Everything You Need To Know About Polyurethane Floor Paint

Polyurethane, also known and referred to as PU Paint, is a resilient synthetic resin used in paints and coatings because of its excellent performance. It is a popular choice as it is UV-resistant and doesn’t discolour or fade when exposed to direct sunlight.

This type of floor paint is simple to use because they’re thermosetting polyurethanes. The drying time for polyurethane paints depends on the type; oil-based coatings take longer to dry than water-based ones but require fewer coats because they are thicker.

Polyurethane paints come in a variety of colours and are suitable for a variety of floor surfaces, including stone, wood, and concrete. Garage, factory, warehouse, and workshop floors are typically protected by it. Polyurethane paints are often chosen for their versatility, as they can be applied both indoors and outdoors.

As you’ll learn the benefits and uses, we would like to introduce our different products using Polyurethane:

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Anti Slip

Carbogrip Anti Slip Polyurethane Floor Paint

Palatine

£25.23 – £191.04

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Floor Paint & Coatings

Carbotread Smooth Polyurethane Floor Paint

Palatine

£21.03 – £159.20

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Floor Varnish / Lacquer

Polyurethane Floor Varnish Clear

Palatine

£10.22 – £145.37

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Aerosols

Polyurethane Gloss Varnish Spray Paint

Palatine

£7.71 – £73.11

Polyurethane Floor Paint – Questions & Answers

Before we dig in, let’s go over the most received questions we’re asked with the answers:

Question: Why is Polyurethane preferred over normal floor paint?

Answer: Because of their durability and wear resistance, polyurethane coatings are preferable to acrylic and alkyd paints for industrial applications, chosen where there is high floor traffic. The simplicity of application is also why it is common. We also offer anti-slip floor paint as mentioned in the link above.

Question: Is Polyurethane better than epoxy?

Answer: Polyurethane floors are scratch-resistant thanks to their soft, elastic nature, making them suitable for multi-story parking lots, where there is a lot of foot traffic. In general, the polyurethane system has more advantages than a roller-applied epoxy coating, which includes a longer life span than an epoxy coating.

Without going into too much technical detail, Polyurethanes offer a much higher cold, heat and thermal shock resistance, generally speaking, this coating can hold in temperatures over 100°C vs epoxy at around 60°C, again this is favoured for fire protection reasons where industrial components are popular.

Question: How long after the application of Polyurethane can I be in the property?

Answer: Because polyurethane releases a lot of fumes the first 24 hours after application, even the water-based variety is subject to this, it is generally recommended to not stay in the property for 24/48 hours while the fumes have subsided.

Question: Is Polyurethane waterproof?

Answer: Yes, it is and Polyurethane provides a corrosion-resistant barrier because of its resistance to water, steam, moisture, and most chemicals.

Polyurethane Floor Paint Preparation and Application For Concrete Floors

As Polyurethane paints have a vast range of applications, ranging from Industrial to other types such as sports surfaces, screeds, metal surfaces etc the application process may differ for each one. We’re going to go over how to apply PU on wood/concrete flooring.

What you’ll need

• Carbosolv multi-purpose thinner
• Coor-Var Acid Etch
• Carbosolv White Spirit
• Carbogrip Anti Slip Polyurethane Floor Paint or;
• Carbotread Smooth Polyurethane Floor Paint
• 9” Roller and pole set
• Paint Tray
• Mini Roller and frame
• Gloves

You can read the publications issued by the health and safety executive (HSE) for suitable flooring types and paints here.

Preparation for concrete floors

• Ensure that you apply the PU paint on a matured concrete surface that is at least a few weeks old, due to the moisture content. It needs to be as dry as possible.
• Remove any loose dirt, dust and debris from the surface.
• Remove traces of grease, oils or stubborn stains with our Carbosolv multi-purpose thinner
• To ensure you get proper adhesion on concrete if you have a smooth finish, you should treat the floor with this product Coor-Var Acid Etch, it removes residual laitance giving you the adhesion required for the PU paint. If you have used this, please wash the floor and wait to dry before applying your first coat of PU.
• Is it strongly recommended that you seal the concrete floor, you can do this by diluting your first coat up to 20% of the volume using Carbosolv White Spirit.

Application

• Open up the tin and stir the PU slowly to mix it
• Cut around the edges of the room using a roller or a paintbrush as this will make the remaining job easier
• Pour the Polyurethane paint into the tray, using your roller go from one side of the room and apply the first coat
• After the first coat is fully dried (after 24 hours minimum), apply a second coat at full strength.
• Our paint is touch dry in just 3 hours

Top Tip: Although the oil-based polyurethane finish is a little more difficult to apply initially, it requires less maintenance and fewer reapplications. On the other hand, a water-based polyurethane finish is less demanding initially, but it must be maintained frequently and reapplied every two years because of UV rays and pet traffic. The reapplication frequency is based on the amount of traffic on the floor.

Polyurethane Varnish Preparation and Application For Wooden Floors

Your wooden floors deserve the highest quality finish, Polyurethane finishes are simple to apply and cure quickly. They preserve wood floors and preserve their attractiveness by protecting them against moisture and wear.

The application is very similar to the concrete step-by-step guide but the only difference is using Polyurethane as a Varnish. You’ll be using the same products as above but with our Palatine floor varnish, follow the same methods above but ensure you lightly sand down the existing flooring to allow the varnish to adhere and remember to hoover up dust and clean off debris.

Have a read through our blog Foor Varnish…A Spotlight on Customer’s Projects, which shows you our customer’s projects from using Palatines Polyurethane floor varnish.

If you are looking for an Anti-slip textured version of this paint, then you can purchase it here