Concrete vs. Epoxy

What’s the difference?

You’ve probably seen a lot of videos of epoxy being poured or mixed and made into something beautiful. But you’ve also heard of concrete overlay and are thinking, which one is best for my floor? You want something that is low maintenance, long-lasting, and durable to enhance style and appeal to your space. So, which one is better? Concrete or epoxy? 

It primarily narrows down to two considerations: your budget and how your space will be used. If your budget is more important then you’ll probably want to choose concrete. It can end up being as little as half the investment of epoxy coating. Most use concrete when the surface will only be subject to light or medium use as well. Epoxy surfaces might also require refurbishing every three to five years, whereas concrete floors may only need refurbishing every ten years. So, it really depends on you and what you are using the area for.  

Epoxy 

Epoxy coatings consist of a hardener and a resin that, when mixed together, creates a strong surface that can withstand nearly any set of challenges. Depending on the desired style you want your floors to look, they can import a more modern feel. Epoxy gives the appearance that is luxurious and increases light, so you can lower your number of lights in a room and save on electricity. There are many ways you can customize your epoxy floors with color and decorative patterns.  

Alongside little maintenance on epoxy floors, all you need to do is keep it clean and it will last you a long time. Like we mentioned before, every three to five years it does need refurbishing. If you can keep up with that and keep it clean, it will last you for decades.  

Concrete 

Concrete floors can be constructed from existing slabs of concrete, which eliminates the need to manufacture completely new ones. This goes a long way towards reducing waste and ensuring a sustainable solution is implemented for your flooring. They require little maintenance, while still remaining in good condition for years to come. The maintenance that they need is periodic resealing and washing to get off some dirt.  

Concrete is an incredibly strong surface that is resistant to many different types of challenges. For example, water damage and fire damage, are factors in the resistance of concrete. Water damage can easily lead to incredible harm to your property but having concrete can limit the amount of damage since it’s more resistant to water. It will also prevent the water from spreading to other areas of your property.  

Concrete is also resistant to fire. This can help to enhance the protection of your loved ones, since fire is very damaging and dangerous, to have the fire spread less easily through areas that do have concrete surfaces. You will have less damage to your property if you do end up having a fire.  

It’s up to you 

There are many reasons why concrete is durable and more resistant to natural damages with little maintenance throughout the years. There’s also a consideration with epoxy as to if you want a more modern style to your home and create more light in a certain room. It’s completely up to you on what is more important to determine which type of flooring you want for your home. Here at Stone Edge Surfaces we have plenty of options for you to choose from. If you have any questions or concerns, or just want more advice from an expert on what you want for your home, you can contact the concrete specialists at Stone Edge Surfaces. We are always here to help with any project you come up with.  

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