Everything You Need To Know About 3D Epoxy Flooring
A photo sensation that’s sweeping social media recently is a variety of images of intensely realistic-looking floor treatments, that seem to give amazing depth to the flat surface underfoot in a home, office, or school. Are these real pictures of 3D epoxy flooring, with beautiful images of waves, canyons, beaches, or even city buildings and streets, or just an internet trick? The stunning visual effect just looks unrealistic but they are real.
What is 3D Epoxy Flooring?
3D epoxy flooring is a flooring system created using epoxy resin to create a three-dimensional image on the floor surface. They are created using a complex floor installation process involving multiple layers of flooring materials. Computer-generated high-resolution 3D images are kept between a primer and polyurethane or two-component epoxy top coat to make a 3D epoxy floor. Some in the floor world consider it the latest fad while some believe it is the future of fancy flooring.
A three-dimensional picture is covered with synthetic epoxy resin in order to create 3D epoxy floors. The installation of an epoxy 3D floor begins with a layer of self-leveling primer, followed by the desired picture. To achieve the proper picture depth, this is next coated with a clear two-component epoxy or polyurethane.
The image must have the maximum feasible resolution, i.e. a specified size, in order to generate a realistic appearance. A photorealistic 3D impression is generated for the spectator if the floor is laid appropriately.
3D Flooring images over the internet may seem edited or fake, but they are legitimate. Sometimes, 3D flooring images can be tampered with using editing software but 3D epoxy floors are a reality. However, with the right amount of money, and a skilled installer to do the job, one of these floors could find its way to your home.
Nowadays, 3D epoxy bathroom floors are getting very popular. People use pictures of different sea animals, waterfalls, etc on their 3D bathroom floor. Such floors are also getting popular in public places where 3D floor paintings and 3D floor art are being installed. Epoxy coated floor with a 3D design is getting popular due to their illusions and attractive looks on top of being super durable.
Pros & Cons Of 3D Epoxy Floors
It is evident that everything comes with certain pros and cons. 3D Epoxy Flooring also comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages of 3D Epoxy floors are as follows:
These points are described in detail below:
Advantages of 3D Epoxy Flooring
Amazing visual effect
The greatest advantage of 3D design floors is their stunning visual effect. Apart from its gorgeous appearance, 3D epoxy flooring can solve a few design-related problems of the room interior owing to its unique aesthetic qualities. If you go for the right 3D design floor, color, and pattern, you can visually increase the entire room space, which is of great value for smaller rooms or garages.
The imagination of the designer in consultation with you and implementing your 3D design floor ideas go a long way toward making your living space beautiful, refreshing, cool, and intriguing in every way.
Great strength and durability
Epoxy is almost impervious and highly resistant to acids, chlorine, and other materials such as bleaches and daily cleaners. For the very same reason, the floors are considered great for industrial as well as for home use. If you have them professionally and properly installed, the floor with epoxy polymers can last for a decade or two without changing its color or structure.
Easy maintenance
Epoxy 3D floors have no seams, joints, cracks, pores, or any kind of gaps. This makes the 3D flooring dirt, dust, water, and chemical resistant. It is super easy to clean as well. You can simply sweep every day and mop the surface regularly to maintain it. It is easy to maintain and clean even if the place receives heavy foot traffic.
Safe and hygiene friendly
Epoxy 3D floors don’t gather dust and do not make a favorable environment for a variety of allergens, pathogens, or bacteria. Epoxy floor materials have no odor or corrosive fumes, which makes them safe for human health.
Fire resistance
These materials are also resistant to high temperatures, which is paramount in case of a fire. Epoxy polymers do not burn, which is one of the reasons they are widely used in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, hospitals, child care centers, and other places where increased control of fire safety is a must.
Along with fire resistance, Epoxy 3D flooring is also heat and chemical resistant. It can also sustain in places that receive heavy foot traffic.
Disadvantages of 3D Epoxy Flooring
Complex Installation
A professional contractor and equipment are usually needed to properly install a 3D epoxy floor. The process is complex and it cannot be done DIY. To learn how to install 3D epoxy floors, you need a high level of skill.
Curing Time
The multiple layers of the epoxy coating increase the curing time. The curing process may take 3-5 days to complete.
Costly
They cost more than normal Epoxy floors. Because creating a 3D floor needs multiple layers of epoxy coating and highly skilled workers. Not enough professionals are available in the market, and demand for amazing 3D designs is high. As always, the popularity increases the cost, and the materials themselves are not cheap either.
Also Read: 8 Main Disadvantages of Concrete Floor
Living Room 3D Epoxy Flooring
3D epoxy floors are mainly used for residential purposes. This includes the bathroom, living room, and bedroom 3D epoxy flooring. They can provide a great ambiance for the people living in the home. This can especially be a great experience for the kids.
You can portray almost anything on a 3D floor. Having 3D visuals of the things that you like can keep people happy and help them cope with the stress of daily life. They can also turn out to be a great experience for your guests during house parties.
3D epoxy floors are a great way to make your home a modern space of living. They are decorative 3D flooring that looks like a futuristic concept. This has to be one of the most advanced ways to decorate your home and will help you stand out from the crowd.
Contact us if you want bedroom or living room 3D epoxy flooring. As an epoxy flooring company in California, we specialize in all kinds of 3D epoxy floor designs including 3D bathroom floors and various 3D floor art. When done properly by an experienced epoxy flooring contractor, the 3D design should last a very long time, and continue to wow visitors for years to come.
3D Epoxy Flooring Materials
You will need the following epoxy floor materials in order to carry out the installation on your own. DIY 3D Epoxy flooring is not an easy job and better results are not guaranteed if done by someone with no expertise. It is recommended to hire professionals to carry out the 3D epoxy flooring installation process. The 3D epoxy flooring materials needed are:
- Grinding and polishing tools
- Proper cleaning equipment
- Vapor/Moisture Barrier
- Self-leveling primer
- High-resolution image
- Solution of Clear Epoxy or Polyurethane
- Clear Sealant
- Plastic squeeze to Smooth the canvas(Image)
- Plastic roller to evenly distribute the epoxy
- Gloves, Buckets, brushes, rollers, etc
How To Install 3D Epoxy Floors
As beautiful 3D Epoxy floors appear, the installation process is just as complex. It’s difficult to accomplish it perfectly, with no ripples, waves, or defects marring your 3D flooring image’s smooth surface. Here is the step-by-step process so that you can learn how to install 3D epoxy floors by yourself:
Step 1: Generate The Image That You Like Using 3D Printers. – The 3D flooring image that you want has to be created using 3D printers before starting the installation process. The 3D epoxy floor image needs to be extremely high resolution. If you try to create the image when the installation process is ongoing, it can create unnecessary delay. This delay messes up the installation process. Make sure the image fits the size of the floor. If the image needs to be extended or folded afterward, you’ll not get the desired result.
Step 2: Check the humidity of the surroundings – It’s best to apply 3D epoxy floors when the humidity of the surrounding is less than 4%. This will make sure that the 3D flooring image will stick properly to the surface.
Step 3: Check the surface for excess moisture & vapor – The excess moisture & vapor can cause molding issues and the formation of excess bacteria. There is also a good chance of bubble formation after the coating is applied because of this.
Step 4: Prepare the surface – The surface needs to be perfectly clean before the application. They also need to be perfectly even. To make the floor even, you can use methods like acid etching and diamond grinding.
Step 5: Seal the floor with moisture vapor barrier epoxy – To avoid moisture formation and make the new 3D flooring system water-resistant, moisture vapor barrier coatings needs to be applied to seal the floor.
Step 6: Apply a self-leveling epoxy primer – For 3D epoxy floors, you need a self-leveling epoxy primer. They will remove even the minor cracks remaining in the floor. Epoxy primer makes sure that the image will bond well with the surface below:
Step 7: Apply the 3D Image – After the epoxy primer is laid down, it’s time to add the 3D epoxy floor images. The image should be placed carefully to make sure there are no wrinkles for perfect 3D epoxy flooring.
Step 8: Apply a two-component clear epoxy top coat – The image will get damaged without any protection above. So, you need two layers of clear epoxy coating on the top. The epoxy resin needs to be mixed with the hardener just before the application.
Step 9: Apply protective sealant for the top coat – Add clear protective sealant over the clear topcoat. This extra layer of protection will make the 3D floors more durable and also safeguard the design of the floor. It also adds extra shine to the floor.
Note: It is crucial that no speck of dust, hair, or any slight particles are allowed during any steps of the installation process.
How Much Does 3D Epoxy Flooring Cost?
The installation process of 3D epoxy floors is not an easy task. It can take 3-8 days to complete the job.
The cost of 3D epoxy flooring depends on several aspects including floor condition, total floor area, location, and project complexity. If high-grade 3D epoxy flooring materials are used, the cost could be more expensive.
On average, installing the 3D epoxy flooring costs $10-$25 per sq. ft. It includes all the 3D epoxy flooring materials, installation charge, surface preparation, and 3D floor designs. If you want a complex design, then it may cost you more since it requires more work and time.
Conclusion
I hope after reading this article, you have learned what is 3D epoxy flooring and how to install 3D epoxy floors. There are both pros and cons to installing 3D epoxy floors. Since installing 3D epoxy flooring is a professional job, we suggest you contact a good epoxy flooring company for the job.
Best Coast Epoxy Coatings is an epoxy specialist in California. We are a complete flooring contractor specializing in installing epoxy floors. You can contact us for commercial as well as residential epoxy flooring services.
We mainly use high-quality epoxy resin from Arizona Polymer Flooring for our projects. You will get a 10-year warranty on the epoxy floor coatings that we install. We also try to make our services affordable so that you can get a cost-effective and quality flooring solution.
We serve many different places across California. But, these are our main service areas:
- Huntington Beach
- Temecula
- Menifee
- Costa Mesa
- Mission Viejo
- Yorba Linda
- Palm Springs
- Irvine
Also Read: 4 Best Flooring Options For Your House
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 3D epoxy flooring?
3D epoxy flooring is a type of flooring that creates a stunning visual effect with angled images and multiple translucent layers of different materials to create 3D effects.
How long does a 3D epoxy floor last?
The lifespan of 3D epoxy flooring depends on several factors: foot traffic, thickness, and maintenance. 3D Epoxy flooring lasts between 3 to 5 years in heavy traffic areas, such as garages or restaurants whereas it may last for 20 years if it is installed in your home.
What are the advantages of 3D epoxy floors?
The advantages of 3D epoxy floors are:
1) Amazing Visual Effect
2) Strength and Durability
3) Easy Maintenance
4) Fire resistance
5) Hygiene friendly and Safe
Are 3D epoxy floors safe?
3D epoxy flooring is dust resistant which makes them safe from bacteria. 3D epoxy floors don’t have any odor or fumes which makes them human-friendly.