All About Self-Levelling Floor Coatings in the U.S.
Self-leveling floor coatings create durable, long-lasting floors for facilities that encounter a lot of foot traffic, potential impacts, drastic temperatures and hazardous chemicals. They are an excellent option for laying new floors with low-maintenance costs, protecting concrete and steel reinforcements, creating level surfaces in areas with high foot traffic, and avoiding scratches, scuffs and stains over time.
Self-leveling floor coatings are compounds applied over concrete floors to create a smooth, durable, low-maintenance flooring surface. The four most common types are epoxy, polyurethane, polyaspartic and acrylic floor coatings. Each type of self-leveling floor coating has unique benefits and applications, but they are all typically used in various commercial and industrial facilities. As the name suggests, self-leveling floor coatings automatically spread over the surface area of a given floor, filling in bumps, cracks and scratches to create a completely smooth finish.
Self-leveling floor coatings are advantageous because they help facilities achieve functionality and thoughtful design. Depending on the type of self-leveling floor coating used, you experience benefits like:
Self-leveling floor coatings are used for several commercial, industrial and residential applications. Since most self-leveling floor coatings are stain-resistant, chemical-resistant or impact resistant, you commonly see these floors in:
When applying self-leveling floor coatings, it's important to prepare the area, use professional equipment and work with a contractor you trust. One small mistake could prevent the coating from adhering to the substrate, cause unevenness or result in bumps and air bubbles.
Professional mixing stations, from the Portamix range, can help you avoid those fatal errors. Portamix Hippo Mixers are equipped with a powerful motor to mix your flooring compound more thoroughly and faster than traditional mixing stations. Moreover, Hippo Mixers are portable and feature a closed-loop control handle to help regulate the amount of flooring compound you pour into each area.
After mixing, pouring and leveling your floor coating, you must wait for the compound to cure before you can use the floor. Each self-leveling floor coating has a different cure time, so pay attention to the instructions to ensure a successful project.