Polyurethane floors
The main difference from epoxy is not the chemistry but the behaviour. Cured epoxy is rigid: it is stronger in compression, but a crack in the concrete goes straight through it. Polyurethane is elastic — it stretches and bridges the opening crack instead of copying it.
That is where the field of use comes from. Polyurethane is chosen not because it is “better”, but because the substrate is alive: thermal movement, vibration, slab deflection, hairline cracks.
Where it works
- car parks and ramps: the slab moves with temperature, plus de-icing salt in winter;
- trafficked decks and outdoor areas: aliphatic polyurethane does not yellow under ultraviolet, epoxy does;
- cold stores and rooms with a temperature swing;
- sports and fitness halls, and rooms where underfoot resilience and noise reduction matter;
- halls with vibrating equipment.
What you pay for the elasticity
Honestly: polyurethane is softer. In indentation and under point loads from solid wheels it gives way to filled epoxy. Where heavy forklifts on solid wheels run across the floor, a quartz-filled epoxy mortar lasts longer.
So the common answer is not “either/or” but a combination: an epoxy base where the load presses, a polyurethane top where ultraviolet or elasticity is needed.
Typical thicknesses
| 0.3–0.6 mm | Thin-film protection and dust sealing. |
|---|---|
| 2–3 mm | Self-levelling elastic coating. |
| Multi-layer systems | Waterproofing systems for car parks and trafficked decks are built thicker and in several layers, with reinforcement at movement joints and upstands. |
Where polyurethane is the wrong answer
- steam cleaning and shock freezing — that is polyurethane-cement, not ordinary polyurethane;
- an electrostatic requirement — antistatic floors;
- heavy solid wheels and impact — quartz-filled epoxy floors.
We are not tied to a single brand: we select the material for the task and can supply any manufacturer’s. Four things drive the choice — budget, site conditions, load and the required service life. Supply and installation are on us.
The section overview page: “Industrial polymer floors”.