Epoxy and Polyurea Floor Care
A newly installed epoxy flooring system, or a newly installed polyurea system, requires a great deal of care. Both of these systems are extraordinarily durable, but a little care will ensure that these systems last for decades.
Clean up spills right away
This is the cardinal rule of floor covering care.
When engineers and technicians test flooring systems, such as epoxy flooring systems, they use a 24-hour immersion test. Testers typically dip fully cured coatings through a glove of harmful solvents and fluids like brake fluid, gasoline, xylene, MEK, acids, and more. These 24-hour tests reveal which chemicals damage flooring systems. Such tests may reveal “no effect”, “slight softening of the film”, or “film destroyed”.
That said, while epoxies, polyurethanes, and polyureas are tough as nails, there aren’t many coatings on earth that can survive 24 hours in a bath of brake fluid or MEK. The most aggressive chemicals that floor coatings will encounter are MEK, brake fluid, and xylene. On the other hand, almost all epoxies, advanced commercial two-part polyurethanes, and polyureas can easily remove all acids, mineral spirits, oils, and gasoline.
The surest way to ensure the viability and integrity of your flooring system is to clean up spills immediately. When spills are not allowed to linger, even the strongest solvent will never have a chance to stain your flooring system.
Prevent scratches and abrasions.
All floor covering systems are subject to abrasion from contact with hard materials. Generally, car tires do not scratch the ground because car tires are soft. However, harsh tools and dirty boots can dull the surface of your floor by creating minor scratches over time. Never drag things like boxes or cabinets across the floor; carry them or use a hand truck instead.
Refinishing your epoxy or polyurea floor covering
Garage liners can be renewed if necessary, at a much lower cost than the original installation. Of course, refinishing should never be necessary within the first 7-10 years of installing your floor. The refinish process is very simple: a flooring installer can lightly sand the surface with a walk-behind sander or manually with a sanding block on a stick with medium or medium fine sandpaper. Sanding should abrade the surface enough for subsequent coatings to adhere properly, but sanding should not cut through multiple layers of existing coatings. Naturally, any spills must be cleaned up thoroughly.
After light sanding, installers remove all dust and dirt. Thereafter, installers apply a new clear coat top coat (epoxy, polyurethane, or polyurea, depending on the original installation). A refinish coat will in almost all cases be a single coat. Remember, the refinish coat is simply meant to revive the shine of the floor, and one coat usually does the trick.
