Looking for concrete basement floor ideas? You’ve come to the right place.
Top Coat Concrete specializes in durable polyaspartic coatings (the new-and-improved epoxy) for concrete, which are perfect for garage floors, basement floors, and even outdoor spaces and can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of hardwood, vinyl, or almost any other flooring solutions.
We’ve put together this gallery of photos and commentary to help you envision or find inspiration for your epoxy basement floor coating – and to learn a little more about costs.
Epoxy Floor Coatings: Right For Your Basement Floor?
By way of introduction, let’s briefly explain how floor coatings work, and why epoxy paint is no longer the product of choice for discerning homeowners.
Today, most every professional basement coating company is using a combination of polyurea and polyaspartic coatings. Polyurea serves as a colored basecoat, while polyaspartic serves as the clear and protective topcoat.
Why?
Polyaspartic coatings have a handful of benefits over and improvements on epoxy coatings.
Reasons To Choose Poly For Your Basement Floor
Polyaspartic is More Durable
Polyaspartic coatings are more flexible than epoxy, making them resistant to the small expansions and contractions of their underlying concrete, while still being highly durable and low maintenance, like epoxy. Polyaspartic coatings offer increased durability with a thinner application and are ideal for areas like garages, basements, pools, and patios due to their resistance to heat, cold, salt, and chemicals.
Polyaspartic is UV Resistant
Unlike epoxy, polyaspartic coatings do not yellow over time when exposed to sunlight and UV rays. This makes them highly suitable for outdoor areas or spaces with significant exposure to sunlight, which includes garages and, frequently, basements with daylight entrances.
Polyasapartic Cures More Quickly
Polyaspartic coatings have a faster curing time compared to epoxy. This quick curing process makes them a convenient choice for projects where time is a constraint. They can be walked on within about 24 hours, compared to epoxy which does not fully cure for about seven days.
Still, many of our clients use the term “epoxy” as a catch-all for flooring options that get painted on. We caution, however, that latex paint, true epoxy coatings, and concrete paint simply won’t hold up as well as polyaspartic coatings.
Concrete Basement Floor Ideas and Pictures
Dressing up a storage space and pitted concrete with flakes.
This small space and concrete floor had multiple cracks and pitting, requiring some concrete patch before applying an epoxy coating (polyaspartic).
Upgrading a small bathroom for cleanliness and aesthetics.
This roughly 150 square foot basement bathroom needed a good cleaning before receiving an epoxy application.
Polyaspartic epoxy flooring is perfect for a space like this because it eliminates moisture issues, is easy to clean, meets regional health department requirements, and is completely mold resistant when cared for.
Protecting this basement floor entertainment area.
This basement served as a rec room and didn’t receive heavy foot traffic. Without extensive preparation, this epoxy flooring was a cost-effective solution for the homeowner.
A glossy finish for this school’s concrete floor.
From drab to fab, this concrete floor is easier than ever to clean: important with dozens of little feet scampering around day after day. All it takes is a mild detergent for cleaning, and proper maintenance is a breeze.
Making these camp showers mold free.
We were able to add durability and make for an easy-to-clean flooring solution in this refinished camp shower.
What Makes a Coating Perfect for Concrete Floors? The Pros of Epoxy Floor Coatings
- Polyaspartic resists mold spores and mildew.
- A properly installed epoxy basement floor coating can last for decades.
- Available in multiple colors and flakes to fit any vision or home/business aesthetic.
- Environmentally friendly thanks to very little waste material compared to vinyl planks or carpet that must be replaced every decade or so.
- Easy to clean with little more than occasional sweeping and mopping with a mild soap.
- High resistance to impact damage, scratches, or cracking.
- A fraction of the cost of wood, planks, or tile, a good polyaspartic coating will save money.
Tips for Applying and Maintaining Your Epoxy Floors
First off, we always recommend working with a professional when coating concrete floors. We have the experience and expertise to deal with the many nuances of epoxy floor applications, including how to apply polyaspartic so it lasts and the final result looks great!
If you’re tackling your own concrete coating project, take your time and read the instructions on the packaging, plus follow the tips below:
Basement Epoxy Coating Pro Suggestions
- Begin by addressing cracks or pits by grinding them out, then applying a concrete patch of epoxy patch. This can be a time-consuming process but is important to a fresh final coat.
- If excessively dirty, clean the concrete floors and allow to dry completely before you apply epoxy. Eliminating moisture is key to getting good adhesion. While grinding, we wear a respirator mask for safety.
- In many cases, we also grind down the entire floor to prepare a good surface for adhesion.
- Apply a first coat of polyurea base coat. While still slightly wet, apply flakes, if desired. These flakes stick to the surface before it is allowed to fully dry properly.
- Apply a second coat, which is generally a clear polyaspartic coating.
- Allow the surface to cure for 24 hours before walking on it. Another 24 hours later, you can begin moving furniture back into the space.
- Epoxy is perfect for residential settings and commercial settings alike because it’s just so darn easy to maintain and clean: a broom and mop is all it takes.
- Decorative flakes help to hide excess dirt on the floor better than solid colors alone.
Can I use my basement immediately after applying an epoxy coating?
For true epoxy, you may need a few days to cure. For polyurea/polyaspartic, you can expect to be able to walk in the space after about a day.
We tell customers they can walk on our basement floor projects the day after we leave, and they can begin to move back into the space on the second day.
Ready to learn more?
Top Coat Concrete is the best concrete coating company in Pittsburgh, helping homeowners and businesses create durable and dependable spaces. We take pride in our work, provide transparent concrete floor coating prices, and work hard to make your space more beautiful than ever.
