The subject of a polyurethane or epoxy coating for a garage floor eventually comes up when deciding on what materials to use for your project. Admittedly, it can become a bit confusing when asking around or researching which floor coating is best to use.
Epoxy and polyurethane are great for protecting your garage floor against stains, damage, chemicals, oils, and wear. They are both light reflective, easy to clean, and long lasting. They also have their own advantages depending on the application.
So which one should you use and what is the difference? Well, the short answer for most applications is to use both. Let’s see why.
Epoxy Floor Coating Benefits
Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer coating that also acts as a concrete sealer. It is available in three different formulations; water based, solvent based, and 100% solids. These formulations allow for varying degrees of thickness from 3 mils to over 10 mils for a single coating. They can also dictate the ease of application, provide special bonding characteristics, and offer different VOC considerations.
Epoxy bonds extremely well to properly prepared concrete. It is sometimes used as a resurfacing agent for old or worn concrete and as a repair material for concrete cracks, pitting, and other surface repairs.
The best epoxy formulations are high solids to 100% solids. They are an extremely hard, thick, and impact resistant surface. This self-leveling thickness contributes to filling in the small hairline cracks and imperfections of the surface as well as providing a high build coating for protection.
They also work well against hot tire pick up and wear from abrasion. Though some epoxy formulas come with U.V. inhibitors, they will still eventually yellow or amber as the industry calls it when exposed to sunlight for any length of time. This is something to consider when choosing an epoxy garage floor coating.
Polyurethane Floor Coating Benefits
Like epoxy, polyurethane is a thermosetting polymer and considered a high performance coating. It is commonly known as urethane for short, though that it is technically incorrect. There is actually a big difference between polyurethane and urethane. If someone is advertising a urethane coating, it is actually polyurethane.
Of the different formulations available, aliphatic polyurethane is the desired choice for garage floors. Though they are approximately 60% to 70% solids depending on the manufacturer, a polyurethane coating is only about 2 to 3 mils in thickness. It can’t be applied any thicker in one application as some epoxy coatings can.
Don’t let the thinner dry film thickness fool you, however. Aliphatic polyurethane has more flexibility than epoxy which makes the surface much more scratch resistant. It also aids in absorbing impacts better and provides much higher abrasion resistance. In fact, some manufacturer’s claim that the wear resistance of polyurethane over epoxy is almost 3 to 1.
Polyurethane also has a higher resistance to chemicals than epoxy. This includes resistance to petroleum products and solvents, such as methylene chloride, which is the primary ingredient in paint stripper.
Another advantage of polyurethane over epoxy is that it is U.V. stable. This means that it won’t yellow like epoxy does when exposed to small amounts of sunlight over a period of time. It can also tolerate larger temperature swings and handles humidity much better.
Polyurethane concrete coatings have a very glossy finish, though some brands have the option of a satin finish. It is also a better medium than epoxy to mix in anti-slip aggregate if you want an anti-slip surface.
Despite the fact that polyurethane has many advantages over epoxy, it does not bond well to concrete. Its thin dry film thickness means that it is not a high build coating either. It will not work well to fill in small cracks and divots in the surface. Another consideration is that most polyurethanes are solvent based, meaning some can have high VOC’s and may not be shipped to your state or to particular counties.
Final Verdict
So, which should you use? As a rule, you will get maximum performance by using both polyurethane and epoxy together for your garage floor coating. Whether you are applying the coating yourself or hiring a professional, epoxy is best used for building up the thickness of your floor coating and providing color. You would then follow up with polyurethane as a clear coat to protect it. The clear coat will provide for a longer wearing and more scratch resistant surface.
If you don’t want to worry about yellowing at all, one option is to apply a full color flake floor. The acrylic color chips are U.V. stable and will not yellow. Follow up with a couple coats of clear polyurethane over the chips and yellowing will never be a problem.
Another option is to apply a colored polyurethane over an epoxy primer. You can then apply a clear polyurethane over that. This is an excellent choice for those that want a floor without color chips.
Something else to consider is that most epoxy clear coats are not actually crystal clear. Though they may be clear in color, there is still a slight tint to the coating. Polyurethane on the other hand is considered water clear. It can provide a very clear and glossy surface that gives your floor depth.
So unless you are just doing a one-coat epoxy coating for your garage, a combination of epoxy and polyurethane is almost always the best answer to get the maximum combined benefit out of both materials. The result is a high performance garage coating that will stand up to the rigors of a working garage for years to come.
Scott says
Extremely informative and well-written articles on this site. Thank you for putting it together!
My question relates to the UV properties of polyurethane and “glow in the dark” paint chips in the epoxy. Essentially, if I use glow in the dark paint chips, will a polyurethane topcoat block UV and effectively keep the paint chips from “charging?” As I’ll be using the garage as a wood shop, and dragging heavy tools across it frequently, I know I want to use a polyurethane topcoat. While glow in the dark chips would be cool, I want to be sure I don’t waste my money on them if they won’t work because of my topcoat.
Shea says
Thanks Scott and great question! Most people don’t think it all the way through like that but no worries, the “glow in the dark” paint chips will work just fine with a polyurethane top coat.
Zoe says
We have painted our concrete living room floor and applied a stencil. We used a concrete cleaner before we painted. We used latex paint for both the full coat and the stencil. We are looking for a product that we can apply over the top to seal the paint on the floor that is clear and durable enough to last for a long time (we have put a lot of effort into this floor and don’t want it to mess up and need to be redone anytime soon!) Will a water-based polyurethane suit this purpose well? Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Shea says
Hi Zoe. Water based polyurethanes are really your only option to use over latex paint and even then, some manufactures only recommend using it on wood. Latex paint is not a good base coat for a clear floor sealer and you will need to prep the paint with fine sanding before application as well. We recommend calling the customer service tech lines of some of the big water based polyurethane manufacturer’s and ask if their product will work for your floor.
Debi says
Hi,
I clean a commercial building that has 20,000 sq ft of Epoxy/polyurethane I’m having a hard time removing fork lift tire tracks and spin out black marks without ruining the finish. What should I use for heavy tire tracks and scuffs.
Thanks for your help.
Shea says
Hi Debi. Read this post about removing tire marks from epoxy coated floors. It provides a few recommendations plus a product designed just for tire marks.
Tom says
Hi Shea, All,
Really nice and useful website. I had one question. I have used Rustoleum 2 part epoxy Garage Floor kit in my basement and put the flakes on it. Now I want to put a clear top coat on it for shine and protection (flakes etc). Looking at this thread, it seems like doing with urethane based clear coat would be good.
But can I apply any urethane based clear on Rustoleum 2 part epoxy painted basement ? Apparantly when I called Rustoleum, they said to use only Rustoleum 2 part epoxy kit for clear to do this. And talking to few other folks, some seems to say you can only use same brand while other says you can use any urethane based clear. So kind of lost here, I am novice at some of this anyway 🙁
I was thinking of using Clear-Seal from Seal-Krete available on Home Depot for doing clear coat on my Rustoleum 2 part epoxy painted basement. Do you think that would work or might be a problem ?
Also should I turn off all might pilot from furnace / water heater while applying this urethane clear coat for few hours as some folks seem to suggest ?
Thanx
Shea says
Hello Tom. You can apply a polyurethane (urethane) top coat over the Rust-Oleum providing the surface is prepared properly. Some companies will not endorse use of a different product if it is not theirs. You are past the 24 hour re-coat window so you will need to rough up the surface with 100 grit sandpaper and wipe it down with denatured alcohol before application. The same procedure would be required for any clear top coat at this point including Rust-Oleum’s. Anytime you work with a solvent based sealer or coating you should turn off any flame source in the room you are working in and use a respirator while applying it.
Do not use the Clear-Seal from Seal Krete. That is an acrylic sealer and will not work on the epoxy.
Tom says
Thanx, Shea. I did not realize Clear-Seal was urethane fortified but acrylic sealer. I could not find any other urethane clear coat at Home Depot 🙁 Do you or others have any suggestion on which urethane clear coat to use and from where can I get (for DIY homeowners) to use on top of my rustoleum 2 part epoxy garage paint.
Thanx for suggestion on preparing surface (I will try to find some video on you tube on how to do it, hopefully there is one).
Also are there any other clear coat suitable for such situation (inside basement, hence UV resistence is not that critical, usage will not be that heavy / chemical / oil affected, application on top of rustoleum 2 part epoxy paint) that are non flammable (to avoid situation with turning off flame sources) ?
Thanx, again
Shea says
Unfortunately Tom, home improvement centers are not the best place to find quality product. We recommend that you contact Legacy Industrial. They have a single part moisture cure polyurethane that is ideal for indoors and their shipping is usually free. Sherwin Williams is another source that may be in your neighborhood. Water based epoxy clear and 100% solids epoxy are an example of product that can be used around most ignition sources.
Tom says
Thanx, Shea. I will check with Legacy Industrial about HD-356VOC Urethane Clear Coat from their website tomorrow. But pricing wise, I am thinking of 2 other alternative. One is Rustoleum Epoxy Shield Premium Clear coating kit (2 part solvent based epoxy) from Home Depot. Other one from Sherwin Williams, H&C® Shield-Crete® Acrylic Clear Glaze, which is acrylic but my local store folks and their website data suggests it can be used for epoxy painted basement.
I know you recommended against acrylic clear earlier for epoxy painted basement, but can you please take a look at this Shield-Crete from Sherwil Williams and give your feedback. I am fine going with Rustoleum or Shield-Crete though Shield-Crete is cheaper (almost 40%) between the two.
Thanx, I really appreciate you helping out on this decision.
Shea says
Tom, the Rust-Oleum will outlast the acrylic clear by years. You will end up spending more time and ultimately money recoating the acrylic sealer in the long run as it wears down. It’s not as durable or scratch resistant as the epoxy clear. It’s your call. The Rust-Oleum product is solvent based so you will have to turn off any ignition sources in the basement and wear a respirator however.
Tom says
Thanx, Shea. I think I am going to go with Rustoleum Epoxy Clear after all, will turn off ignition sources and use respirator as suggested. And turn back ignition sources on after 24 hours, that should be long enough I think.
Thanx for all your feedback and suggestion. It was really helpful in deciding this.
Richard says
I am unable to totally remove items from my garage, so I will apply coatings to one half of the floor at a time. My water heater and furnace are located in the garage, so it would be a problem to have them shut off for several days if I used solvent based coatings. Therefore, I believe I am limited to using water borne formulations unless you have some suggestions. I know that you recommend Drylok E1 as a 1 part water borne epoxy paint. I would like add chips and a top coat to add durability, add resistance to hot tire pickup and provide UV protection. What top coat would you recommend? How often would I have to refresh the top coat? You indicated that Drylok does not need a primer, but would durability be improved if I applied a primer?
Shea says
Hi Richard. Drylok E1 is paint and not a 2 part resinous coating like epoxy. It is designed as a single product application, just like paint is, to provide for an inexpensive coating that is easy to apply and more durable than standard paint. It’s called a 1 part epoxy paint because it has a small amount of epoxy added to make it more durable than standard paint. Clear top coats are 2-part resinous coatings designed to chemically bond with similar coatings, not paint.
For what you want to do, you need to step up to an actual water borne epoxy system. The Original Color Chips has a “Deluxe” kit that does what you are looking for. Primer, epoxy color base, color flakes, and a polyurethane top coat. The System 1 kit has a water borne polyurethane while the System 2 has a solvent based polyurethane. This is just one example of the many products available. Keep in mind that when working with solvent based coatings, ignition sources need to be shut off only while applying the coating if working in a well ventilated garage. They can be turned back on a few hours after.
Richard says
Thanks for the information about The Original Color Chips products. However, I am confused about their Deluxe kit that uses a solvent based top coat over a water based epoxy. I read in a couple of places on the internet that a solvent based coating should not be applied over a water based coating because the solvents will disssolve the under coating. Can you please address that statement?
Shea says
You most likely were reading about acrylic sealers Richard. They are different from 2-Part resinous coatings and should not be mixed. Polyurethanes, most of which are a solvent based coating, are compatible with most 2-Part resinous coating and are applied over water based epoxy primes and epoxy base coats on a regular basis.
scott says
I am thinking of installing a floor coating on my 1000 sqft garage during the winter time here in Colorado. Which product would be able to handle the cold/warm temperature swings during the day the best? Which would be the best to install in the cold winter months?
Shea says
Hi Scott. Either one can handle extreme temperature swings during the day. Once applied and cured, it’s not an issue. However, neither product is designed to be applied in cold weather. Epoxy and polyurethane systems generally cannot be applied to a substrate that is less than 50 degrees. Polyurea and polyapartic coatings can however. I suggest you read this article about applying epoxy in cold weather and this article about polyurea and polyaspartic coatings.
Heidi says
Hi, Shea!
I’m so glad I found your article! I was planing to paint/seal my basement bathroom tomorrow but it looks like I could use your advice! the paint stores I called were rather unhelpful =(
The concrete floor was previously painted with latex floor paint about 20 years ago. I mopped it with soapy water, buffed it with a hand sander to rough up the old paint so it now has bare concrete patches scattered throughout. I then mopped it again with bleach water and towels.
I want to it to look like ocean water, so was thinking of a teal paint covered with high gloss polyurethane clear coat I was going to add blue Mixol tint to. (I thought it would add depth?)
but it sounds like polyurethane only sticks to epoxy and epoxy doesn’t stick to paint? I’d rather not sand any more than I already have.
Could I paint the floor with tinted epoxy primer and cover that with polyurethane? Any other ideas?
Thank You!!!
Shea says
Hello Heidi, we are glad you found us! One thing we want to make clear is that a garage floor receives much more abuse than a bathroom floor and what you want to do is not something we would recommend for a garage. That said, you can apply a moisture cure polyurethane over latex paint. The key is to make sure the paint has fully dried before applying the polyurethane. Once it is dry, you will need to lightly scuff the surface with some 220 grit sandpaper and make sure it is clean and dry before application. Most moisture cure polyurethanes are water based and used for indoor flooring such as wood floors. They go on thin and need multiple coats applied.
One idea that came up you might be interested in is a metallic epoxy finish. Pure Metallix is a division of The Original Color Chips and sells smaller sample cans of their product. They have a Dark Sea and Storm Cloud effect that looks a lot like an ocean. You can give them a call and see if their samples would be enough to accommodate you with your floor. Good luck!
Tom says
A year ago I had a new garage floor coated with pale grey with color chips. The floor would be beautiful except it is yellow in many places. In fact, it makes areas of chips underneath look tan. A company that did not do the floor told me it was because the sealer was put on too thick. I don’t really know what the problem is. Can I have the floor fixed/redone — what is required? Thanks
Shea says
Hello Tom. You didn’t mention what type of coating was used. Assuming it was epoxy, it sounds like an epoxy clear was used as the final top coat. If the floor is exposed to sunlight the epoxy will eventually amber (yellow tint). How quickly it ambers depends on the quality of the epoxy and whether or not it had UV additives. Acrylics can yellow if put down too thick, but they are not used over epoxy.
The top coat can be redone by sanding or grinding off the layer of clear and the re-coating with a polyurethane clear or even a polyaspartic clear. You will loose some of your chips in the process. If you do two coats however, you can broadcast color chips throughout the first coat of clear and then cover those with the second coat.
Als says
Hi, I am doing my home new interiors. My daughter has moulded an epoxy tile which I wish to incorporate either in the flooring or on the wall. I am a little concerne about the durability of the tile though, hence need some suggestion. Can the tile be used in between other normal stone flooring tiles? Sorry if the question is too silly.
Shea says
Hi Als, your question isn’t silly at all. If the tile is made of epoxy then yes, it can be used in the floor. Epoxy is harder than concrete when cured and will work fine in the floor.
Als says
Thank you Shea.
Brian says
Hi Shea,
I have a garage floor (1995) that I wish to cover with a metallic epoxy. Will I need to grind the top layer off first or can I get away with just using a stripper to remove oil spots and old sealer? After the epoxy is applied, I will use an aliphatic polyurethane with an anti-slip agent. Do you have a preferred/recommended polyurethane product?
Thanks,
Brian
Shea says
Hello Brian. Yes, you definitely want to grind a floor that has any sealer on it. Using a stripper may remove most of the sealer but it will not prep the concrete properly for the epoxy. Most vendors that sell the metallic epoxy products also offer polyurethanes as well. We generally recommend that you stay with the vendor’s matched products. If they don’t offer one, we recommend using an aliphatic polyurethane coating. One thing to keep in mind about using an anti-slip agent with metallic epoxy floors is that the anti-slip agent will take some of the gloss and clarity out of the look of the metallic effects.
Metallic epoxy floors are beautiful but they do depend on being applied properly. Make sure that the vendor you purchase from has good customer service to help you along. If you haven’t decided yet on who to purchase from yet, we recommend looking at both Legacy Industrial and Epoxy Master. They each have great product and good customer service.
Gary says
Hi Shea, I had an acid etched floor with 3 areas of different sealers . Waterbased sealer, solvent sealer , and epoxy. The epoxy surface scratches very easily, shallow, but unsightly , the water based sealer covering most of the areas has already had several problems with spills and destructive or impaired clean up; repaired now, but the polyurethane seems to be the safest bet for the future. Can it be applied over the water and solvent based sealers and on the epoxy will the surface scratches need repaired before top coating .
Shea says
Hi Gary. Are the water and solvent based sealers acrylic products? If so, most polyurethane floor coating are not designed to be applied over them for a variety of reasons. You can verify this with the manufacturer for clarification. For epoxy, just rough up the surface with 150 grit sandpaper, sweep or vacuum, then wipe down with denatured alcohol. This will take down the scratches in the epoxy and provide enough bite for the polyurethane to adhere to. The scratches will disappear as well.
Stan says
Gary. Shea is giving you good advice. If any of the products are acrylic I would remove them first. If it is epoxy do the sanding step and coat over it. Check us out at https://www.discountindustrialcoatings.com/. Lots of great products there.
Paul says
Hello, I read through most of the comments and didn’t see if you had answered previously. I am putting in a copper pennies floor in the bathroom it does not get any sunlight at all and I was wondering what to put down over the pennies? Something pourable or A Self-leveling two-part epoy and/or polyurethane. Or suggestion?
Thank you
Shea says
Hello Paul. For a penny floor you will want to put down 100% solids epoxy in order to fill the tall gaps between the pennies. The dry film thickness is the same as the wet film thickness so it will not leave large depressions like a water based epoxy would. Plus, it will give you a better coverage rate.
Paul says
Cool, that sounds easy enough.
Thanks
Clark says
Shea,
I have put down heavy coverage of color chips and am on my 3rd! coat of urethane. It looks nowhere near the glossy granite like floor I was going for! The surface is rough and not smooth. I used quality epoxy products and prepped the floor by grinding but am not getting the results I wanted. Do I have any options at this point?
Shea says
Hi Clark. If the finish feels rough after three coats, that’s an indication that you may not have scraped the chips well enough before starting your top coat application. One option you have is to add a top coat of high solids epoxy and then one more coat of polyurethane. The high solids epoxy should smooth things out because it will go down much thicker than the polyurethane.
Clark says
Thanks, Shea. Do I need to do anything to prep the floor if I keep everything out of the garage until I get product?
Shea says
Since you will be past the 24 hour recoat window you will need to degloss the finish by roughing it up with with 150 grit sandpaper (a pole sander works well for this) or a 100 grit sanding sreen on a floor buffer. The idea is to rough it up and degloss, not remove anything. Vacuum and then wipe clean with some denatured alcohol on a rag.
Clark says
Any recommendations on a high solids clear epoxy?
Shea says
If your original source doesn’t have it, then Legacy Industrial and EpoxyMaster are both good choices. Just give them a call if you have any questions. They both have good customer service.
Rob says
Hi Shea,
I have a 100 sq. ft. front concrete porch. Two years ago we decided to lay natural slate tiles over it. I used a very expensive and highly recommended sealant by DuPont. Unfortunately , over the winter, certain tiles were susceptible to the weather and began to shed. We would like to replace those tiles and reseal the complete surface. I don’t know why the Dupont sealer did not work. So i’m considering, this time to apply a polyurethane or epoxy clear coat to protect it from the weather. Please advise.
Shea says
Hi Rob. Applying a resinous sealer like epoxy will make the tile very slippery when wet and it will turn yellow from U.V. light. It is not designed for outdoors. Plus, the thick coating will take away from the beauty of the tile. Polyurea can be used outdoors, but again, it is not recommended for use on tile.
Using natural slate tiles outdoors can be a little risky if you live in a cold climate where you encounter freezing temps. If water gets into the tile it can freeze and cause it to flake in layers. Most professional tile installers recommend resealing the tile with a high quality natural stone sealer once a year in these conditions in order to prevent what has happened to you. That is most likely your best option.
Kathy says
I am building an underground home which, (for comfort’s sake), highly relies on the ability of the concrete floor to gather and hold the sun’s heat, which enters the home through its massive windows.
I would really like to acid stain my concrete floor and top it with epoxy, then polyurethane… But I am not sure if this process will take away or reduce the thermal qualities of a natural concrete floor.
Can you please explain the thermal effects of this process , (if any)?
Thank you.
Kathy
Shea says
Hi Kathy. Resinous coatings are used all the time for garage floors using radiant heating. Resinous coated airplane hangers in the colder states are a good example. The coating does not trap the heat and it passes right through. As long as you are using a clear coating over your stained concrete, we don’t see any reason why the heat from the sun would not pass through the other way and heat the concrete. Since your home is underground, we are assuming you are using vapor barriers so as not to have moisture issues with floor coatings.
kamal says
Hi Shea,
Thanks for all the hard work. I am planning to apply Epoxy for my garage and I ahve decided to do it myself with 100% solids and also a top clear coat . The company I am choosing is Epoxy-coat and they only have a Epoxy clear coat as the choice for the Top coat instead of Polyurethane. Since Epoxy Clear coat has color issue when exposed to sun, I would like to go with Polyurethane as a top coat. So my question is, If I choose the 100% solids base coat from these guys, can I buy Polyurethane from anyone and apply it as a top coat..? If I do this, how does the bonding between these two and the chemical reaction etc.. because I am using these two products from different companies. Could you please let me know..? Thanks for your help..
Shea says
Hi Kamal. Yes, you can apply a quality polyurethane top coat from a different company to the Epoxy-Coat product. Epoxy-Coat makes a good quality epoxy but they do not offer polyurethane. Just apply it 12 – 24 hours after application of the Epoxy-Coat color coat. You will achieve a nice chemical bond this way.
If you haven’t purchased the Epoxy-Coat yet, you may want to check with both Legacy Industrial and EpoxyMaster. They sell top quality 100% solids epoxy and polyurethane, plus they offer it in kits as well. Sometimes this is cheaper than buying from different brands separately.
Denise says
I’d like to put in copper pennies in a bathroom that has a concrete floor (like Paul, March 3rd). The area has no direct windows, but can get a small amount of light from an adjoining room. Also, there is radiant heat under the floor. Could I use 100% solids epoxy (Legacy Industrial or EpoxyMaster)? Might the color yellow over time? Would it be slippery? Might there be any special maintenance considering it is a bathroom area? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
Shea says
Hi Denise. Yes, you can use 100% epoxy in your bathroom and you will not have a problem with it turning yellow. Keep in mind that when it gets wet it will be slippery. You can add an anti-slip grit, but since you are going clear to show the pennies it will give the surface a cloudy appearance. Strategically placed mats may fix that issue. We recommend calling first before you place an order and talk to a rep. They can match you up with the best product for what you want to do.
Sam says
Hi Shea,
Have you ever heard of the company “Versatile Building Products”? They are based out of CA and are close enough to where I live. I would like to know how good their products are for garage epoxy with 100% solids and Urethane coat.
Also another company I am considering is “Originalcolorchips”. They have small & medium sizable quantities, if I want to purchase little extra to be on safe side. Could you please let me know whether should I buy from these companies..?
Thanks in advance..
Sam
Shea says
Hi Sam. There are a lot of companies that offer quality, higher solids floor coating products. Most failures come from poor prep and or low solids, low cost product. We know people that have been satisfied with both companies that you mention. Many times it can come down to customer service. You may want to inquire about what kind of help they offer. Who is going to be there to answer that last minute question you may have or help you through a potential problem? If you are trying to choose between the two, that could be a deciding factor.
Trevor Gartner says
Shea,
I just finished cleaning, degreasing and the etching my garage floor. Then put 2 coats of 1-part epoxy paint dark grey in color (http://www.homedepot.ca/product/1-part-epoxy-acrylic-concrete-garage-floor-paint-slate-gray-379l/938962) and sprinkled blue/white color flakes on top. I was going to finish with a clear epoxy top coat, but now I want to use a polyurethane top coat to seal it up. What product do you recommend?
Thanks so much!
Shea says
Hi Trevor. What you put down is a 1-Part epoxy paint. Basically it’s concrete acrylic floor paint with a small epoxy additive to help increase the durability of the paint. An epoxy clear coat or polyurethane coat is not compatible with paint since it’s not an actual 2-part epoxy resinous coating. This article here helps to explain the difference.
Brooks says
Hi,
Recently, I had the professional came in to redo my flooring using urethane stain over concrete flooring. Now my floor scratched really bad by the plastic pieces under the chair. My question is why does urethane flooring get scratches or the people I hired did a bad job?
Shea says
Hello Brooks. I think you may be confusing polyurethane with an acrylic urethane coating or a tinted acrylic urethane coating. It’s not the same as a 2-Part or single part moisture cured polyurethane resin. Acrylic urethane is an acrylic sealer that has a little urethane added to try to make it more durable. It’s much more susceptible to scratching than a resinous polyurethane coating. It’s a common sealer to use indoor with stained concrete as well.
Steve says
Hi, I’m going to install Behr 2 part epoxy to my garage floor. I want to put a Clear coat on. There is two choices I’m looking at. SW Rexthane or SW Armorseal 1K water based Urethane. Which do you think would be best to use?
Shea says
Hi Steve. The SW Resthane is the better of the two. It is the higher solids polyurethane of the two with a much better abrasion resistance.
Cherie says
I am building a small commercial kitchen. The space that I have leased had carpet down, a previous tenant had ripped up the carpet, and painted over the glue. I need to seal this floor in order to Comply with our local health department. I have looked into epoxy floors, but the health department has told me that I could possibly use polyurethane. Is it possible to repaint the floor to give it a consistent painted look and then fill it with polyurethane?
Shea says
Hi Cherie. In order to put down a floor coating, the first thing that needs to be done is remove the old paint and glue off the surface and get down to the bare concrete. The best way is via grinding. This will properly prep the surface of the bare concrete as well. Polyurethane cannot be applied over standard floor paint. It needs to be applied over a 2-part resinous coating such as epoxy. A high solids epoxy coating followed by a polyurethane coat will seal your floor and provide for a very tough surface. It’s a common coating to use in commercial kitchens as well as polyaspartic and polyurea coatings.