While Epoxy floors offer extremely durable floor coatings at a cost efficient price it’s important to know whether epoxy is the right choice for you. Lets dig in to a question we get asked often. Are epoxy coatings safe?
SAFE?
To answer the question in one word. YES! Epoxy floor coatings are extremely safe when properly applied. To understand if there are any hazards when applying an epoxy floor coating, we need to know how epoxy resins are formulated. Epoxy Resins are comprised of two components. A hardener and a resin. When mixing the two together a chemical reaction occurs initiating the hardening process. Once the coating is applied to the floor and molecular chains react the process of curing begins. What makes epoxies so diverse is that they can be monitored by temperature and the compound choices in the resin and hardener giving it different levels of strength, abrasion, thermal and chemical resistance.
VOCS
All epoxy have a VOC level. This refers to the volatile organic compounds that make it up. VOCs are what give epoxy it’s odor. Most epoxies on the market today (and many of the products we sell) are almost 100% solids meaning they have little to no VOCs. During the application process epoxies will give off an odor and it will be heightened in confined areas like basements and underground storage rooms. It is important to make sure to wear a mask with a vapor cartridge to pick any of the bad VOCs that you do not want to breath in.
Final Product
Once the epoxy has been laid and the floor is cured its is completely safe for children, animals and adults. Remember to always read the instructions given with the product you are using and if you have a question or concern always ask before applying!