Sahawatthanakit (1988) Co., Ltd.
SAHAWATTHANAKIT(1988) · Make It Smart
Industrial floor coatings compared

Polyurea vs Epoxy vs PUFactory floor coating — choose by chemical + abrasion + cure

The three main industrial floor-coating systems — cure time 1 hr vs 7 days · chemical resistance · ASTM D4060 abrasion · ฿250-1,500 / m² by service requirement

Calculate 15-year TCOWhat we sell for concrete

This is a knowledge page — we do not sell or install polyurea, epoxy or PU floor coatings.

See what we sell

In short — choose by downtime + chemical + budget

Rule of thumb: critical downtime (≤1 day) = polyurea · tight budget + indoor = epoxy · outdoor + wash-down = PU

Heavy-duty + fast cure

Polyurea

  • 1 hr cure → return to service the same day (less downtime)
  • High tensile + elongation — handles thermal cycling + crack bridging
  • Best chemical resistance of the three — chemical plants / seafood / cold storage
  • Needs a plural-component spray rig + certified applicator — high capex
Best for

Cold storage, chemical plants, secondary containment, EV charging station floors

Cost-effective + standard base layer

Epoxy

  • Lowest price per m² — the base coat for general factories
  • High compressive strength — takes forklift + machinery loads
  • Brittle (1-3% elongation) — cracks easily under thermal shock or substrate cracking
  • 3-6 mm self-levelling corrects uneven floors well
Best for

Warehouses, manufacturing floors, parking decks, food production (FDA-grade available)

Balance + abrasion

Polyurethane (PU)

  • Better abrasion + UV than epoxy — suits outdoor + heavy traffic
  • 100-300% elongation — between polyurea and epoxy
  • Aromatic PU = good price · aliphatic = UV stable but ฿+30-50%
  • Ideal as a topcoat over epoxy for traffic + UV
Best for

Parking ramps, loading docks, outdoor walkways, food/beverage with wash-down

14-item comparison table

ItemPolyureaEpoxyPU
Base chemistryIsocyanate + amine resinBisphenol-A epoxy + amine hardenerPolyol + isocyanate prepolymer
Cure time (full)5-15 s gel · 1 hr walk-on · 2-6 hr heavy traffic8-24 hr walk-on · 5-7 days full chemical cure12-24 hr walk-on · 3-5 days full
Pot life (working time)10-90 s (needs plural-component spray)30-60 min30-90 min
Application methodPlural-component spray (rig $30K+)Roller / squeegee / trowelRoller / squeegee / spray
Tensile strength (ASTM D412)16-35 MPa55-85 MPa20-40 MPa
Elongation at break200-500% (accommodates movement)1-3% (brittle)100-300%
Abrasion (Taber CS-17, ASTM D4060)30-80 mg loss / 1000 cyc60-150 mg loss40-100 mg loss
Chemical resistanceExcellent — acids / alkalis / oils / solventsGood — dilute acids / alkalis · poor against solventsModerate — good against oil / grease · poor against concentrated acids
UV stabilityAliphatic = stable · aromatic = yellowsYellows noticeably outdoorsAliphatic = stable · aromatic = yellows
Service temperature-40°C to +120°C continuous-20°C to +80°C-40°C to +90°C
Thickness per pass1.5-3 mm spray0.2-0.5 mm coat · 3-6 mm self-level0.5-2 mm coat · 4-8 mm self-level
Price per m² (installed)฿800-1,500฿250-600฿400-900
Service life15-25 years5-10 years (topcoat replaced)8-15 years
StandardsASTM D7027 · D6083 · NACE SP0288ASTM D4541 · D3359 · ISO 12944-5ASTM D4060 · ISO 4628 · TIS 1409

Specs per ASTM D4060 · D7027 · ISO 12944-5 · TIS 1409 (May 2026). Average installed prices for 500-2,000 m² jobs — larger jobs 15-25% lower

We do not sell floor coatings

For concrete floors and walls in food and pharma plants we carry an antimicrobial concrete sealer that hardens the surface and inhibits mould and algae — it is not a floor coating system.

Calculate 15-year TCOWhat we sell for concrete
Related comparisons

Decide with confidence — compare from several angles

Read the related comparison tables — full specs, real prices, and a recommendation for each use.

Epoxy vs PU vs Acrylic

Industrial paint — choose by UV / chemical / budget

ISO 12944 C3 vs C4 vs C5

Choose the paint system by corrosivity category

Zinc-rich vs Epoxy vs PU

Anti-corrosion paint — 3 different mechanisms

FAQ

Common Questions

Q1.When does Polyurea pay back over Epoxy at 3× the price?+
When downtime opportunity cost exceeds price gap. Epoxy needs 5-7 day full cure (plant shutdown) → ฿50K-500K/day loss. Polyurea cures in 1 hour → same-day return-to-service. Math: 7-day epoxy downtime × ฿100K/day = ฿700K loss vs polyurea ฿+800/sqm × 1,000 sqm = ฿800K premium — break-even. Larger area + higher downtime cost = polyurea always wins.
Q2.Why does epoxy floor crack so easily?+
Epoxy elongation 1-3% — cracks under (1) subfloor crack propagation (concrete shrinks ~600 microstrain/yr first year), (2) thermal cycling > ±25°C, (3) point loads above compressive limit (forklift wheel 5-8t). Fix: crack-bridging primer first, or PU/polyurea topcoat (100-500% elongation) to absorb movement.
Q3.Can I install polyurea myself? Where to source the equipment?+
No — polyurea requires plural-component spray (Graco H-XP2 ฿850K-1.5M) + heated 60-70°C hose + certified applicator. 10-90 second pot life precludes manual mixing. Thailand has ~30-50 certified applicators. (We do not sell polyurea.)
Q4.Food plant floor needs FDA/GMP — which system?+
All 3 have food-contact certified grades — select by (1) FDA 21 CFR 175.300 indirect food contact, (2) HACCP seamless smooth, (3) USDA 7 CFR 58.421. **PU dominates food applications** for wash-down chemical resistance (NaOH, peracetic acid) + slip-resistant aggregate embed. Polyurea suits freezer/cold storage (-30°C).
Q5.Topcoat vs Self-leveling — what's the difference?+
**Topcoat (0.2-1 mm)** = top layer adding UV/chemical/abrasion resistance, applied over leveled body coat. **Self-leveling (3-8 mm)** = fluid body coat that gravity-levels itself, corrects ±5-10 mm subfloor variance. Full system: Primer 0.1 mm → Self-level 3-6 mm → Topcoat 0.3-0.5 mm = 10-15 yr life for heavy traffic.
Q6.Does Sahawatthanakit sell or install floor coatings?+
No — we do not sell or install polyurea, epoxy or PU floor coatings. This page is for reference. For concrete floors and walls in food and pharma plants and hygiene areas we carry an **antimicrobial concrete sealer** that hardens the surface and inhibits mould and algae — it is not a floor coating system. Details on Industrial coatings (/en/paint).
Free advice · a prompt, real quotation during business hours

Still not sure which one fits your job?

Tell us the job in a line — a Sahawatthanakit engineer checks the right industrial paint for you free, with a prompt quotation during business hours.

Or contact us directly:02-096-2118LINE: @sahawatt1988

Used only to contact you · never shared with third parties