In This Post:
– Best areas to install epoxy flooring
– Where not to install epoxy flooring
– Price of epoxy flooring
Epoxy floors come in a variety of designs, are easily customizable, extremely durable to withstand high traffic areas and also affordable. Their ability to mimic wood, polished stone, marble and attractive themes make them ideal for residential as well as commercial flooring and that too at a fraction of a price than its natural counterpart.
In this blog, we will discuss some areas in the house where epoxy flooring is best suited and also those flooring where epoxy coating can’t be used. The last section of this blog also features the cost of epoxy flooring.
Where should you install epoxy flooring in your home?
There are many areas in the house where epoxy flooring can be used. From areas where water seepage can be a big problem to parts of the house where you want the floor to be decorative, epoxy floor looks best everywhere. Following are some installation areas for epoxy flooring in homes.
- Garage
- Kitchen
- Living room
- Play area
- Bathroom
Let’s discuss how epoxy flooring is a better fit for these areas in the house.
Garage
Basement and garage are areas where humidity and moisture content is high. Epoxy coating can provide durability and strength to the porous concrete surfaces. They are waterproof and provide a glossy finish to the surface. Epoxy is considered an ideal flooring option for garages as they can endure the pressure from heavy vehicles.
Moreover, the attractive designs can give your dull and boring garage a new look.
Kitchen
If you do not want to invest in ceramic tiles, natural stone or other expensive flooring materials, then try your hand at epoxy flooring. Its ability to resist water can be ideal. However, you would need to install skid-free additives to the floor or else the water spillage can cause a slippery floor.
Epoxy flooring is durable and can withstand the temperature fluctuations and frequent footfall. You don’t have to worry about tiles cracking up or falling out, the seamless epoxy flooring looks attractive, providing a reflective surface and a smooth texture. They do not require much maintenance and if you spot any cracks or chips, they can be mended with a fresh coat of paint on the area for a seamless appearance. It is ideal for kitchen floors because they are resistant to moisture, stains and cracks.
Living room
Epoxy flooring is best suited for living areas because of its durable nature. It is shock-resistant and doesn’t degrade with time, which means even if you drop a heavy object it won’t hurt the flooring much. This makes it one of the top choices for living room flooring. You can play with different colours and create an attractive floor for your living room space.
Play area
Because of its easily customizable designs and new attractive patterns, epoxy coating looks best in children’s rooms and play areas. Even if your child spills anything or throws a hard object on the floor, its stain-resisting and shock-absorbing abilities render it fit for playroom floors.
Bathroom
If you’re wondering whether you can install epoxy flooring in a bathroom or not. Then the answer is yes! Epoxy floors look best inside the bathroom, especially if you opt for the new 3D epoxy paints. Create a fun theme, may be a blue sea filled with fishes and your bathroom will instantly brighten up. Secondly, epoxy coating is resistant to water and provides effective coverage to the porous concrete surface. It is slip-resistant, which makes it a great option to consider for bathrooms even if you have elderly people living with you.
Which floors should not be epoxy coated?
Epoxy is often considered as an ideal coating for concrete foundations because of its ability to quickly transform a drab-looking concrete base into a decorative floor. There are many floor surfaces where epoxy coating can’t be applied.
Structurally Damaged Concrete Floors
The integrity of a floor slab can be compromised at the time of construction. It is quite possible that the concrete mix during the curing of concrete floor was not mixed the correct way, resulting in uneven concrete surfaces. Similarly, earthquakes and storms can cause severe damage to the concrete floors.
In case you are planning to renovate your house and are thinking of providing a covering to the uncoated concrete floor, then first take a look at how the space was used in the first place. Was it a garage and heavy vehicles were parked in it or a playroom with more foot traffic causing abrasions and cracks that are left unrepaired. A professional who would apply epoxy coating would first fix the concrete floor before applying the epoxy layer.
Wood Floor
Wood floors, depending on their age move and flex, making it difficult for epoxy coatings to adhere to the surface. Besides the wood used in many construction projects nowadays contains different kinds of glues and adhesives which can interfere with the epoxy bond and other coatings.
Moreover, wood surfaces must first be prepped before applying epoxy coating to the surface. Sanding, priming and then mixing of the paint are some of the steps to take before applying epoxy painting.
Ceramic Tile Floor
Installing resin-based flooring over a ceramic tile and grout can be a bit challenging. Apart from mixing the epoxy paints, the glazed ceramic tile surface must be removed by mechanical methods, such as shot-blasting. This can sometimes cause problems with the grout and also cause the tiles to crack or pop out, wanting the need for extensive repair and patching up before installing epoxy coating on the floor.
This requires more labour to fill the gaps and many professionals find it more economical to scrape off the entire ceramic flooring to install epoxy coating on concrete surface.
Luxury Vinyl Tile Floor
Vinyl planks or tiles are made of a variety of different materials and adhesives that are not compatible with resinous epoxy coating. In order to apply epoxy coating to the floor, you will have to remove the luxury vinyl tile flooring and prep the concrete surface before applying epoxy paint.
Prices of Epoxy Flooring in Pakistan
The price of epoxy flooring in Pakistan depends on the kind of epoxy coating you intend to use. Whether it is traditional, 3D epoxy flooring or metallic, the prices would vary accordingly. Some homeowners go for theme-based epoxy floors in home décor.
You can get a fancy themed epoxy flooring at PKR 400-850 per square feet, depending on the surface where it is applied and the preparation time and cost. You might need to keep a reserve for extra man hours in removing the previous floor and then applying a new epoxy floor system.
To conclude, epoxy flooring can be installed in any part of the house, as long as you place a skid-free additive on the top coat or else it can get quite slippery, especially in the playroom, bathroom or kitchen where water spillage is common. In a garage, an oil spill can cause an accident if you do not add this safety feature in the epoxy flooring.
Also, with the new 3D and metallic epoxy flooring, there are numerous designs and themes you can choose from, but so much variety makes it difficult to choose the right theme that would go well with your overall décor. You wouldn’t want to invest in an epoxy coating that is not in vogue in the next 3-4 years. Take benefit from its durability and be prepared to have an epoxy coating design that lasts for two decades. Moreover, make sure to meet all the requirements for prepping up the floor for epoxy coating or else the coat will start peeling off, giving an ugly look.
If you have already installed epoxy flooring in your house, then do share your experience with us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about other flooring materials available in the market, don’t forget to check out our comprehensive guides on prices and types of wooden flooring in Pakistan, types and prices of marble flooring as well as prices of different flooring tiles.
For more of such informative posts, stay connected to Zameen Blog – the leading construction blog in Pakistan. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates about home décor, lifestyle and property trends in the country.
