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.
Hi, I’m a general contractor. I’m currently renovating my own house. I want to use either epoxy or Polycuramine for my kitchen floor. I have radiant heat in the floor and will be pouring a new concrete slab. I’m looking for a deep high gloss finish. Which one would you say will work better with the radiant heat ? Can I use the epoxy as my color and to help fill any small gaps in the freshly troweled cement? Then, is there a clear polyurethane that I can use as a top layer for gloss and the stronger surface protection (like you recommended)?, I’m just not sure I fully understand the process of how to use both.
Hello David. All coatings in general are not affected at all by radiant heat, so no worries there. Yes, you would use the high solids to 100% solids epoxy as your base color coat and then apply a high gloss polyurethane coat over that. The polyurethane will protect the color coat and provide a glossy finish that is more abrasion resistant than the epoxy. Polyurea can be an excellent clear top coat as well. We have an article here that explains the differences. Most of your commercial quality floor coating vendors will have high performance clear coats that are compatible with their product. Out of curiosity, what type of color or look do you want?
Remember that coatings cannot be applied to fresh concrete for the first 30 days while it cures. Also, even though the concrete is new, it still needs to be prepped properly by etching or grinding before it can be applied. The clear top coat is generally applied to the color coat 10 to 12 hours after the color coat has been applied (depending on product) in order to achieve a chemical bond.
I am in the process of applying two coats of rock solid metallic polycuramine (earth brown) to my garage floor. I purchased 2 gallons of epoxyarmor high performance clear topcoat. How long should I wait to apply the topcoat after the second coat of metallic is applied?
Hello Thomas. Are you referring to EpoxyArmor by EpoxyMaster? If so, you will want to apply it within 12 to 24 hours after applying the RockSolid.
Can i refinish with a clear coat on my garage floor for glossy finish? My floor was done on new concrete about three months ago. I love my floor but want a clear protection and the chips to be protected too when i sweep.
As long as you have an actual coating on the floor and not just paint, then yes, you can apply a polyurethane clear coat to the coating David. It will require that you clean the floor first and then rough up the surface with 100 grit sandpaper in order to provide a mechanical bond for the polyurethane. A pole sander works fairly well for that. You will lose a few color flakes when you do this, but if they were applied properly you will be fine.
I have a lacquer painted concrete driveway that I would like to seal with a polyurethane. Will I be okay using these two products together. If so, how long do I need to wait between painting the lacquer and applying the poly. Thanks Judy
No, polyurethane is not compatible with lacquer paint and will soften it if applied.
I just bought the rust-oleum epoxyshield kit for my garage (although I had a hard time deciding between that & rocksolid esp. with the price difference). Do I need to buy a separate top coat/sealant or everything I need is in that kit?
Hello Al. The EpoxyShield kit consists of the two parts epoxy (colored resin and hardener), decorative flakes, and a citric acid degreaser and etch combo. It does not include trim brushes, rollers, and etc. You can apply a clear top coat if you like, but you would need to purchase that separately.
HI I have used PU floor sealers before in Asia. However I am unable to find any brands or products in Canada. Do you have any brand names to recommend as this product seems difficult to locate.
thx
Just google search “polyurethane floor coatings Canada” Les. You should find all kinds of manufacturers. Give them a call to find out who they distribute to and you should be able to find some dealers.
How soon after applying a one-coat high solid epoxy should I apply the urethane clear top coat?
You want to apply the polyurethane within 12 to 24 hours Jim. If you wait any longer, you will lose the ability to create a chemical bond and will have to rough up the surface to achieve a mechanical bond.
I applied around 16 hours after epoxy but found that the urethane brings minute bubbes in areas where epoxy is nit fully dried. These bubbles are annoying so its best to wait until the epoxy is dry to touch ; at least the 24 hr time limit is dependent on how fast the epoxy dries at the time when you apply ( weather dependent)
I used the product called Rexthane which is similar the one recommended earlier from Legacy industrial. Rexthane is the commercial name fir moisture cured polyurethane. It works great andeasyto apply (adding the shark grip polymer works well) I am just finding some minute bubbles in some areas and want to geta solvent to spot clean the urethane Will Xylebe or Acetone help to dissolve polyurethane?
Hello Saneej. Unless you had bubbles in the epoxy coating (caused by out gasssing) in these same areas before you applied the polyurethane, then the bubbles are not from the epoxy. Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer that cures, it does not dry like paint does. When you get bubbles in polyurethane it is generally caused from application technique. The biggest error is applying too thickly. Polyurethane is a thin coating and needs to be applied thin. If it’s applied too thick, you can get solvent entrapment which will cause the bubbles. High humidity during application is another problem that will cause bubbles, as well as rolling it on too fast. The roller can pick up air and transfer to the coating if you do that. The best time to apply polyurethane is when you can lightly press down on the epoxy with your thumb and not leave a thumb print (8-12 hours generally). The closer you get to the 24 hour window the less chance you have of getting a good chemical bond. Solvent will not fix your problem. One of the advantages to polyurethane is that it can be highly resistant to solvents depending on the quality of the product. It will only dull the gloss. If you want to remove the bubbles it requires sanding the surface to break open the tops of the bubbles and then you apply another new coat. The new coat fills in the bubbles.
Rexthane by Sherwin Williams is a decent polyurethane, but just so other readers do not get confused, it’s not the same quality as the HD356 moisture cured polyurethane (urethane) by Legacy Industrial. If you compare the technical data sheets you will see there is a big difference. As and example, the HD365 has taber tested abrasion resistance of only a 4.4 mg loss while the Rexthane has a 116 mg loss. Since the difference in each mg loss is exponential, the Rexthane isn’t even close to the abrasion resistance of HD356. The same goes when you compare the regent ratings for resistance to chemicals. Just to be clear, you did not choose a bad product, but it does not compare to the HD356. Just because both polyurethanes are moisture cured does not mean they are the same quality. When people do this, they tend to purchase based on price thinking they are getting the best deal when in reality they are getting much less. This is a very common mistake that is made when purchasing coatings.
I just put down rustoleum epoxyshield gray and was considering SW Rexthane gray product to avoid any yellowing. My garage is for typical uses (2 cars, midwestern weather, one south facing old glass pane window, door faces east, keep open in summer). If I did not want to spend as much as for nohr but wanted uv protection, is this a good alternative to rustoleum epoxy clear coat? Also, I thought I had to wait 5-7 days for epoxy to cure before putting down urethane. Is that true, or should I put down with recoat window (24-72 hours)? I’m trying to avoid having to sand floor.
Sherwin-Williams ArmorSeal Rexthane MCU in gray would be a good choice over the EpoxyShield clear if you want to avoid any ambering of the coating Seth. It will provide some added chemical and abrasion resistance as well. You definitely want to get it down within Rust-Oleum’s recoat window of 24-72 hours. Sooner if you can since that window is for product within Rust-Oleum’s line. Typically polyurethane (like most other coatings) is applied within 24 hours or you will have to degloss the finish by sanding.
We recently purchase the epoxy shield professional (tan) for our basement. We applied a poly top coat once it had cured. My wife decided to add another area to my list and purchased the epoxy shield basement (tan) and didn’t tell me until I applied and let cure. My concern is the epoxy basement looms like rubbish. I want to repaint it with the epoxy pro. Do I need to sand it all down? Or can I just apply the pro on top of the poly that was placed. My money is on the sanding but miss Hgtv (wife) says I’m good.
Hello Nick. The EpoxyShield Professional is a higher solids solvent based epoxy where as the EpoxyShield Basement is a lower solids water based coating. That is why they look different. Unfortunately, your HGTV professional at home was watching the wrong program. If the epoxy has fully cured then you have exceeded the recoat window that allows for a chemical bond. You will need to degloss the surface first by roughing it up with 100-150 grit sandpaper. If you don’t, the next coat will not be able to achieve a mechanical bite and will eventually peel up.
Thanks for the confirmation Shea! Gotta love those Hgtv experts! What ever would we do without them 😉
Yep, I have one too!
I am in the process of prepping my garage floor to install Epoxyshield Professional Floor Coating. I would like to use a polyurethane product for a top coat on my floor, but I am having a little trouble choosing one that holds up well, effectively covers my area(approx. 700 sq ft), and doesn’t break the bank. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
For a floor of that size Michael, you will be in the $200-$250 range for a good polyurethane. Here is an example of such a product.
Looks like a winner to me. Thank you.
I just did my garage floor with Crommelin Paving and Concrete Sealer, I applied flakes full coverage, now I am wondering if I better off apply a couple of coats of those sealer again as a top coat or polyurethane as a top coat or what other options would I go ? thank you
Hello Kim. According to our research the product you used is a penetrating sealer and not a coating. You can’t apply flakes to a penetrating sealer since there is nothing for the flakes to adhere to. Can you provide a link to the exact product you used?
I just found te following product from Rustoleum which is water based poly urthane. Any comments on this product or eperience to use as top coat after epoxyshield
Concrete Saver
6711 System Clear Water-Based Polyurethane
We don’t recommend it Saneej. It’s a water based polyurethane for wood and concrete. It works OK for foot traffic in homes, but not for a garage floor. It cures half as thick as standard solvent based polyurethane concrete coatings and it is not U.V. resistant like the high performance solvent polyurethanes. The Technical Data Sheets even says to expect yellowing. If you want to use a Rust-Oleum product, the Rust-Oleum Professional clear epoxy will provide three times the thickness and be much more durable. Either that or use a solvent based high performance polyurethane for concrete only.
Thank you very much, that really helped. this site is doing excellent service to customers with the right information. Even paid professionals do ot give this good information honestly to customer. Excellent .
I found the alrenate product of rustoeum made of polyurea – Concrete Saver FastKote UV Stable Polyurea Floor Coating
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/industrial-brands/concrete-saver/fast_flooring/fastkote-uv
Yes, that product will work fine Saneej. Just be aware that it is a very fast setting polyurea. You will only have about 20 minutes to get is applied.
I am thinking of rust-olem rock solid for my garage floor. We have done the prep and are ready to go.
My question is would a top coat add strength to the coating? What top coat would you advise over this product, and how soon after the application of the rock solid?
Also should a non slip be added to the top coat if advised?
Joe
Hello Joe. A top coat will always increase the durability of a garage floor coating. Since RockSolid is a polycuramine coating and not epoxy, we recommend using the RockSolid clear coat if you want to achieve a chemical bond. A high performance polyurethane is a better clear coat, but it may not be compatible chemically with RockSolid. You would need to wait a few days for the RockSolid color coat to cure first, then rough up the surface with 100 grit sandpaper to achieve a mechanical bond for the polyurethane. If you want to use a high performance polyurethane, we would recommend using a high solids epoxy color coat instead of the RockSolid. The two bond well chemically and will be a tougher coating overall. With epoxy, you would need to apply the polyurethane withing 24 hours.
Hi! We hired someone to coat our garage and he used Life Deck’s Life Paint 25 Series Water Based Epoxy, with color flecks. He said he is returning tomorrow to apply a clear coat of epoxy (same brand).
I’ve been reading some of your blogs and noticed that you recommended an aliphatic polyurethane clear coat would be a better option, especially to help prevent yellowing (we live in So. California and there’s a window in our garage). Do you have a good brand that you might be able to point us to (and that’s approved for use in CA?) Would appreciate it greatly!
Hello Carol. Yes, high performance polyurethanes for a clear top coat are a much better option than epoxy in most cases. Finding something that can be shipped to California can be an issue depending on what part you live in. If it’s in the LA, Orange, San Bernardino, or Riverside Counties, it’s even tougher. Another great option is a high performance polyurea. Versatile Building Products has an excellent polyurea that is approved for California. It’s called 5073 Polyurea and you can find it here. Polyurea’s are thicker than polyurethane and U.V. stable as well.
Thanks for all the wonderful information. I have one further question:
Trying to seal a bedroom floor that has been painted a dark red with Behr Premium 1-part epoxy concrete and garage floor paint. What would be the best clear coat on top of that? Also, should I wait a full 72 hours for the concrete paint to dry?
Thanks in advance.
A water based acrylic would be the best clear coat for indoors, Rio. Most clear floor coatings have solvents and will cause latex paint to soften and bleed if applied.
i am trying to restore my garage floor. I used the Epoxy garage floor kit approximately 12 years ago, the kit included color chips and the non slip grit. I also used the clear top coat sealer. The floor has held up really good except it has yellowed from the sun and look terrible. I believe most of the clear coat sealer has worn off. I would like to use the Polycuramine kit. what do I need to do to prepare the floor. Do I need to rough sand first ?
Hi Kevin. That is exactly what you would do. We have an article here that discusses how to apply a new coating to an older one.
very helpful thank you
Hi Shea sent a response from my phone, not sure it wentthrough. I did everything the article say’s. The pole sander with different grits, the orbital sander with different grits. I rented a floor buffer with sand screen, ended up using buffer with 20 grit sand paper just to make the floor look scuffed. I used to be able to slide foot across the floor. Now it looks scuffed the old epoxy is very hard to rough up, it looks scuffed but its still smooth when I rub my hand over it. Will my new Polycuramine adhere to this ? Im worried it will not, the directions to rough up floor make it seem that its very easy to rough up old epoxy for a new coat. This was very challenging and im not sure if its enough. Im very particular with prepping. This is why my old floor has held up so well, no chips no peeling at all, its just yellow.
Hello Kevin. We received and answered your question, but you posted it in a different article. You can find it here.
Can I apply a clear polyurethane coat as per this article says over my Rock solid gray, or should I should I put a color in the coat then add a clear coat? “Whether you are applying the coating yourself or hiring a professional, epoxy is best used for building up the thickness of your floor coating then following up with polyurethane as a clear coat to protect it. It will help protect the epoxy from yellowing and it will provide for a longer wearing and more scratch resistant surface”. Thanks
A polyurethane clear coat will help to slow the yellowing of the RockSolid color coat, Kevin, but it won’t stop it. It won’t be as prevalent, however, since the clear won’t yellow, but it will still be there. If you put down a color coat of tinted polyurethane and a coat of clear polyurethane, your floor will never yellow. Keep in mind that at this point you will need to degloss and rough up your new coat of RockSolid first since you are past the recoat times for polyurethane. If you have more questions about polyurethane, we recommend that you contact Legacy Industrial and ask for Scotty. They have an excellent polyurethane you can use, providing you don’t live in California, and it can be tinted as well. It has a high coverage rate and you can buy it in quarts as well. You can find it here.
Are you familiar with any of the WearCoat (specifically WearCoat 440 and 100) products by Coatings for Industry? One of the flooring companies around me uses them, and I was wondering what their quality level was like. My other question is how long before I would be able to park on polyurethane if the temperature is lower than the ideal (70 degrees) temperature and the humidity is higher than ideal (50%)?
We are not familiar with the line, Mike, but we looked up their information. You can easily find their data sheets online. From what we read, it looks like decent commercial product, though some of the information they could have provides was missing. We are not fond of using a 100% solids for a primer coat unless the floor is heavily grinded. In terms of the polyurethane, you will want to wait a minimum of 72 hours before parking your car on it. An additional 24 hours would be better with the weather info you provided.
What top coat would you recommend for a metallic epoxy floor? I was looking at using Legacy Industries hd356. Also, I understand it may take longer, but other than my time is there a reason i would not be able to use a 5″ palm sander with a 100 grit disc to scuff the floor prior to applying a top coat? I live in Virginia and it is currently @ 55 degrees, but i have a climate controlled detached garage in which the topcoat would be applied.
Thanks!
It will take longer, Dave, but it will work. We are assuming that the metallic epoxy has already been applied. The idea is to degloss the coating by roughing it up. The HD356 polyurethane by Legacy Industrial is an excellent product. Keep in mind that the temperatures for application are based on the floor temp. If the air temp is 60 degrees, but the floor temp is only 45 degrees during application and cure, then you will have a problem. Use an infered temperature gun to check your floor temp since the ground under the slab has a big influence on it. If you are worried about temps being too low, Legacy Industrial’s Nohr-S single-part polyurea would be a good choice since it can be applied in temps as low as 30 degrees. It has similar characteristics to polyurethane, but it would cost more since the coverage rate is less.
Hi, I like the color of bare concrete… am I able to apply only the clear epoxy top coat onto bare concrete and have the same protective power? Also, what is the best choice for doing this (epoxy, sealer, polyurethane, or some other product) and can you provide a link? Thanks!
Hello Lam. Yes, clear coatings look great on bare concrete and do an excellent job of protecting it. A coat of clear epoxy with a coat of polyurethane is an excellent example. Another product which is easier to apply would be the newer single-part polyureas. You can learn more about them in this article. It also includes a picture of a bare concrete garage coated with a clear.
Hi Shea, thank you for your quick reply. It seems that the more I read, the more indecisive I get…. Of these 3 systems for which one would you go with?
(from cheapest to most expensive option)
– garage flooring polyurea polyaspartic hybrid
– armorpoxy spgx
– legacy industrial nohr-s
The Nohr-s and the polyurea polyaspartic hybrid are the same price, but the Nohr-s becomes more expensive because it also requires a primer. Spgx is more expensive per gallon, but also covers more sq.ft. per gallon, so for a 500sq.ft area, i’m thinking of purchasing 3gallons (instead of 4 for the other 2 systems) for 2 coats. Anyways, any help is appreciated. Thanks again!
It depends on how you plan on using your garage, Lam. If you are just parking your vehicles and not doing much in terms of projects, automotive related repairs, and things like that, then SPGX by ArmorPoxy is an good choice. If you have a fairly busy garage with projects and etc, then we would recommend either the polyurea polyaspartic hybrid by Garage Flooring LLC or the Nohr-S by Legacy Industrial. Keep in mind that you can do one coat of the Nohr-S if you apply their primer first.
Hi there,
I bought colored epoxies clear epoxy 100% solids for my 2-car garage floor. The garage door does have a row of small windows at the top though, and I want to protect the epoxy from yellowing due to this sunlight exposure. I want to add a poly coat on top, but it feels impossible to find the right one that will keep my clear coat epoxy from yellowing over time.
I’ve read that two-part polys are best in this instance, but where to find this? The colored epoxies branded UV protection poly layer is only “one-part poly” and that doesn’t jive with my research thus far.
Please help!
Helly Jay. Either a 2-part polyurethane or single-part moisture cured polyurethane is going to be U.V. resistant and will not yellow. These polyurethane coatings by Legacy Industrial are an example. The HD356 is a single-part moisture cured polyurethane and the HD322 is a 2-part polyester/aliphatic polyurethane. Keep in mind that a polyurethane clear will slow down your clear epoxy from getting a yellow tint, but it will not completely stop it. The reason is that the polyurethane clear still allows the U.V. rays to pass through to the epoxy. The polyurethane acts like a good sunscreen, so to speak, but eventually enough exposure will start the yellow tint process. In our experience, the small rows of windows on garage doors is not enough to cause the yellow tint unless it’s direct sunlight and not just indirect light.
Another option instead of using a clear epoxy would be to use a clear single-part polyurea instead. Unlike polyurethane, these can be applied directly to concrete and are U.V. stable like polyurethane. You can read more about them here.
Hello,
We are looking at using BASF MasterTop GP500 epoxy coating on our garage floor. it is a four car garage, 1/2 will be workshop the other mainly parking. There are windows in the garage. Do you recommend a poly coating after the epoxy? if so, will the HD356 work with this product? Finally, can HD356 be purchased in store?
Thank you!
Hello Anne. Yes, a high performance polyurethane coating will provide better scratch resistance and chemical resistance for your epoxy coating. If you are applying color flakes it’s a great medium to protect the flakes as well. It will slow down any yellowing that the epoxy may encounter from direct sunlight, but it will not stop it completely. Because the coating would be clear, U.V. rays can still slowly filter through to the epoxy. If the sunlight is indirect (not shining directly on the coating) it can take even longer for the epoxy to react to U.V. exposure. HD356 by Legacy Industrial is an excellent product and would be compatible with your epoxy. It cannot be purchased in a store, however. You would need to order it directly from the vendor. Most commercial quality concrete coatings are not available to the general public in brick and mortar stores.
Mom has industrial vinyl tiles on the house. They are flat and ugly and hard to keep clean but when wet look decent. They were not prepped and waxed etc just laid down. I’d like to polyurethane them to have a nice shine and protect the tile. I thought of marine spar so to be sure it’s not slippery when wet. What are your recommendations for a simple, easy job?
Hi Patricia. VCT tiles are very hard to keep clean if they are not properly sealed and waxed. We would not recommend marine spar as it is not designed for VCT tiles and may not be compatible. It is an oil based, high solvent, polyurethane varnish with an amber finish. The solvents may cause issues with the tile surface. Also, polyurethanes typically only adheres well to properly prepped wood, resin, and compatible paint finishes. It does not adhere well to most other finishes, but there are exceptions. You would have to test it to find out. Also, because it has an amber finish it will give the tiles a noticeable yellow tint as well. We have an article here on what is required for a proper finish for VCT tiles.
Hi Shea,after weeks of researching and much guidance from your articles I think I understand how to do a floor that will NEVER yellow just want to run by you to double check. 1coat epoxy grey,1coat grey tinted poly which I will put my flakes and slip resist in,followed with top coat of good poly.does this sound correct and take care of ever yellowing. Also I’ve done 10 plus epoxy coat garages and always grind the concrete,but I see lots of companies say just say acid etch it and some guys use muratic acid is that really as good as grinding. This will be my 1st “pro” floor. Thanks for your time.
Hello Scott. You are correct, you will not have to worry at all about your floor coating getting a yellow tint (turning amber) if you apply such a system. If you are using a high solids epoxy, grinding is always the better way to go. You can generally get away with acid etching, but it does not provide as consistent of a surface profile as grinding, nor will it allow the epoxy to penetrate as well.