Epoxy Floor Coating Systems
Floor Masters Ltd is an Approved Applicator for a variety of epoxy floor coatings. We can assist you in choosing the right epoxy floor system to suit your particular application.
Not all epoxies are created equal and it takes knowledge and experience to know which product suits your needs.
Epoxy resins were first developed around the 1920’s, and have been reformulated and refined in the decades since then. The variations in formulations make epoxy suitable for many different situations. It is very important to match the right product to the site requirements.
We now do more Polyaspartic resin floors (Sparta-Guard) than thin coat epoxy. Polyaspartics have far greater performance characteristics and much faster install and return to use times.
Epoxies offer better heavy impact resistance and self levelling finishes, and do have cost benefits.
There are two very important elements to a successful epoxy floor.
1) Preparation – even the best epoxy floor coatings need to bond well the to substrate. Proper surface preparation (usually diamond grinding or shot blasting, note- acid washing is not an acceptable method of concrete preparation) is required, otherwise the coating will delaminate and break up, flake or peel. If the floor is prone to moisture issues, this must be addressed. We have specific epoxy primers we can use on damp and “green” concrete. N.B. Preparation will normally take about 50% to 80% of the time spent on site.
2) Product – There is no substitute for quality. We never buy based on price alone, you will pay for it down the track (removal, replacement and inconvenience).
Most wall painters are not epoxy floor experts, neither are standard paint manufacturers.
Our suppliers are coating manufacturers through and through. We cherry pick from their product lines to get the best products that meet the requirements of each project.
We have a range of epoxy floor systems to suit any flooring situation, and this means we won’t try to convince you to use a substandard product because it’s all we have.
Epoxy resin floor coatings are made by combining a base resin with a catalyst. Epoxies can be either a water base, solvent base or solvent free systems, with the solvent based product emitting a strong solvent odor. The solvent free systems are virtually odor free. Some epoxies are sensitive to substrate moisture and can not be applied to new floors or floors that suffer from rising damp. It is important to speak to one of our experts to ensure the right epoxy floor systems are specified.
One limitation of most epoxy floor coatings is that they are effected by UV exposure (unfiltered sunlight and certain artificial light) causing them to yellow. This usually does not effect the performance, but can cause visual disappointment. In such cases an aliphatic polyurea or polyaspartic is a better choice.
*some new generation formulations have a much lower tendency to “amber” or discolour, but the chemistry is more expensive.
We have epoxy floor coatings suitable for Garage floors, Commercial kitchens, Mechanical workshops, Food processing areas, Electrostatic safe floors for computer server rooms and electronic component assembly, High chemical resistant floors, High impact floors, Smooth finishes for easy cleaning, coarse finishes for slip resistance. Decorative finishes for showrooms and retail stores, Special products for painting pools (commercial and public)….. the list goes on.
Some of our most popular epoxy floor coating systems
Tuff Floor 51 WB epoxy and urethane systems
Tuff Floor water based resin coating systems from local manufacturer established in 1979.
We have a number of systems built on 3 resin formulations
- Tuff Floor WB Epoxy sealer – a dedicated water based epoxy primer – aids adhesion to the substrate.
- Tuff Floor WB Epoxy 51 – A water based epoxy roll coat with good abrasion and chemical resistance.
- Tuff Floor UR – Water based urethane with higher abrasion and chemical resistance, UV stable.
Tuff floor 51 resin systems provide an economical option and offer great performance on floors that are not under heavy use. Light to moderate use storage areas, warehouses, access ways, ablution areas and small scale food preparation areas to name a few.
*areas subject to heavy use, abrasion, surface impact, or harsh chemicals would be better suited to our heavier duty systems.
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
TufF floor System 03
- Primer - NO
- Roll Coat - Waterbased Epoxy x 2
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Clear - No (only coloured)
- Gloss Level - Semi-Gloss
- Anitislip - Optional
- Durability Rating *3
- *Good for light use areas. great to tidy up floors
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
Tuff floor System 04
- Primer - YES
- Roll Coat - Waterbased Epoxy x 2
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Clear - No (only coloured)
- Gloss level - Semi-gloss
- Anitislip - Optional
- Durability Rating *4
- *same as TF03 with added primer coat. Better adhesion, added thickness
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
Tuff floor System 07
- Primer - YES
- Roll Coat - Waterbased Urethane x 2
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Clear - YES
- Gloss Level - matt or gloss
- Anitislip - Optional
- Durability Rating *5
- *a little thinner than TF04, but urethane has higher abrasion and chemical resistance. UV stable
Tuff Floor 41 Solvent Free Epoxy Floor Coating Systems
Tuff Floor 41 coloured resin coating systems from local manufacturer.
We have a number of systems built on 3 resin formulations.
- Tuff Floor KC Epoxy primer – a dedicated solvent free epoxy primer – aids adhesion to the substrate.
- Tuff Floor LV primer/moisture barrier – A solvent free epoxy primer with hydrostatic resistance for damp floors.
- Tuff Floor 41 Solvent free 100% solids epoxy resin for moderate to Heavy Duty coatings.
Tuff floor 41 resin systems provide higher performance epoxy coatings for floors in moderate to high use situations. More durable roll coats, floors with coarse anti-slip and self level epoxy toppings.
Suitable for heavy warehousing, manufacturing and production areas, food processing, medium duty commercial kitchens, laboratories, wash down areas, internal walkways and traffic areas.
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
TufF floor System 10
- Primer - KC Primer
- Roll Coat - 400Mu TF41 Epoxy + TF UR Urethane top coat
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Clear - No (only coloured)
- Gloss Level - Gloss or matt
- Anitislip - Optional
- Durability Rating *6
- Total thickness - 700Mu
- UV stable - won't discolour
- *Good for areas subject to moderate use, foot and vehicle traffic (light impact), great chemical and abrasion resistance
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
Tuff floor System 12
- Primer - optional (price varies)
- Roll Coat - Tuff Floor 41 Epoxy x 2
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Clear - No (only coloured)
- Gloss level - Semi-gloss
- Anitislip - Optional (price varies)
- Durability Rating *5
- Total Thickness - 700Mu
- *Similar performance as TF sys 10, but without the uV stability
*subject to site inspection
Price is a rough guide, minimum charge will apply *Excluding floor prep
Tuff floor System 13
- Primer - KC Primer
- Thicker Self Level topping - options between 1-4mm (cost variation)
- Coloured - Yes (standard and custom avail)
- Gloss Level - matt or gloss
- Anitislip - smooth, Coarse, Medium or fine (price varies)
- Durability Rating *7-8
- *This system steps up in thickness with options between 1 to 4mm. The thicker the coating, the greater the strength and the higher the price. We also have a range of non slip options. This is an industrial grade coating system
Floor Masters are experts in resin floors. While epoxy may be the right choice for your floor, it also may not be.
We have a number of different types of resins and each has characteristics that better suit different applications and environments. Other factors can also be installation and cure times, especially in the case of projects that require production or business activity to cease until the floors are ready for use again.
See more information here about our other options
Mapefloor 300 epoxy systems
Mapefloor 300 Systems – are a 100% solids (solvent free) coloured epoxy resin coating applied over an epoxy primer. We have variants that are thin, smooth, non-slip or thick and smooth and non slip. A solution for many industries.
One thing to understand with epoxy is that the thicker the coating the more impact resistance the coating has. It offers the concrete more protection. But not all situations require high impact resistance, so matching the system to the use is important.
Granipoxy
Granipoxy – is a unique decorative epoxy floor topping. It is a self levelling smooth speckled floor finish. It is similar to our Sparta-Quartz, but smooth surface (Sparta-quartz is textured).
Floors are properly prepared and primed then a 2-3mm layer of Granipoxy is applied for the finish.
An additional top coat can be applied for greater abrasion and scratch resistance or for a matt finish.
Metallic FX
Metallic FX – is a unique decorative epoxy floor with a WOW factor
Clear cycloaphatic epoxy resin with metallic pigments and introduced effects make every floor special and unique.
Metallic FX floors are great for retail shops, cafe’s, showrooms, garages and funky living spaces.
Effects can be subtle or BOLD.
If you want different – get on board the FX train.
Resin Rustic
Resin Rustic – is a similar system to Metallic FX, but it is about twice as thick and creates a different effect.
Have a Question?
FAQ
Here are some common questions clients ask abut epoxy floors. If you have a different question, please ask us via our quote request or give us a call
This is a hard one to answer. Because there are so many variations of epoxy floor coatings, from thin coatings to 4mm thick floor toppings.
Water Based roll coat systems start at about $15/SqM/Coat (double roll coat $30/SqM). A WB primer coat is about $15/SqM, a Solvent Free primer is about $20/SqM, a Moisture Barrier primer is $40-60/SqM.
Then we have specialist coating such as Metallic Epoxy, Granipoxy, Higher chemical resistant …..
*this does not include surface preparation – a typical prep diamond grind is about $20/SqM, joints, crack, levelling and repairs are additional.
* Smaller jobs will have a minimum charge, all +gst
This does depend on the size of the floor and the full scope of work.
The first step is surface preparation – this is typically diamond grinding, but may require shot blasting, scarifying or bush hammering depending on the coating system.
Typically epoxy is one coat per day, allow to set overnight and next coat the following day.
Epoxy should cure for about 48 hours before light use (foot traffic), 3-4 days before vehicle access and 7 days (full cure) before getting wet or chemical exposure.
*we have other systems like polyaspartic and MMA that allow multiple coats per day and next day use.
- Once again, this is a question with conditional answers. It highly depends on 3 factors.
- .What system was installed? Epoxy can be installed as a very thin coating, or mm thick. The thicker the coating the longer it will last. It’s about matching the coating to the use.
- How is the floor being treated? Impact from dropped objects can damage thin coatings quickly. Dragging of heavy or pointed objects can cause damage. Steel wheels and high heat also cause damage.
- Is the floor kept clean? Dirt, grit and chemicals can cause accelerated wear.
With the above points in mind, a thin coating could last 1-8 years, a heavy duty topping could last 5-30 years.
Most epoxy floors fail due to no, or poor surface preparation. Especially in the residential market, floors are painted by wall or house painters. General painters do not have the grinding equipment to properly prepare concrete floors for coatings.
This does happen quite a bit in commercial and industrial situation too. We often see floor with peeling coatings and the concrete is smooth underneath. N.B. Acid etching is not acceptable.
Moisture is the other very common cause of a failed resin floor. Typically epoxy does not breathe (we have 2 than do), In New Zealand, we have very high humidity and lots of moisture. Many floors do not have an adequate moisture barrier under the concrete. This allows moisture pressure to build up in the concrete and the hydrostatic pressure causes the coating to crack, flake and peel.
We test floors and if required, quote for a moisture barrier. Most companies don’t do this.
Epoxy is a great resin, but it is not right for every floor.
Epoxy can only withstand temperatures to 60 Deg C – no steam cleaning
Epoxy is susceptible to UV discolourtion – light colours will turn amber.
Standard epoxy has good chemical resistance, but not to everything – ask.
Epoxy is hard and brittle, but it will show scuffs and scratches readily (can be solved with a polyaspartic or urethane top coat – also adds higher chemical resistance).
Epoxy does not typically cure at low temperatures – accelerators can be used but they can effect the performance.