When it comes to finding a long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing flooring option for your home, nothing quite exceeds the beauty and function of epoxy. Epoxy floors are well-known for their incredible durability and attractive appearance in kitchens, basements, garages, and practically anywhere else. If you’re considering installing epoxy flooring at your home, you may ask the question, How long do epoxy floors last? If this is a question you’ve been wondering, you have certainly come to the right place to learn the answer.
In general, epoxy floors can last 10 to 20 years or more. Even when undergoing heavy traffic, epoxy floors will last at least 2 to 3 years. Epoxy floors are also easy to patch, meaning if you have a damaged section, the floor can still last for years.
Proper maintenance is the key to prolong the life of epoxy flooring. If you’re unsure how to maintain an epoxy floor, have no worries! Today, we’ll dive into the top tips for maintaining epoxy floors to increase their longevity. By regularly cleaning and maintaining your epoxy flooring, you can keep your floors in top condition for many years to come.
What is the Average Lifespan of Epoxy Flooring?
Before we dive into the details of proper epoxy flooring maintenance, it’s important to understand the typical lifespan of epoxy floors. Because epoxy is a durable substance, it’s easy to assume that epoxy floors last forever. This, however, is not always the case, especially if your flooring receives heavy traffic. Epoxy floors in garages and commercial properties generally have a much shorter lifespan due to the heavy impact and high traffic levels they receive.
Typically, epoxy flooring lasts 2 to 3 years when experiencing high traffic such as in garages. When installed in homes, however, epoxy floors generally last much longer. With proper maintenance, you can expect your epoxy floors to last 10 to 20 years, if not longer.
When determining the average lifespan of epoxy flooring, it’s important to consider the environment it must endure. The heavy impact from vehicles, machinery, tools, and high foot traffic can greatly reduce an epoxy flooring’s lifespan. Additionally, any damage to existing flooring may affect the quality and longevity of an epoxy floor coating.
Although epoxy will eventually wear out over the years, it is an extremely durable flooring material for various locations. Whether you install it inside your home or out in the garage, epoxy flooring will endure heavy impact without cracking or chipping. Furthermore, epoxy’s high resistance to multiple chemicals and oils makes it longer lasting than other flooring options.
To ensure your epoxy flooring continues to function properly, it’s important to provide it with routine maintenance. Regular cleaning is essential for increasing the floor’s lifespan, as well as maintaining its pristine appearance. Additionally, you may consider recoating your flooring every few years to maintain the epoxy’s shine.
How to Maintain Epoxy Floors
Routine maintenance is important for prolonging the life of your epoxy floors. Fortunately, epoxy floors are generally much easier to maintain than other types of flooring. In most cases, spot cleaning is enough to keep epoxy floors in top condition for several weeks. Every 3 to 4 months, you may need to provide your epoxy floors with a deep cleaning, particularly if it is heavily soiled or stained.
Cleaning epoxy floors typically requires sweeping the surface, spot cleaning spills, removing stains, and cleaning heavily soiled areas. In addition, you may desire to thoroughly clean the epoxy flooring every few months. While cleaning epoxy floors may sound like a difficult task, routine maintenance is actually a fairly easy process. Below, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide for cleaning epoxy floors to extend the epoxy’s lifespan.
Keep the Epoxy Surface Dirt and Grit Free
Although epoxy flooring is highly resistant to chemicals, stains, scratches, and cracks, it is critical to keep the surface free of dirt and debris. Not only do grit particles create an unsightly appearance on your beautiful epoxy flooring, but they can scratch the surface over time. This, in turn, will damage the flooring and shorten the epoxy’s lifespan.
To keep your epoxy flooring free of debris, you will need to sweep the surface with a soft dust mop once or twice a week. If you’d rather vacuum the flooring, be sure to use a soft brush attachment to avoid scratching the surface. Remember to always be gentle when cleaning the epoxy surface. Allow the vacuum to gently glide across the floor when removing dirt, sand, and other particles.
Spot Clean Epoxy Flooring
Cleaning up drips and spills immediately after they occur is often the best way to keep epoxy floors clean. Because epoxy is water-resistant, liquid spills can easily be cleaned by mopping the surface with warm water. Additionally, you may vacuum the surface to remove liquid as well as debris.
As always, be gentle when spot-cleaning epoxy floors. Never use harsh chemicals or hard brushes to remove liquid spills and stains. Only use a mop or damp towel to carefully clean the epoxy surface.
Remove Stains on Epoxy Flooring
Whether you’ve installed epoxy coating on your garage floor or in your living room, stains are likely to appear on your glossy epoxy finish. To rid your epoxy flooring of these unsightly stains, gently scrub the area using either a kitchen scrubbing sponge or a soft deck brush. For best results, use warm water to effectively remove the stains. Avoid using soap-based cleaners or other chemicals that may leave a residue on your epoxy flooring.
Clean Heavily Soiled Epoxy Surfaces
Depending on where you’ve installed your epoxy flooring, you may find yourself dealing with heavily soiled surfaces. To bring back the shine to your soiled epoxy flooring, quickly sweep and vacuum the affected area. From here, use a hard foam mop with hot water to remove any dirt and grit. Alternatively, you may dip the hard foam mop into diluted ammonia to remove stains or marks.
Thoroughly Clean Your Epoxy Flooring Every Few Months
While spot cleaning is effective for cleaning up small spills and drips, a thorough cleaning is recommended every few months for epoxy floors. This deep cleaning includes mopping the entire surface and sweeping loose debris. Additionally, you may use a brush or sponge to remove any stains that may have appeared over the months.
The best method for cleaning epoxy flooring is to use a diluted ammonia mix. Apply the mixture to the affected area and allow it to rest for five minutes. You may then use a stiff bristle nylon brush to scrub the surface.
Never use soap-based cleaners on epoxy flooring, as they may leave a residue on the epoxy’s surface. This will ultimately create a cloudy appearance on your beautiful epoxy floors. In addition, it’s important to avoid vinegar and citrus cleaners, as they may cause the epoxy coating to fade over time. Only use diluted ammonia as directed for cleaning your epoxy floors.
Tips for Extending the Life of Epoxy Flooring
Extending the life of your epoxy flooring requires giving your epoxy floors the best possible care. While we’ve already covered the basics of epoxy floor maintenance, there are many other tips for increasing an epoxy floor’s lifespan. Below, let’s take a closer look at the best ways to promote long-lasting epoxy flooring.
Recoat Your Epoxy Flooring
Recoating your epoxy floors every few years is an excellent way to maintain your flooring’s shine. Because epoxy can become dull over the years, it is best to reapply epoxy every 2 to 3 years, or as needed. In addition to boosting the floor’s appearance, recoating epoxy flooring increases the floor’s durability and resistance. In turn, you can extend your epoxy flooring lifespan by several years.
Before recoating epoxy floors, be sure to prepare the existing flooring. This process generally requires using a grease-cutting detergent to remove oils and chemicals. Additionally, you may need to repair any holes or cracks that have developed on the surface. By preparing the existing epoxy flooring before recoating, you can promote a solid bond between the new coat and the flooring.
Regularly Maintain Epoxy Floors
As we’ve previously mentioned, regular maintenance is essential for extending the life of your epoxy floor. In addition to cleaning the epoxy’s surface, it’s important to protect the floors from oil and chemicals. Always clean liquid spills immediately after they occur to prevent damage to your epoxy floors.
If you’ve installed epoxy flooring in your garage, it’s crucial to immediately clean up any gasoline spills or leaks, as they can cause permanent damage to the surface. Moreover, household cleaners and substances such as paint should be wiped with a damp towel as soon as possible.
Hire a Professional to Install Epoxy Floors
If you haven’t yet installed epoxy flooring in your home, consider hiring a professional service to apply the epoxy finish. Although it is possible to do the project yourself, hiring a professional ensures the flooring is installed correctly. Additionally, choosing to hire a professional service guarantees that only the highest quality materials are used during the process. In turn, you can be assured your epoxy floors will last for several years.
