If you're tired of the bare concrete floor in your home's basement, applying a concrete floor coating to it is an inexpensive option that will improve its appearance and provide additional protection. Epoxy is the best type of coating to use, since it's the most durable and will help protect the concrete from water. To learn three advantages of choosing an epoxy concrete floor coating for your basement over alternative flooring options, read on.
1. Waterproof
When homeowners want to improve the appearance of their basement by putting flooring over the bare concrete, they often choose options like carpet or vinyl. Unfortunately, basements are often quite humid, and excess moisture can cause damage to most floors. Carpets can harbor mildew and mold, and the adhesive used to attach the vinyl to the concrete will degrade quickly if it's exposed to too much moisture.
Epoxy concrete floor coatings, on the other hand, withstand water much better. While the concrete floor needs to be completely dry when the coating is applied in order for the epoxy to adhere, the coating is waterproof once it has cured. If you need a flooring option that can stand up to humid basement conditions, then an epoxy coating is a great choice.
2. Easy to Keep Clean
In addition to its plain appearance, another downside of having a bare concrete floor in your basement is that it can easily absorb stains. Concrete is porous, so it will absorb any liquids that fall on it. Cleaning chemicals or oil will soak into the concrete, causing stains that are very difficult to remove. When you coat your basement floor with epoxy, you no longer need to worry about staining, since the coating prevents liquids from being absorbed into the concrete.
In addition, many epoxy concrete floor coatings are textured or have dyed flecks in them. This enhances their appearance, and the random patterns in the coating also help to hide stains. In addition to being easier to clean, you also don't have to clean an epoxy coating as often due to the fact that it masks stains better than a bare concrete floor.
3. Durable
Finally, an epoxy concrete floor coating is a very durable option for your basement floor. Once the epoxy coating has cured, it's nearly as hard as the concrete underneath — you don't have to worry about it chipping or flaking off if you accidentally drop a heavy object onto the floor. Epoxy's durability is one of the reasons why this type of concrete floor coating is commonly used in industrial settings, and it will provide added protection to your basement floor as well.
Overall, an epoxy concrete floor coating can provide your basement floor with additional protection in addition to improving its appearance. If you think that an epoxy coating would be a good choice for your basement, contact a coating contractor in your area and ask how much it will cost to have your basement coated — while it's possible to apply an epoxy coating to your basement floor by yourself, preparing the concrete surface is quite labor-intensive, so it's often best to have it done by a professional.
For more information on concrete floor coatings like epoxy, reach out to a local coating contractor.