Epoxy flooring companies glossary

Short, plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet when choosing a epoxy flooring provider in Ontario.

What are polished concrete grind levels?: Grind levels refer to the standardized stages of concrete polishing that determine how much of the concrete surface is removed and which aggregates are exposed, measured by grit progression from coarse to fine.
What are VOCs in epoxy flooring?: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-containing chemicals that evaporate from epoxy resin systems during application and cure, contributing to indoor air pollution and subject to Ontario and federal emissions regulations.
What is 100% solids epoxy?: 100% solids epoxy is a two-part resin system containing no water or volatile solvents, where all components convert to the final coating with no material loss during cure.
What is a broadcast flake system?: A broadcast flake system is an epoxy flooring application method in which colored vinyl chips are scattered into a wet epoxy base coat to create a decorative, speckled finish at full or partial coverage.
What is a concrete densifier?: A lithium or sodium silicate-based liquid applied to concrete to harden the surface and reduce dust by filling micro-pores and creating a chemical bond within the top layer.
What is a polyaspartic coating?: A polyaspartic coating is a fast-curing polyurea resin applied to concrete floors that hardens in hours rather than days, offering superior UV stability and colour retention compared to standard epoxy systems.
What is a polyurea coating?: Polyurea is a spray-applied protective coating formed by reacting polyols and isocyanates, prized for rapid cure times and strong flexibility in epoxy flooring applications.
What is a urethane topcoat?: An aliphatic polyurethane surface layer applied over epoxy base coats to provide UV protection, abrasion resistance, and gloss control in epoxy flooring systems.
What is a vapor barrier under-slab?: A membrane layer placed below a concrete slab to prevent ground moisture from wicking up through the slab and compromising epoxy and other floor coatings.
What is amine blush?: Amine blush is a waxy, often oily film that appears on epoxy coatings during curing in cool or moist conditions, formed when amine compounds rise to the surface and react with atmospheric CO2.
What is an epoxy primer?: An epoxy primer is a sealing coat applied directly to concrete that penetrates the surface, fills pores, and creates a bonding layer for subsequent epoxy floor coats.
What is an epoxy self-leveling coating?: Self-leveling epoxy is a high-viscosity epoxy coating that flows and settles into a uniform, flat surface without the need for manual troweling, creating a seamless finish over concrete substrates.
What is concrete moisture testing (calcium chloride test)?: A calcium chloride test (ASTM F1869) measures the moisture vapor emission rate from concrete by placing a dome over a calcium chloride salt sample on the floor surface for 24-72 hours to determine if concrete is dry enough for epoxy coating.
What is concrete outgassing?: Outgassing is the escape of air, moisture, and other gases trapped in concrete pores during the curing process, typically resulting in pinholes or bubbles in coated finishes.
What is cure time vs recoat window?: Cure time is when epoxy hardens fully and reaches maximum hardness, while recoat window is the specific timeframe when the previous coat is tacky enough for the next coat to bond properly.
What is diamond grinding?: Diamond grinding is the mechanical abrasion of concrete using metal-bond or resin-bond diamond tooling to prepare surfaces or refine finishes.
What is grit progression in epoxy floor polishing?: Grit progression is the ordered sequence of diamond abrasives applied during polishing, starting with coarse metal bond grits to remove surface imperfections and advancing through finer resin bond grits to achieve a high-gloss finish.
What is hot tire pickup?: Hot tire pickup is the phenomenon where tire rubber heated by friction transfers to or pulls away from soft epoxy garage coatings when a vehicle parks or moves over the surface.
What is metallic epoxy pigment?: Metallic epoxy pigment is a finely milled mica or metal powder suspended in epoxy resin to produce light-reflecting, pearlescent finishes with visible depth and shimmer on concrete floors.
What is moisture vapor transmission?: Moisture vapor transmission (MVT), also called moisture vapor emission rate (MVER), is the rate at which water vapor moves through concrete and can pass through applied coatings, typically measured in pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours using calcium chloride testing or in-situ relative humidity probes.
What is pot life?: Pot life is the window of time after mixing a two-part epoxy or polyaspartic coating during which it remains workable and can be applied to a floor.
What is shot blasting?: Shot blasting is a mechanical surface preparation method that propels steel shot against concrete to create texture and remove loose material before epoxy coating application.
What is surface profile (CSP)?: Surface profile (CSP) is a standardized ICRI measurement scale (1 through 9) that defines the concrete roughness and texture depth required for proper epoxy or coating adhesion.
What is water-based epoxy?: Water-based epoxy is an epoxy coating system that uses water as the primary carrier instead of solvent, resulting in lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and reduced odor.