One of the flooring options that has proven over the years to be best for all sorts of facilities is epoxy flooring. Right from residential, commercial, industrial, education, and healthcare facilities, epoxy flooring has shown its versatility to be tailored to many different types of conditions and needs. If you’re just hearing about epoxy flooring for the first time, stick with us throughout this post and find out as we unravel everything you might need to know about epoxy flooring. Shall we?
Top 10 Things to Know About The Epoxy Flooring and Coating Business
Here are the top 10 things to know about the flooring and coating business:
1. Epoxy’s Strength is a result of Its Chemical Bond
A polyepoxide resin and a curative are the two parts that make an epoxy coating. These two chemicals are mixed before they are applied to the flooring, and this causes them to bond chemically together and to the floor itself. With this, the coating attains a stronger bond. And with epoxy being durable, it won’t chip or peel off from the flooring surface as long as it is maintained and kept clean.
2. Surface Preparation Is Crucial
In this case, we want to say it is easier to read than done. Reading about the surface preparation of epoxy flooring isn’t enough. What we mean to say, at the very least, is that improper surface preparation could result in epoxy flooring failure almost immediately. One well-known culprit of this failure is moisture. This moisture is related to the high humidity and vapor that weakens the adhesive binds and causes slow curing processes. Hence, a well-carried-out moisture content test is advised before applying the epoxy.
3. Epoxy “Flooring” and “Coating” Has a Difference of 2mm
It is of utmost importance that the epoxy application be at least two millimeters before it can count as “flooring.” And anything lesser than the recommended 2mm is known as an epoxy coating.” Hence, epoxy flooring provides additional structural support, while a coating, on the other hand, simply creates a defensive layer.
4. Epoxy Has a Wide Application
In most cases, epoxy is mainly applied to concrete floors, but it can likewise be used to give a defensive layer to any hard surface, including metal and wood sub-flooring. However, one thing that must be ensured is preparing the surfaces to ensure epoxy bonds properly to the floor.
5. Epoxy Flexible-grade Is Stronger
“Flexible” and “strong” are two different words with different meanings entirely. However, the flexible-grade epoxy has more upper hand than the rigid one in terms of abrasion resistance, hence depicting more strength.
6. Epoxy Floor is Beautiful
When we hear the word “industrial floor coatings,” it may not instigate a beautiful image in our brain, but we want to tell you now that epoxy floors come in diverse colors and effects, each giving a unique vibe. Epoxy is not limited to floors but can also be applied as an epoxy with a metallic sheen to give a bold expression. Likewise, these colors can be applied in diverse ways to create more radiantly colorful patterns that lighten up your office.
7. Epoxy Can Be Used with Different Products
There is close to no restriction on what epoxy can do. It can be applied in various ways, with each standing out now and then. For example, non-slip layers can be added with embedded quartz, and a urethane topcoat can be used to seal off epoxy and make one of the most durable business surfaces accessible.
8. Epoxy Can Be Utilized Outside
Epoxy can also be used in an outdoor environment.
They can be combined with a gravel-like aggregate to produce a durable, attractive, outdoor-ready surface, with the result looking like a rice crispy treat, with hard rock or stones stuck together by an epoxy adhesive.
9. Curing Works With Time
Epoxy tends to seem to “set” rapidly; however, the fact that it appears set doesn’t mean it is ready. 18–24 hours is the minimum time required for proper curing of the epoxy. This is the time it can be walked upon safely without getting affected. It can take at least 30 days before the epoxy flooring is fully cured and takes on its final structure and hardness.
However, in the case of cooler temperatures, the curing process might be slow. As it is done, application in temperatures below 60 °F is not recommended since curing is excessively long in these cases and will cause issues.
10. Epoxy’s End Product Reflects its Price
Less expensive epoxies have just 30% to 40% solids by volume. What we mean by this is that once the product dries, you are left with 40% or less thickness. On the other hand, professional products are ordinarily 90% to 100% solids by volume, leaving you with a superior final product, and a greater amount of it. Another similar point is that you want to cover enough labor costs.
While do-It-yourself might be suitable for your home floors, it is highly risky for your business floors. Hence, hiring professionals who are well-versed in the field might be the right decision for commercial buildings to avoid costly errors or a result that doesn’t look very right.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is owning a Flooring Business Profitable?
Of course, running a flooring business can be profitable, although as an epoxy floor business start up, you can’t expect much at first. Although generally, it greatly depends on certain factors. Some common examples of these factors are market demand, business management skills, competition, the nature of the administration provided, and so on.
The flooring business can be very serious. But the demand surpasses this, resulting in a consistent need for the services, as floors are a fundamental piece of any structure or redesign project. Doing market research before starting your epoxy flooring business venture, it would be a good idea to get in touch with an epoxy flooring marketing agency to gather information about demand and expected profit.
Are Flooring Businesses Productive?
There has been a growth in customer demand in the epoxy flooring business. A report from Grand View Research depicts that the flooring industry should develop at an annual compound rate of 5.6% up to the year 2030. In addition, the expected profit margin in the flooring industry is expected to range from 38% to 45%.
How to Start an Epoxy Floors Business Quickly?
Starting an epoxy floor business won’t be easy at first. Of course, you are required to define your business and your target audience, track down the ideal individuals to work with, and also determine the ideal location for your business. This stage requires consistent, difficult work and dedication, as well as time and money to put resources into the start-up process.
However, to scale these levels, you can search for an epoxy flooring business for sale in your area that has some visibility already. However, if it has been on your mind to start your own epoxy flooring business, you can start now and set your path to attaining financial freedom.
What’s the difference between Epoxy Flooring and Floor Coating?
One of the primary differences between epoxy flooring and epoxy floor coatings lies in the thickness of each kind of flooring material. Epoxy flooring is made essentially out of epoxy materials and contains no less than 2 millimeters of epoxy paint. On the other hand, epoxy floor coating has a thickness of less than two millimeters. Although both flooring styles share a similarity, which is the durability and slip resistance of epoxy.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you have gotten all the information you need about the epoxy flooring and coating business. Is it safe to say you want to start your own epoxy floor business? Or do you want to list your epoxy flooring business for sale? Whichever it is, we want you to know there are a lot of demands for these services; hence, proceed and be profitable. Best of luck!