• Many common floor coatings contain epoxy. Epoxy floor coating is a durable material that is also very versatile. It's used in homes, garage floors and porches, in commercial settings like stores and restaurants, as well as industrial sites such as factories. There are three basic types of epoxy floor coatings.
  
  

Solvent-Borne Epoxy

• Solvent-borne epoxy is the type of epoxy coating that was used before any other kind. The epoxy in this coating is mixed with solvent that will eventually dry up and evaporate after the epoxy is applied. This leaves a hard coating on the floor. The advantages of this coating are that it's durable and can be applied as a thin film on the surface; however, the solvent can be toxic if inhaled during evaporation.
  
  

Waterborne Epoxy

• Waterborne epoxy is water-soluble because it uses water as its main carrier instead of solvents, making it safer for the person applying it. Waterborne epoxy coatings can be applied in thick or thin coats, whichever is preferred, and the tools used in the application can be cleaned up with water. Waterborne epoxy coatings are mainly used for hydrostatic pressure applications on concrete, which makes the concrete waterproof.
  
  

100 Percent Solids Epoxy

• The 100 percent solids epoxy doesn't use a fluid carrier at all: It is pure epoxy. The advantage of this coating is that it doesn't have the environmental problems that the others have. Solvent-borne epoxy has an issue with the solvent evaporating into the air, and waterborne epoxy has been known to break down over time and seep into the soil system. Solid epoxy doesn't contaminate the environment in either of those ways because it has no fluid carrier. However, having no fluid carrier also means it is much more difficult to apply. Because it is pure epoxy, it has a high viscosity.