Understanding the Difference between a Polyurea, Polyaspartic, and Epoxy Garage Floor in New Orleans

Polyurea or polyaspartic floor coatings have become tremendously popular in the flooring industry in the last few years. Although relatively new, this option has become a favorite alternative to epoxy for garage floors in New Orleans. One of the reasons this type of coating is so popular is that it offers the benefits of fast curing. In deciding which type of coating is the best option for a project, it’s important to understand the difference between polyurea, polyaspartic, and epoxy floor coatings.

First, it should be understood that polyurea is actually a subcategory of polyurethane. It is similar to epoxy in that it is comprised of a two-part component that combines resin with a catalyst to create a curing reaction. This is what causes the material to harden. The fact that this product offers little to no VOCs also makes it popular. Since it also has an incredibly fast cure rate, specialized equipment is typically required for application.

Polyaspartic is actually a type of aliphatic polyurea. The benefit of this product is that it helps to overcome the challenges offered by an incredibly fast cure rate while still allowing the ability to apply the coating using more traditional methods. So, while any polyaspartic coating is actually a polyurea, that does not mean that a polyurea is a polyaspartic coating.

Either way, the biggest benefits offered by a polyurea or polyaspartic floor coating are time and temperature. Polyaspartic coatings, such as SunOne, can be applied in environments in which the temperatures have dipped as low as minus-30 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, it is not necessary to limit application to only certain times of the year in cold climates. Most polyaspartic and polyurea floor coatings can be applied using only two coats. The fast cure rates offered by these products make it possible to install a complete garage floor in New Orleans in a single day. By comparison, a fully epoxy system might require up to five days, during which time the floor would be out of service.

Polyurea and polyaspartic floor coatings also provide a number of other benefits, including complete UV stability, meaning they will never yellow, as well as a high-gloss finish and high tolerance to heat. A clear finish also helps ensure there are no worries about the floor blushing as a result of moisture presence in the concrete.