Epoxy vs Polished Concrete

When it comes to long-lasting, durable flooring solutions, the best options are polished concrete or epoxy coating, but how do you know which one works best for you? By reviewing your specific situation and performing some simple cost-benefit analysis, you can make an informed decision on what flooring system would work best for you. Unfortunately, this post can't review your needs, but it can still help you learn the benefits of polished concrete and epoxy coating and where each would be preferable over the other. 

Polished Concrete

The first benefit that most people notice in polished concrete over epoxy coating is the price, as polished concrete tends to be a much cheaper investment. Another advantage of polished concrete that people don't talk about as frequently but is no less beneficial is reducing the number of allergens within their installation spaces. While both polished concrete and epoxy coatings can help reduce the amount of allergens in a room, epoxy contains many chemicals that could be allergens in their own right, and polished concrete has a much cleaner installation.

Epoxy Coating

The primary benefit that most people are looking for when selecting an epoxy coating over polished concrete is durability. While both flooring systems are known for durability, epoxy takes the lead in this category with additional resistances beyond foot traffic to moisture and hazardous chemicals that polished concrete might otherwise be vulnerable to and having a longer potential lifespan. There are some other categories both floors are known for, but epoxy takes the lead, such as ease of maintenance and reflectiveness for increasing brightness. Epoxy can be specialized in more ways than polished concrete, such as being slip-resistant.

Cons

While both of these are excellent flooring solutions, like anything, they aren't perfect and come with downsides. Concrete is vulnerable to degradation and mold growth due to moisture if not polished and sealed correctly. Even when the concrete is sealed and protected, polished concrete can be especially slippery when wet. Lastly for polished concrete, it tends to be quite loud to walk on. Epoxy doesn't have as many cons as polished concrete, but it does come right back to cost. Specifically, epoxy is very difficult to install by yourself, and improper installations could end up costing more to fix than if you had simply hired professionals to install it in the first place.