Resinous Flooring; Installation, Cost and Benefits

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Resinous flooring system picture

Resinous flooring is durable, seamless and attractive flooring that is applied on substrate especially concrete. It’s a poured floor, majorly desired due to their aesthetic and functionality especially by industries. But what is resinous flooring? How long does it last?

Resinous flooring is made of resinous materials base applied on a smooth nonporous concrete surface. Its either poured or cast with layers for different and then cured to allow it set completely onsite. The flooring layers allow custom design for different areas. Primer is applied to help bond the layers, attached to body coat, and grout coat to give it strength and thickness.

What is Resinous Flooring?

Resinous flooring is made of resinous materials base. Use it as a cast or pour on the concrete floor to make a smooth non-porous flooring surface. Its made of different layer systems for a different specific purpose. After pouring it on the floor allow it to cure and set in completely.

Resinous indoor pitch flooring system pictures resinous flooring system
Resinous flooring picture for indoor games

The flooring layers allow custom design for different areas. Primer is then applied to help bond the layers, attached to the body coat, and grout coat to give it strength and thickness. The topcoat layer is then applied to prevent being prone to wear $ tear, chemical corrosion, or even normal cleaning damages.

Resinous flooring is a good seamless polymer flooring option that is very beneficial to you. The three types of Resinous Flooring: epoxy, acrylic, and polyurethane.

Epoxy

Epoxy resinous flooring is perhaps the most well-known resinous flooring among the three since its versatile and essential for industrial and commercial areas application. Epoxy floor coating has a lot of advantages when applied over concrete or even on metal flooring among others. However, it still has its own disadvantages compared with the other resinous flooring

The main curing agents commonly used resins are poly-amine and poly-amide due to their specific properties and better flooring performance. However, there are still other epoxy coatings agents used. Poly-amide has a molecular structure that lowers vapor pressure, which makes it a better primer; flexibility, adhesion wetting ability, re-coating, and alkali resistance.

Poly-amine epoxies are better used in areas that require an extra harness and stronger chemical resistance, although they have a lower time span. Poly-amine epoxies are resistant to corrosion, abrasion, and moisture while being extremely flexible.

One not-so-impressive fact about epoxies, they need to completely cure before adding another layer. It allows moisture from flooring to seep through the epoxy flooring. Exposure to ultraviolet rays will damage resinous flooring pictures luster among other disadvantages.

Resinous flooring system installation picture
Resinous flooring system installation picture
flooring contractors
flooring contractors
flooring contractors

How long does the epoxy floor last? Epoxy resin flooring can last longer up to about 10 years or more for home-use; patios or garage flooring. However, for industrial and commercial heavy use like; garages, restaurants, factory spaces—with lots of daily foot traffic/ machinery use can expect it to last for about 2-3 years or more with proper maintenance and re-coating.

Acrylic

Compared with epoxy, it’s best suited if you are in a hurry. Acrylic resins dry so quickly and it’s tough to wear out which assures a long-lasting floor. The floor is better if you will require disinfecting and a rapid drying time frame.

Methyl -methacrylate (MMA) is used as a coating that allows concrete to repel water. If you require your floor wet, this may not be for you. MMA is also according to EPA study it can lead to colon and rectal cancers and other non-cancerous chronic effects.

According to CDC, MMA targets organs like the eyes, skin, and respiratory systems. Therefore it requires to have appropriate protective wear and experience. MMA I strong enough to cause dizziness and other illness, ensure you have good ventilation when working with it.

Due to its water repelling features, its best flooring for Supermarkets, pharmaceutical facilities, food processing areas or storage areas. Acrylic provide a beneficial flooring, easy to clean, durable while preventing microbial growth. Its easy to clean with common disinfectants without damaging the flooring surface.

Polyurethane

Urethane cement epoxies are good to work with. It’s a combination of both mixed concrete and urethane to blend and enjoy the benefits of each. However, urethane may be used as a single resinous layer.

In addition, urethane cement resinous flooring is an all-in-one system that doesn’t require the use of primers.

How Long Do Resin Floors Last?

Resinous flooring can last 10-20 years or more with proper care and maintenance depending on the daily traffic. In some scenarios like heavy-duty industrial flooring use, it can last as low as 2-3 years. At times you may need to get a fix for dull and less attractive old resinous flooring on your residential or industrial flooring even before it’s fully damaged, just to have a luxurious and catchy luster and shine.

epoxy resinous flooring picture, How Long Do Resin Floors Last? features that affect resin durability

But what determines the resinous flooring like epoxy lifespan? The following are some factors that influence how long resinous flooring last:

1. Traffic exposure

Heavy foot traffic and machine use; forklifts and other wheeled vehicles will subject the epoxy flooring to extreme wear and tear.

2. Thickness of the resinous coat

The resins coat thickness determines the durability of the flooring. The coating for home use about 0.4 mm to 1mm whereas for industrial use it can exceed 1mm depending on the traffic and machine use.

3. Strength of the concrete sub-floor

It’s good to determine the strength of the sub-floor before applying the resinous flooring to your concrete.  In case you are considering adding up epoxy resins on your commercial or industrial flooring ensure you have at least 3000 PSI strength.

For Already done concrete sub-floor that have less than 2500 PSI, add densifiers to the sub-floor to help rectify the strength issue.

4. Topcoat quality

Many resinous flooring contractors recommends urethane topcoat due to its ability to resist scratches and abrasion. A topcoat of at-least 0.05mm polyurethane is recommended for heavy traffic on commercial and industrial buildings flooring.

5. Floor surface preparation

The preparation done before applying the resins flooring materials may also have an impact on the durability and how long it will last. Dust, dirt sediments, oil and water residue that come in contact of resinous materials leaves a weak points on your floor which may accelerate wear and tear of your resinous epoxy floors.

6. Sunlight exposure

Exposure to the sunlight of damages the epoxy coating turning the flexible material into powder. Many resinous materials are good for interior application but not exterior due to their susceptibility to sunlight.

7. Date of manufacture and expiry

Many people pay little attention to the date of manufacture and expiry date. Always check the expiry and date of manufacture of acrylic, epoxy, and polyurethane materials before application to avoid using expired products. In addition, read the manufacturer’s recommendations/ instructions for maximum benefits of these seamless flooring.

8. Application methods

Resinous materials like epoxy are not applied directly after mixing the chemicals, you have to wait for some time to get a highly durable flooring surface that is very long-lasting. Hire a professional resinous flooring installation contractor for the best result and to help avoid financial resource wastage.

Is Resin Flooring Durable?

Yes, resinous flooring is extremely durable with proper care and maintenance. Considering the above factors mentioned above have been looked at and addressed appropriately. You need to:

  1. Sweep on daily basis to remove dust and dirt particles that can be extremely abrasive to the resinous flooring surface.
  2. Carry weekly deep cleaning of your flooring surface. Scrub the epoxy and acrylic flooring surface with an auto scrubber.
  3. Re-coat dull resinous flooring every few years to retain its luxurious look and shine.

Resinous flooring like epoxy is designed to be very long-lasting when applied correctly and proper maintenance and care have been done appropriately. However, if they are features of wear and tear too soon, re-coating with the liquid floor will help get back to its original luster and shine. Proper maintenance of the resinous floor will ensure it last and look great as long as possible

Is Epoxy Flooring the Same as Resinous Flooring?

Not really, however, the resinous flooring includes seamless flooring materials like epoxy, polyurethane, and acrylic. This resinous flooring involves combining two parts, that must be mixed before application. The two-part system contains a resin and hardener agent that form a chemical reaction causing the mixture to harden or start hardening. That’s said the pros and cons of resinous are the same as the advantages and disadvantages of epoxy flooring.

Tips on Resinous Flooring

Although both epoxy and urethane resin floor coatings are chemical resistant, their resistance varies in different ways. Polyurethane resinous floor systems are more resistant to natural chemicals like lactic acid. Hence, polyurethane is more applied in food processing environments like areas dealing with dairy products. 

Epoxy resinous flooring systems, on the other hand, have better resistance to strong artificial corrosive chemicals like sulphuric acid. However, if an epoxy floor is exposed to lactic acid like polyurethane, it will experience a degree of corrosion and yellowing. This is why you get epoxy garages and other industrial areas due to these properties.

Read more: Garage Epoxy Flooring Reviews: Benefits, Pro & Cons.

Resinous Flooring vs Resilient Flooring

Resinous flooring may also be referred to as seamless flooring. Seamless resin flooring is mainly manufactured from one of the following ingredients; epoxy, acrylic (MMA), and polyurethane formulations that form a joint-free flooring system.

Resilient flooring is made of materials with elasticity properties giving the floor ability to be flexible or “resilient”. Resilient flooring includes linoleum, vinyl, cork, poured synthetic resin, and rubber flooring. The non -resilient floor doesn’t move at all especially if it’s glued down to the sub-floor. Non-resilient flooring includes; terrazzo, concrete, tiles, and brick.

Source and Reference

EPA: What is methyl methacrylate, uses and its health problems.

CDC: Methyl methacrylate; Symptoms and exposure routes.

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AUTHOR

Joe McGuinty
I’ve been working with floors for over 12 years. I started as a flooring contractor, primarily in materials selection. Then, I switched careers into accounting, so my wife and I began buying, renovating, and re-selling homes on the side. You’d be surprised how much value you can add to a home simply by adding new floors.

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