Polyurea and Polyaspartic

Polyaspartics & Polyureas Floor Coatings

Polyaspartics and polyureas come from the same family. They were invented in the 80’s and have been improved and refined to become one of the premier concrete coatings available on the market today. The material is known for its rapid curing time, but if you are not an expert, the entire floor can be ruined because it cures so fast. A quick set time is a huge bonus because you can get back on the surface 24 hours later versus the 5-10 days epoxy takes to cure. When selecting this product, make sure to choose an expert.

Polyurea is not UV resistant, however, polyaspartics are. Polyaspartics are the best option available for outdoor applications due to them being UV resistant and extremely durable. Polyaspartics can be slick when they get wet or snow covered, however, we can include a grit additive to the top coat for extra slip resistance. We recommend adding the grit if you are doing exterior surfaces but we find that garages don’t typically need the added grip.

Polyureas and polyaspartics can also be applied to wood steps. Wood cannot be warranted like concrete, but it will last longer than paint. Vertical surfaces can also be coated with these products because they set and adhere extremely well.

Polyaspartics are six times stronger than epoxies which is important to consider when making the final decision for your project. If you are coating a garage floor with vehicle traffic and high impact use, a polyaspartic coating is going to hold up much better than an epoxy floor would. The cost difference between epoxy and polyaspartic are marginal, so most people opt for the polyaspartic. Polyaspartics are most commonly known for their flake look from vinyl paint chips that create a texture on the floor. This subtle texture makes the floor less slick and more scratch resistant. A quartz look and a solid color look can also be achieved using polyaspartics. This product can also be used indoors.

When it comes to interior spaces, the design is typically the deciding factor because both epoxy and polyaspartics work great. Polyureas and polyaspartics adhere best when the concrete surface is ground down with diamonds to strip any stains and previous coatings. This requires heavy duty, professional equipment. Grinding concrete can create a lot of dust. If the dust is not contained, it will leave a huge mess. We only use equipment hooked to vacuums that reduce dust to a minimum. We guarantee there will be no clean up for you after the job is completed!

Polyureas and polyaspartics can smell and have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), depending on the manufacturer. They are not as strong or long lasting as the fumes epoxy puts off, but can still be strong for a few days to over a week. High VOCs are known to cause coughing, eye irritation, and headaches. Our clients and installers are the most important thing to us. This is why we teamed up with the manufacturer who produces polyaspartics with the lowest VOCs and solvents with the highest quality of raw materials in the industry. 90% of their products are odor free and the remaining 10% have very minimal odor. We are the only company in the Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs using their products.

Applying these products requires professional training and equipment. This isn’t the typical do it yourself product. The product has limited working time and requires precision in order to get everything prepped, applied, and finished to get an amazing finish. We are the specialists in polyaspartic floor systems. If you are looking for an AMAZING looking floor that is extremely durable, abrasion resistant, stain and chemical resistant, then this the floor for you.

Polyaspartic systems can be laid in three different ways. A polyaspartic system basically means the topcoat will be polyaspartic. Three different base coats can be used for these systems. Companies will use an epoxy base coat, a polyurea base coat, or a polyaspartic base coat. The truth is they all work and get the job done, but they are not all the same. Epoxy and polyurea are not UV resistant, not as durable, and are cheaper products compared to polyaspartics.

Most companies use these products to save on costs and increase their bottom line. We use premier polyaspartics for both our base and top coats. We don’t want to risk having your coating fade or discolor over time. There are times we will use a vapor barrier epoxy for the base coat if we feel there is a moisture issue in the concrete