Epoxy Flooring vs Polyurethane Flooring | Epoxy vs PU

Today, there are plenty of flooring solutions. Commercial areas, residential places, public buildings, all have their niche for the types of floor they need. Even in those, there are multiple options used for various puirposes, within a single facility. One of the popular solutions, is resinous floors.

Commercial areas require durable floors. This is because they experience heaps of heavy traffic, on a daily basis. Resin is quite popular for the reason that it is flexible, but tough. This means that it can handle heavy loads, as well as impact. 

For years, these have been a norm for industrial areas. But again, these are also of different types. The two most considerable types, that are often talked about and compared:

- Epoxy Flooring

- PU Flooring (/Polyurethane flooring)

Let's first get to what these two are, and then to how they compare. Finally, we aim to create ease for your decision, based on your needs.

Epoxy Flooring

Epoxy resins are also a type of polymers. They're also known as polyepoxides, which is where the name comes from.  They're reacted with themselves or with hardeners, to form a tough material. This material is also heat-resistant and chemical resistant.

It is a hard plastic floor. It's resistant to oil and water. Epoxy flooring is also known, for it's resistance to impact and ability to handle strain. It is added as a finishing to plain concrete floors. This makes the floor smooth, glossy, and visually appealing. 

This is two parter layering solution. Solid based, and solvent or water based.

PU Flooring

Polyutherane is a polymer, as the name suggests. Organic units are joined with the use of carbamate links, to make this material. They're mostly resistant to heat, and do not melt upon heating. 

As a flooring option, they're made to be flexible and resistant to abrasion. PU Flooring is known for it's life-span, and glossiness. One great thing about Polyurethane floors, is that they retain their aesthetic even after coming in contact with abrasive materials. This is also due to their flexibility and toughness.

They can be water based or oil based, according to the requirement.

PU Flooring vs Epoxy Flooring

Polyutherane is a flexible material. Epoxy is a hard material. For the most part, this is a qualifier for PU flooring. This property helps it be more suitable for high traffic areas, as it makes the floor resistant to impact and damage. But to place it as the winner for all situations based on this one factor, would also be jumping to conclusions. 

They both protect concrete floors from damage, water, and dirt. But they both have their pros and cons. Today at MBT, we're going to compare them and see which one is better for which situation.

Points for PU

• PU floors are better suited for scratch and abrasion resistance
• PU floors can handle higher levels of hot and cold temperatures
• PU floors offer better resistance to a variety of chemicals (e.g. fruit acids)
• PU floors can be more durable in certain settings, due to their flexibility
• PU floors cure faster
• PU floors last longer

Points for Epoxy

• Epoxy floors generally costs lesser
• Epoxy floors are tougher, and more durable for heavy equipment handling
• Epoxy is also resistant to various chemicals - better than PU in some cases (like battery acids)
• Epoxy is better for moist or humid areas
• Epoxy is easier to apply, and can be applied by inexperienced people as well

Conclusion

So which one should you pick for your facility? To be honest, it all depends on your specific needs. We can't generalize them for all sorts of a specific environment.

However, there is a common trend. PU flooring is a common choice for freezing chambers, multideck car parking areas, and food industries. Whereas, Epoxy flooring is more suitable for heavy duty industries, warehouses and logistics centers.

Keep in mind though, that this is a general trend. But there are places where things might differ or vary in some way. To be sure, you should get an expert opinion for your requirements. This will help you make the most optimum decision for your floors. 

Where to get these services from?

That was a brief comparison between epoxy and pu flooring solutions. We appreciate your presence here, on MBT’s blog. Since you’re still here, we assume you need to acquire flooring services too. If you’re actually here just for a quick read, that’s all good too. But if you are looking for the services, that’s even better. 

Where are you located?

It all depends on your location. Based on where you live, you can ask around. Do your research, about where you can go for worthwhile local services. Around the globe, you’ll find many trustworthy and reliable service providers.

Flooring Solutions in Dubai

If you’re somewhere in the Emirates (/UAE) or nearby however, Habibi you’re in luck! You needn’t go anywhere else.

Why? Cause MBT is located right here in Dubai. That’s right. We offer all kinds of flooring solutions, in the UAE. Plus, we do have many other things going.

Why you should work with MBT

MBT has already worked with various reputable organizations. We've done many projects in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, you know you can trust us with your work. No sweat.  

MBT’s Ample Collection Of Past Projects

We welcome you to click here, to browse through our previous projects on profles, edges, trims and more.

MBT deals with more flooring solutions and also with armstrong, bioclad, forbo, gerflor, polyflor, responsive, carpet land and other brands.

Furthermore, MBT's luxury vinyl tile creates stunning floors. We design them to look like hardwood or stone. They're built to endure the busiest lifestyles. This make them a viable solution for kitchens, baths, basements, and beyond.

We're also one of the best skirting suppliers in the market. We offer numerous varieties of skirtings. They easily provide an aesthetic appearance, and satisfy every client's architectural design.

We offer the following flooring solutions in the UAE:

Reach Out to Us:

Contact us here, to acquire our services. Or browse a few more articles here.

Let us know what you think

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