can withstand contact with chemicals makes them suitable for laboratories, medical centres, and other scientific spaces.
The comfort of your visitors can be as important as the durability of your floor coating. Resin flooring is a soft and comfortable floor surface. It is slightly elastic so your visitors will feel the quality and comfort of your floor choice with every step.
These coatings are also naturally warm in the winter and cool in the summer making your commercial space a welcome relief for people coming in from the cold or heat.
Health and safety are vitally important in any commercial area. Epoxy coatings create floors that will help you to prioritise the safety of both your employees and your visitors.
If you have specific safety needs, such as slip resistance, we will be happy to work with you to find the ideal resin coatings that will help you to protect the health of everyone in your building.
Epoxy resin flooring is hard-wearing and heavy-duty but it can also make for a very attractive flooring design option. The smooth finish achieved by epoxy resin in and of itself will make your commercial space look refined and sophisticated and you won't see your flooring scratch and degrade. But what you may not know is just how much control you have over the design choices.
There is an almost unlimited choice of colours to choose from and you can even have a bespoke colour and design that is suited to your business. And there is a wide range of finish options available. You can choose from a high-gloss finish to a matte one, and you can also have decorated elements added into the resin, such as glitter and decorative flakes. You can also choose to have a block colour finish or instead have a finish that is marbled or even metallic.
More details > Resin flooring colours & styles
If you don't want a full flow epoxy floor installed but you would still like to make your floor tough and hard-wearing, you could instead opt to use epoxy industrial floor paints. These involve painting on a two-part epoxy layer that can help to protect your industrial floor.
One of the benefits of using industrial floor paints is that the cure time is much shorter than for full epoxy coatings. And it is often usable again within 24 hours of applying the industrial floor paint. This means that the floor paint can be both applied and cured over a weekend, and your space won't need to shut down for too long. In contrast, a full epoxy floor will often mean that the space can't be used for five days to a week and it requires a much greater level of surface preparation beforehand.
With that being said, industrial floor paint of course won't be quite as heavy-duty as a full epoxy floor. They are more medium-duty than heavy. The latter can last for anywhere from 10 years to 40 years depending on how heavy the traffic is. epoxy industrial floor paint, on the other hand, has an estimated lifespan of five to seven years.
Industrial floor paint can, however, protect the concrete floor underneath from foot traffic and medium-duty vehicle traffic for the length of its lifespan and it will also offer heat, chemicals, abrasion, and impact resistance. It is also lower in cost than installing an entire epoxy floor.
You have the same choice in colour and finish with industrial floor paint as you do with full floor coatings. You can have the paint reflect your company colour(s) or choose a finish that is both eye-catching and sophisticated. Industrial floor paint can help to spruce up your space while also being heavy duty enough to protect the concrete floors underneath and keep the area hygienic and resistant to chemicals.
Epoxy floor paint can have features such as anti-slip and UV resistance to make them suitable for a variety of spaces. Some floor paint is water-based whereas others are solvent or oil-based.
Epoxy floor screeds are extremely heavy duty and are suitable for industrial spaces that require an extremely tough and hard-wearing floor surface. They are a highly chemical resistant flooring solution and are also suitable for industries that require their flooring surface to be protected from very heavy vehicles.
Screed is often trowelled on rather than poured and at a much greater thickness than standard epoxy floor coatings.
Polyurethane is a resin flooring solution but it is different from an epoxy coating. Polyurethane is a synthetic resin that is used for flooring coatings and it is also often used as a coating for wood. Some polyurethane floors are water-based whereas others are solvent or oil-based.
The cost of polyurethane resin flooring is higher than epoxy but is generally more tough. It is often used in dairy production spaces because it doesn't degrade in the presence of lactic acid. With that being said, polyurethane is more susceptible to moisture damage than an epoxy coating.
If you are unsure which to choose between an epoxy coating, a polyurethane coating, floor paint, or floor screed, you can get in touch with our technical team who will be able to take you through the pros and cons of each option and how they relate to your company needs.
From finding the right floors to suit you through to the installation process and beyond, here at Trusty Tread, we pride ourselves on making our clients' needs our top priority.
We will be happy to go through our range of coatings, paint choices, and design options with you and we will communicate clearly with you every step of the way in installing your floors. And you will know the cost of the work upfront as well as how long the installation process will take so you will never get taken by surprise.
When preparing for the installation of commercial resin floors in Flint, you should always choose a company that is trustworthy and experienced. At Trusty Tread, we understand all of the pros and cons of the different coatings, paints, and other options available and we also understand the specific needs of clients in different industrial settings.
We are certain we will be able to find a coating that suits your needs, cost budget, and style choices. And one that is heavy duty and easy to maintain. Resin coatings are a great choice for lots of spaces, such as garages, kitchens, retail spaces, and many more, and it is a smooth and attractive surface that is highly customisable with a wide range of colour and finish options.
Commercial resin flooring is renowned for its durability and, with proper maintenance, it can last up to 20-40 years. However, the lifespan might vary based on the volume and type of traffic it experiences.
Yes, commercial resin flooring is relatively easy to maintain. Its seamless nature prevents dust and bacteria accumulation, requiring only regular sweeping and occasional mopping for cleanliness.
Commercial resin flooring is designed to withstand high levels of traffic. Its durability and resistance to wear and tear make it an ideal choice for busy commercial environments.
Yes, in most cases, commercial resin flooring can be installed directly over existing flooring, provided the surface is properly prepared and structurally sound. However, each situation is unique and should be evaluated by a flooring professional.