Polyurea vs Polyaspartic Coating: What Contractors Won’t Tell You
If a contractor tells you their polyurea coating is superior to polyaspartic — or that the two are the same thing — they’re either mistaken or hoping you won’t look into it. The distinction matters, and in Colorado’s climate it matters more than most places.
Colorado Springs gets over 300 days of sunshine per year, and at 6,000+ feet that UV exposure is significantly more intense than at lower elevations. Conventional polyurea coatings use aromatic compounds that degrade under UV — they yellow, chalk, and break down. Polyaspartic is an aliphatic polyurea, which means it’s UV-stable. For a garage floor in this region, that difference is not a minor detail. It’s the reason the floor holds up or doesn’t.
Confusion Surrounding Polyurea Coating and Polyaspartic Garage Floor Coating
Church floor refinishing in process
Polyaspartics are Polyureas – A little history and things to know about polyurea coating system
The first company that invented and received the first patents for Polyaspartic, Covestro, is the world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials. In the 1990’s Bayer Material Science (now Covestro), introduced Polyaspartic. Without trying to get too technical (if you want technical – see our supplier Slide-Lok’s blog on this), here is their statement.
“Per your request, we will clarify the differences between polyaspartic and polyurea …. By definition, a Polyaspartic polymer is an aliphatic polyurea because it is the reaction of an aliphatic polyisocyanate with an aliphatic diamine – the polyaspartic ester.”
Todd Williams, Technical Service, Covestro AG
Polyurea Coating and Polyaspartic Floor systems– they sound similar, are they?
Polyaspartic is a Polyurea
The key takeaway here is that polyaspartic polymers are a type of polyurea, an aliphatic polyurea to be exact. However, not all polyurea polymers are true polyaspartics. This is because a polyaspartic is only created when you use an aliphatic polyisocyanate reacted with an aliphatic diamine – the polyaspartic ester. Conventional polyurea polymers on the other hand can be created using aromatic polyisocyanates and amines.
Okay, sorry that did get a bit technical!
Here is the important part once you get past the technical:
Why is Polyaspartic Concrete Superior to Polyurea Coating
Aliphatic paints and protective coatings like Polyaspartics are light stable, and better at resisting yellowing from UV exposure (sunlight) because they don’t contain benzene rings. Aromatic compounds like conventional polyureas are susceptible to UV degradation.
Problems with Polyurea
Currently, there is no 100% aliphatic epoxy floor coating. Thus, all epoxy floor coatings and conventional polyureas contain aromatic compounds. They are subject to UV photodegradation, yellowing, and impaired mechanical and physical properties. Many coatings manufacturers claim UV stability in their epoxies, but all they have done is buy time. Studies show delayed UV degradation when using organic UV absorbers in epoxy formulations.
Which Should You Choose?
Remember when choosing your product – Aromatic coatings, which include epoxies and conventional polyureas are therefore not recommended for applications exposed to sunlight. This would mean your epoxy and polyureas are not recommended for concrete coating.
Polyaspartic is the right choice — not just because of UV stability, but because of how it performs across every measure that matters for a garage floor. It bonds at a molecular level to properly prepared concrete, and our diamond bit grinding process ensures that bond is as strong as possible. It resists chemicals, hot tire pickup, road salt, and temperature extremes. It comes in a wide range of colors and flake blends so the finished floor looks as good as it performs. And it’s available for both residential and commercial applications.
Conventional polyurea can’t make the same claims. The UV degradation alone disqualifies it for any space exposed to sunlight — which includes virtually every garage in Colorado.
CONCLUSION: Polyurea vs Polyaspartic – Polyurea Floor Coatings Are Not Better Than Polyaspartics
In summary, if you’re being told “Polyurea coatings are superior to polyaspartic coatings” you should probably RUN. This is NOT TRUE as polyaspartics are a type of polyurea.
Anyone telling you that their product is superior to our poly is hoping you will not do your homework. If they are telling you it is the same, they are trying to confuse you. As we stated above if you want to get into more a technical description, read this article from our supplier, Slide-Lok.
The polyaspartic naming convention was used to differentiate it from other polyureas and polyurethanes that are inferior in performance. Don’t settle for a polyurea concrete coating as it is most likely aromatic polyurea and susceptible to UV degradation (yellowing). And it is prone to adhesion or wetting issues since those materials gel in seconds versus 30-60 minutes for polyaspartics. Polyaspartic, aliphatic polyurea, products are better for flooring applications.
Poly is popular even though it is a relative newcomer to the floor coating world. Polyurea garage floor coating has been around for longer, and in that time, it has proved itself to be an effective way to protect concrete floors from wear and tear. However, Polyaspartic floor coating, on the other hand, was developed specifically for industrial applications. It wasn’t until recently that it was adapted for use in residential settings.
So, what are the advantages of our poly products over polyurea coating? For starters, our poly floor product is much more durable than polyurea. It is also significantly more resistant to both heat and cold. This makes it ideal for use in garages, which can be subject to extreme temperature swings. In addition, our poly product is much easier to apply than polyurea. And finally, our Poly product dries much faster than polyurea coating, so you won’t have to wait as long to enjoy the benefits of your new floor.
Colorado Springs Garage Floors
When homeowners are deciding which type of product to use, and it comes to choosing between these products, several factors need to be considered. While both options offer fast cure times and provide excellent protection for concrete surfaces, the choice is clear.
Polyurea systems are known for their durability and flexibility, making them ideal for high-traffic areas, while our Slide-Lok poly coatings, being a type of polyurea, offer similar benefits but with the added advantage of transforming your garage or commercial space with a superior product. Moreover, both product types are superior to epoxy in terms of cure time and overall performance. Ultimately, it is crucial to assess the unique needs of the project and consult with professionals to determine the best product option for achieving optimal results.
Ultimately, our Slide-Lok polyaspartic is the superior choice over conventional polyurea — more durable, UV-stable, and backed by a residential lifetime warranty. When you factor in longevity, you’re not paying more. You’re paying once. If you’re ready to get started, contact us today for a free estimate on your polyaspartic floor coating.
This is why that is the only product we offer, and why we can offer a premium warranty.
Ready to Stop Settling for a Floor That Just Gets By?
Colorado Springs Garage Floors has spent 16 years installing true 3-coat polyaspartic systems across the Pikes Peak region. Over 1,000 floors. A 5.0 rating across 88 Google reviews. A residential lifetime warranty that means something. If you're ready to see what your floor can actually look like, start with a free estimate.
