Resin flooring has been a robust and reliable floor coating choice for industrial and commercial spaces. With more and more businesses and homeowners taking note of what it has to offer and installing it, resin flooring solutions are growing in popularity.
What Is Resin Flooring?
A resin floor is a plastic surface with a highly durable finish, created by combining a specific set of chemicals – formulated synthetic resin and a separate hardener. When mixed in definite proportions, these ingredients initiate a reaction resulting in a chemical bond between each compound and the floor itself. The chemical reaction produces a sturdy plastic coating, resistant to degradation and bonds exceptionally well to its substrate.
With its incredible resistance to high levels of wear and tear, Resin floors are ideal for environments with heavy use. In addition, Resin floor coatings are easy to clean and a great choice for contemporary interiors. Optional additives such as aggregates, pigments, mica chip blends, decorative chips or cement powder can be mixed into the resin flooring to achieve a customized finish.
What Are The Different Resin Floor Types?
While all resin floors are more durable and long-lasting than other industrial flooring solutions, their variations have a few subtleties. There are three main types of resin floors – Epoxy, Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) and Polyurethane (PU).
Epoxy
Epoxy is the most well-known and widely used resin flooring in industrial settings. This thermoset material is created by combining two specific components – epichlorohydrin (the epoxy element) and amine (hardener). When these chemicals cross-link and bond, it produces one of the strongest surfaces with reliable performance and durability.
Epoxy resin fully bonds to concrete, thereby protecting the underlying base from impact, abrasion, water ingress, and other external factors. Many potential variables of epoxy resin are available, offering various benefits depending on its use. Metallic resin flooring, a mix of a special resin, metallic pigments and powders, is a case in point. This three-component, high-performance coating creates striking designs and effects on floors. The final characteristics of an epoxy resin floor would depend on the chosen type of epichlorohydrins and amines.
The biggest downside to epoxy resin flooring is its repair process. If an epoxy floor is damaged, it should be replaced entirely. Since epoxy coatings come with the longest cure time, it could be a costly process for a business.
Polyurethane (PU)
Polyurethane or PU resin floors offer improved heat and chemical resistance, making them ideal for workshops, commercial kitchens, breweries, and scientific labs. These resin floors are long-lasting and resistant to abrasion. So, when it is about choosing a resin flooring type for an environment with a high chance of impacts occurring or where heat is an integral factor, PU flooring is the best bet.
PU resin flooring is also created by mixing two components – a resin and a hardener, which results in a seamless impervious coating. Compared to epoxy flooring, PUs have a higher cross-linked density, making them harder. This resin flooring type can also be customized with anti-slip aggregates and anti-bacterial additives to adapt to a wide variety of environments. Since PU cures fast, it would be easy and cost-effective to replace or add new coats to the floor.
Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)
Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) is a chemically synthesized version of methyl methacrylate (MMA) – an organic compound. When methacrylic ester is combined with organic peroxide, it fuses into a monolithic mass of MMA. Classified as a thermoplastic resin, PMMA is also known as “acrylic” or “acrylic glass”. What makes PMMA different from other resin coating types is its short curing time, even at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. PMMA resin floors can be installed and cured within two hours, making it ideal for flooring projects that are pressed for time.
PMMA resin coating can be customized with different colors and decorative finishes to meet specific industrial needs. This synthetic resin floor coating is chemically resistant and can easily withstand heavy equipment without cracking, fading or wearing. PMMA hardens to provide a seamless, hygienic, anti-skid and sturdy surface, lending it to use for interior and exterior installation in most environments. The unique interlayer chemical bond of PMMA resin makes it easier to repair and upgrade, ensuring minimum downtime of industrial or commercial facilities.
How to Select the Right Resin Floor?
With so many different resin flooring solutions available, how to pick the right one for your space? Even though every resin floor coating has its unique features, benefits and drawbacks, the final choice should always boil down to the costs and functionality you require. So, make sure to choose a resin floor coating depending on your needs and performance requirements.
If you still need guidance in selecting the right resin flooring for your establishment, the team at SDS can help you out. Being a reputed flooring company, SDS can offer you the right expertise, superior products and quality services. Visit https://sds-me.com/ for more information. c
