EPOXY RESIN

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COMPARING EPOXY VENDORS

Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.

"The Right Epoxy Fixes Darn Near Everything!"

NO SALES TAX - You are shopping in TAX FREE New Hampshire

We are the only technology based coating/epoxy/resin company that actively encourages your calls, not just during our East Coast work hours but also after/before hours, evening, weekends and even holidays. We're available when you are. We form a personal relationship with our customers and freely share technical information, how to-advice, product information and tips-and-tricks. Speak with a non-salesman technical professional with over 25 years of experience in the resin/coating/epoxy industry (no newbie staffer on the lines!). Floors, tables, boats, leaks, rot repair. We handle it all!

Your Host and Tour Guide:

Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc. (floor epoxies, marine epoxies, underwater epoxies, repair epoxies)

Member: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings)

WoodenBoat Marketplace sponsor

"Professionals helping Professionals since "

Questions? / order? / / CALL 603-435- EST /  BUY ONLINE

GOOGLE SITE SEARCH - Click here Epoxy specific site search

Click here - YouTube video. Learn about Progressive Epoxy Polymers Inc.

THREE MUST READ WEB PAGES

MPRICES - 2 part marine epoxy pricing issues - CLICK HERE -

MEPOXIES - comparing 2 part clear marine epoxies - CLICK HERE -

EVAL4U - how to evaluate your marine/non marine epoxy vendor - CLICK HERE - (you are here already!)

If your "HELP" person can't explain nonyl-phenol, cyclo-aliphatic epoxies, epoxy adducts, MCU urethanes or LPU polyurethanes, they're salespeople and not coating professionals. If your "SUPPORT" person won't return your call on a Sunday afternoon, they're not really interested in you. At Progressive Epoxy Polymers/EpoxyProducts.com we are your Help and Support Professionals.

Buyer Beware - Vendor Evaluation  Questions

Honest, customer/people focused companies belong to the Better Business Bureau and/or their Local Chamber of Commerce. They have manufacturing date or batch numbers on all their products for quality control and better customer service. Most will list the professional qualifications of their technical staff. They provide contact information and can be reached nights and weekends.

BACKGROUND: There are two types of epoxy vendors. The 'serious' professional grade epoxies  are formulated by beginning with  the raw resins manufactured by the giant chemical companies. Call these companies EPOXY FORMULATORS.  Generally the low price epoxy vendors merely repackage these raw bulk resins. Not a good thing!  Call these companies EPOXY REPACKAGERS. Lots of repackagers focus on the marine epoxy marketplace. Repackaged epoxy It is the difference between Moonshine and Jack Daniels. Use only FORMULATED SPECIAL PURPOSE EPOXIES LIKE THOSE SOLD IN THIS WEB SITE. Going cheap can have very $$$ consequences.

Does the epoxy blush (also known as Amine Blush, Epoxy Blush, Blush)? Blush is a waxy layer that forms on the surface of cheaper epoxies when they cure. If your vendor's epoxy doesn't blush, they will mention it proudly. If blushing is not mentioned, you've learned two things: it probably does blush and the vendor doesn't think you should know.

Does the vendor accept credit cards? Credit card purchases protect both the buyer and seller. From the buyer's perspective there is no acceptable reason why the vendor cannot or will not accept credit cards.

Does the vendor recommend two or more coats of epoxy when it seem reasonable that one coat will do? Each extra coat is easy money for the vendor.

Is the epoxy manufactured in the same country you're in? Overseas shipping of small amounts of product is expensive, and refunds, exchanges, returns, and insurance claims are difficult. Beware of vendors that hide the origin of their product.

Is the vendor pushing you to purchase mixing sticks at 3 for $1.00, pricy special purpose ‘kits' containing tiny amounts of epoxy, or their own overpriced thinner or clean-up chemical (instead of telling you which clean-up product to buy at the hardware store)? Such actions are in line with $6 hospital aspirin.

If an underwater epoxy, does it contain MDA. If it does, possible chemical concerns.

Does your epoxy Part B use cycloaliphatic curatives? The best epoxies do!

For more information, please visit Tianjin Ruifeng.

Epoxies are chemicals and all chemicals in the USA require something called a MSDS (material data safety sheet) The MSDS lists basic chemical composition, safety hazards and restrictions. They can look pretty scary - the MSDS for coffee might shock you. You should get a MSDS when you buy epoxy - or at least get it if you ask for it. If you have trouble getting a product MSDS there is probably something in or something about the product the vendor would rather you did not know.

Is the vendor trying to sell you many different kinds of epoxies? Epoxies are not as task specific as most vendors would want you to believe. Often with the addition of thickening agents or cure accelerators one product will handle all your requirements. Less money for the vendor, more for you. From my perspective, there is often little or no difference between using an epoxy as an adhesive and as a coating.

Is your epoxy sold through an extensive network of distributors and outlets? Despite the convenience, that's not a good thing. Lots of distributors means the product is priced for the distributor's gain, not for the end user's benefit. See User Friendly Pricing.

Most epoxies are now solvent-free (also know as 100% SOLIDS or 0% VOC). Many so-called penetrating epoxies are just epoxies with lots of solvents. Save the mark-up and add you own solvents. An epoxy with 50% VOC means you're only getting half the epoxy you're paying for.

If the product directions tell you to let the epoxy sit for a period of time after mixing and before you apply it, that's called Induction Time. Generally only the lowest quality epoxies require an induction time wait.
 

The better epoxies are pretty tolerant of slight errors in mixing ratios. If your epoxy directions keep stressing exact mixing, or require special mixing pumps, beware. Pumps aren't offered purely for the convenience of the end user. More often they are for the protection of the vendor.

Mix ratios close to 1 to 1 are generally better than ones very different in ratio. Closer mixing ratios allow more give-and-take when working with either Part A or Part B.

With the good epoxies the components don't crystalize in storage and separation or settling during storage is minor or non-existent.

Some epoxies generate dangerous (excessive) amounts of heat at the end of their pot life and some epoxies are much more brittle than others. To evaluate these characteristics you will probably have to test samples of each vendor's product, or talk to users of the products.

There is no such thing as free. Vendor trade show booths, four color ads, fancy packaging, free booklets all come out of your pocket when everything is said and done.

Finally - 

Does your online/mail order vendor - include product literature, MSDS information, shipping/tracking numbers, and hardcopy invoice with your order? Is the packing first rate (double boxes, peanuts, protective plastic bags around each item, etc)? Batch numbers on the epoxy chemical cans?

The Blue Ribbon companies do pretty much all of the above. The worst companies just throw your order into a box with no paperwork or information.

Buyer Beware - Vendor Evaluation Summary

1) All epoxies yellow in UV and over time. It is the chemistry of epoxies. If someone tells you they have a non yellowing epoxy, they are not being honest. If they had such an epoxy, everyone else would too.

2) epoxies are industrial chemicals. Demand/request BATCH NUMBER for your epoxies. If not provided that supplier is hiding something or is very un-professional.

3) The coatings / chemical industry has professional - scientific societies for its technical professionals. Ask for the professional affiliations of the person giving you technical advise (are they ex-Walmart employees reading out of a technical binder?). Are the junior staff on duty or senior professional staff?

4) Ask where the epoxies are manufactured (the technical professionals within the company will certainly know). Confirm by viewing the MSDS/SDS document which MUST be available to you online by via fax. Mote that this is not the same as the PRODUCT DATA SHEET.

5) / call for support or sales help outside of normal business hours, including weekends and holiday. The companies that put  you first will answer the immediately  or return your call / within hours, but before and AFTER the sale. (our east coast # 603 - 435 - ).

6) For more ways to evaluate your epoxy vendor vist our web page epoxyproducts.com/eval4u.html

A favorite 'trick' of mine is to a question to a vendor and see if, or how long, it takes them to reply. Especially over a weekend or holiday. Actually, it is my experience that most product questions are ignored. replies tell you lots about the personality of the company you are considering doing business with. The good ones reply quickly so you don't lose much time in placing your order.

Or better yet, call them on a Sunday morning, Friday night, or at 10 PM. Try us: 603-435-

There is no easy answer to this question. Do you have a lot of repair work to do on your floor? How was the concrete surface prepared? Did a diamond grinder or a shot blaster take care of the preparation? Which finish would you prefer, decorative chips or solid colors? Are you considering metallic epoxy?

Choosing Garage Floor Coatings with Caution

Thankfully, there are high-quality garage floor coating materials for buyers. However, when it comes to applying garage floor coatings yourself rather than hiring a company, DIYers should know the difference between high quality and poor quality. Many flooring companies make ludicrous claims about these types of materials, which tends to mislead consumers.

Listed below are a few claims you should take caution to when purchasing garage floor coatings:

1. "There is no need to prepare the concrete before applying the epoxy coating." - This is a major red flag, and quite frankly, it is absolute nonsense. A reliable garage floor coating finish depends entirely on how well the surface is prepared prior to application. No matter how you intend to use your garage floor, whether you plan to park your car there or not, it is imperative that you prepare the surface so the material can bond properly. Choose a trusted supplier for these materials with extreme caution or your garage floor application may suffer.
2. "We guarantee our garage floor coatings will not peel up, even under hot tires." - This has certainly been proven otherwise over time. This claim naturally does not make sense in believing that you or anyone in that matter has such control over the endless possibilities or elements that could affect it. This is especially true when considering the various conditions your surfaces are likely to face over time. How the floor coating materials are prior stored, surrounding atmospheric temperatures, the product mixing methods, and overall how the material is applied are all factors that could alter these beliefs. Always remember, there is no probable way suppliers can guarantee anything, besides maybe some compensation for a defective product.

Our Top Recommendations for Choosing the Best Garage Floor Coating System

While some vendors may claim that they use the highest quality products, our extensive experience in the field and thousands of garage flooring jobs completed have proven otherwise. Here at Xtreme Polishing Systems, we use only the highest quality floor coating systems that are low-maintenance and formulated to provide surfaces that are beautiful and durable.

Below are the primary reasons why our garage floor coating systems are considered the best choice for your surfaces:

1. We supply epoxy flake and mica chip floor coating systems which are considered to be among the most reliable and by far the most popular garage floor coating options to choose from.
2. Our extensive collection consists of a colorful array of epoxy flake and mica chip combinations.
3. Once combined with a polyaspartic topcoat, Xtreme's epoxy flake and mica chip floor coating systems are formulated to fully seal and protect your garage surfaces.
4. Xtreme's garage epoxy floor coating systems protect your surfaces against harmful UV radiation, harsh chemical spills, wear-and-tear due to heavy foot traffic, and hot tire marks.
5. We also supply a large collection of solid color pigments, metallic epoxy, and glitter epoxy coating systems perfect for creating unique, one-of-a-kind garage floor finishes.
6. Although our epoxy color pigments may be used in garage settings, they do not provide UV resistance. Therefore, you should only choose these finishes if you apply a protective polyaspartic topcoat over them.
7. Xtreme's garage floor coating systems are excellent when having to fix the damage on your surfaces. Our professional epoxy and concrete repair products are sure to assist you in mending any existing inconsistencies such as chips on the surface or cracks in the substrate.
8. Our garage floor coating materials are very durable to adequately cover any garage surface while also being sustainable. To easily restore the appearance and surface condition of your garage floor coating, just simply recoat using compatible a topcoat. The process of recoating garage floor finishes is commonly performed annually.

Conclusion

If you have started to notice how much wear and tear your garage floors have endured over the years, it may be time you give them a facelift. Make sure you know what makes a professional garage floor coating last before you head to the big-box home improvement store. The experts at Xtreme Polishing Systems will help guide you when buying high-quality and performance garage floor coating systems!

For more epoxy floor coating suppliersinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.