Epoxies are not always suitable for concrete floors and in many cases they will peel, flake, or chip causing maintenance and aesthetic issues. Often this is an issue of poor surface prep or the product is not suitable for its environment, but epoxies have a life time and it might just be up. Many contractors will simply go over the existing epoxy coating with more coating – this is not a proper method of installation, but might be a budget option for some. Here are some alternatives to the epoxy life cycle battle.
Polished Concrete After you Remove Epoxy from Concrete:
Polished concrete flooring outlasts and outperforms epoxy coatings due to the fact that there is nothing to peel or flake off. Concrete polishing is a process, not a product and it is this process that refines the surface to tighten the pores of the concrete making an easy to maintain flooring option – which is the reason most people coat their floors anyways. So, if you floor has been coated once, twice, or hundreds of times, the concrete under that epoxy can still be polished. See the image below, when you remove epoxy from concrete the lackluster and dirty floor is transformed into a floor that lasts and is easy to maintain in an economical way. Check out more information on our epoxy removal service.
Multiple Layers of Dirty Epoxy Coating Removed to Polish Concrete
There are reasons however, that epoxy coatings are necessary for concrete floors. Polished concrete is not chemical resistant, although there is a stain protection layer that allows for a window of time for contaminants to sit on the surface before they penetrate and stain. If your facility’s concrete slab has a lot of exposure to harsh chemicals, then polished concrete is not for you.
Titus Restoration has been restoring concrete for decades and is dedicated to bring the industry best practices to your facility’s flooring. If interested in removing epoxy coatings from concrete floors, contact our estimators today!