Do epoxy floors crack? Do they chip? Do they become damaged? It’s only natural to ask such questions when you get ready to install an epoxy floor. And it would be natural to ask the same questions before getting any other floor too. After all, installing floors is a big and expensive improvement – one that usually comes with some hassle, especially if you have things and furniture to move.
Since we are talking about your floor – the surface you step on, the place where many people may stand on, the part of the house your children play on, or the part of your business your visitors wait, it’s important to know the negatives.
The positives are all for the good. It’s the negatives that scare us, especially when we are caught off guard and don’t know how to face a specific – unexpected, problem. Now, when it comes to a problem with the floor, it’s more than frustrating. And so, it’s always best to get your facts straight from the start.
Epoxy floors look good, feel good, last for a long time, and have an extraordinary endurance to heavy traffic – that’s why epoxy is often used for garage floors, industrial warehouses, and other demanding areas. All the same, they may still crack and chip. Now, the question is not whether they may crack but how easily they may crack, for what reasons, and if there’s anything we can do about it.
Why do epoxy floors crack?
There are several reasons why epoxy floors may crack. Now, don’t take it for granted that epoxy floors will crack but when they do, they crack for one of the following reasons.
· When the concrete floor under epoxy is already cracked and not fixed before applying the epoxy.
· When there are shifts in the foundation of the building. This happens because epoxy is not flexible and any foundation movement will create a crack.
· Epoxy floor cracks may also happen due to abrupt or constant temperature fluctuations. Whether we are talking about an epoxy garage floor or an interior epoxy floor, extreme temperatures will create cracks. That’s also due to the epoxy’s lack of flexibility which makes the material unable to handle stress.
· Epoxy floors with bubbles will also be prone to cracking. They will also crack easier if something rather heavy falls on the floor. Bubbles are often a sign of a bad installation. And so, it’s vital that you find experienced epoxy flooring contractors – not everyone knows how to mix the ingredients, prepare epoxy, and apply epoxy on the floor.
· Moisture is also an enemy of epoxy floors because they too create bubbles, which can burst and create cracks.
Not all cracks are big and scary. Some are so tiny you can hardly see them. And sometimes, we don’t even talk about cracks but some chips that often occur due to tiny bubbles and even more often when objects fall on the floor.
How can you avoid epoxy flooring cracks?
The sad truth is that you cannot always avoid cracks. After all, epoxy is usually applied on busy places and high traffic floors. It’s hard to control traffic, spills, temperatures, and accidents. But if we wanted to offer a piece of prevention advice, we would say to be careful with falling objects. At first, it may be a chip but the chip may grow into a significant bruise. Or, impact may create a tiny crack that could get worse over time.
One thing you can do is find epoxy floor contractors with experience. The proportion of resins and hardeners used is as vital as much as the way epoxy is applied on the floor. One more thing you can do is make sure all concrete cracks and chips are fixed before the epoxy is applied.
Can epoxy floor cracks be fixed?
Yes, the good news is that the epoxy cracks can be fixed. They are actually filled. But it’s best if you don’t let any cracks unattended. If you do, the cracks will only get bigger and you will be forced to have the epoxy floor resurfaced instead of fixed.
