Polyaspartic Vs. Polyurea Floor Coatings: What Are The Differences?

If you’re thinking about adding a floor coating (aka concrete coating) to your home, you’re wondering your options and which is best for your project. 

While researching different floor coating types, you’ve probably seen polyaspartic and polyurea pop up a lot.

Polyaspartic and polyurea concrete coatings have become a popular choice for many homeowners. They are both highly durable, long-lasting, and have a lot of the same benefits. 

Is there a difference between them?

If you’re searching for the right concrete coating for you, you want to know what makes each type of coating unique and which will be best for your project. 

At Southwest Exteriors, we offer industrial concrete coatings from Penntek. This coating consists of a polyurea base coat, vinyl colored chip blend, and polyaspartic concrete coating. As an exterior remodeling contractor since 1989, we want to offer you the highest quality products on the market. Penntek coatings provide just that. 

This is why we only install Penntek concrete coatings to offer you a lifelong solution for your concrete coating. 

No matter the concrete surface, you want to make sure you have all the right information to choose the best type of coating for you. 

This article will outline what polyaspartic and polyurea concrete coatings are, their benefits, and differences. 

After reading, you will know what makes these coatings different in their material, performance, and how they work together. 

What is a polyurea coating? 

Polyurea coatings are one of the most popular types of concrete coatings. Polyurea is an elastomer that bonds a synthetic resin with an isocyanate material through step-growth polymerization. 

What does that even mean?

Basically, polyurea is a combination of a polymer and isocyanate. Isocyanate is a flexible compound used in fibers and foams and is also used to strengthen concrete, steel, and fiberglass. This creates a durable yet flexible mixture for a concrete coating. 

What are some of the benefits of polyurea concrete coatings? 

The makeup of polyurea concrete coatings gives it many benefits that make the coating long-lasting. 

Some of the benefits of polyurea concrete coatings are: 

• Extremely durable and flexible
• Withstands changing temperatures
• High impact resistance
• Resistant to fading
• Fast dry time 
• Long-lasting

Because polyurea is a polymer, it makes it flexible to high-impact. This makes polyurea concrete coatings resistant to chipping and cracking. The flexibility of polyurea also allows it to survive in a climate with changing temperatures without cracking or peeling up. 

Polyurea also has a fast dry-time, so it can be installed in one day with the ability to walk on it in less than 24 hours.

What is a polyaspartic floor coating? 

Polyaspartic concrete coatings are a derivative of polyurea coatings, so they have a lot of similar properties. To create a polyaspartic compound, a partially blocked amine (a chemical compound containing nitrogen) is reacted with an isocyanate to create a different version of a polyurea. 

Polyaspartics, polyureas, and polyurethanes all have similar properties. They live under the same family, are created from a similar process, and are all polymers. 

What are some of the benefits of polyaspartic concrete coatings? 

Polyurea and polyaspartic coatings have a lot of similar benefits because of their similar makeup.

Some of the benefits of polyaspartic floor coatings are: 

• Low VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• Fast dry time
• Stain and oil-resistant 
• Scratch and impact-resistant
• UV stable
• High-gloss finish

Similar to polyurea concrete coatings, polyaspartics are highly durable and impact and scratch-resistant. Their low VOCs mean their fumes will not linger much longer past application, which can damage your health. 

What are the differences between a polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating? 

Now that you know more about polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coatings, we can point out some of their key differences. 

Polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coatings can be used separately. But, they are typically paired together to create the most durable and long-lasting coating. 

Polyaspartic coatings work well as a topcoat to polyurea. They have a few characteristics that make them better than polyurea. 

1. Polyaspartic coatings are UV stable

One major difference between polyaspartic and polyurea coatings is that polyaspartic coatings are UV stable. This means that a polyaspartic coating won’t fade, yellow, or become worn under the sun.

Some polyurea coatings can have additives that make them more UV resistant, but polyaspartic can protect your coating against harmful UV rays better than polyurea. 

2. Polyaspartic coatings have a longer pot time 

Both polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coatings have a fast cure-time. This means you won’t have to wait days to be able to use your new flooring. But, polyaspartic coatings have a longer pot time than regular polyurea coatings. 

The pot time refers to how long the product can be moved around without damaging the material. For concrete coatings, this means the coating can be spread on the surface and dispersed for the most even coating without starting to dry up. 

This makes polyaspartic coatings a great topcoat pairing with a polyurea base. 

Combining Polyaspartic and Polyurea Concrete Coatings Can Give You The Best Results

After learning about what polyaspartic and polyurea concrete coatings are made of, their benefits, and differences, you now know how they work together to create a high-quality concrete coating.

Polyaspartic and polyurea floor coatings can be applied separately, however, they work best when combined. 

This pair of coatings gives you a flexible, durable, and impact-resistant coating that can withstand high temperatures while also providing a high-gloss, even, and UV stable finish. 

A polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating is one of the most durable coatings on the market. So, if you are looking for a long-term concrete coating for your garage floor, pool deck, or sidewalk, this type of coating may be right for you. 

If you’re considering a polyurea/polyaspartic concrete coating for your project, you probably want to know how it compares to other popular coatings. 

This article will compare epoxy to polyurea coatings in cost, durability, and more. Then, you can understand how they compare to one another and can choose which is best for you. 

Want to transform your space with a polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating?

At Southwest Exteriors, we install polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coatings from Penntek because of their numerous benefits, which we’ve outlined in this article. 

Our expert installers can transform your space in just one day. You can walk on your concrete coating the same day and park on it the next. Your polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating will last for years in your space. 

If anything happens in the future to your coating, we’ll cover all costs to make it right for a lifetime in your home. 

Ready to upgrade your space with a polyurea and polyaspartic concrete coating? Schedule your free consultation by filling out this form on our webpage. We can’t wait to work with you!