Since another thread on here was discussing epoxy adhesives, and I've
been wanting to try to understand "epoxy paint", I found this article on
the web. Its a very good article, so I thought I'd share it....

From:
http://allgaragefloors.com/is-it-paint-or-epoxy

Epoxy Paint or Epoxy Coating; Do you Know the Difference?

Updated 25 September, 2015 By Shea

There is an abundance of confusion today from homeowners looking to put
an epoxy finish down on their garage floors. Should it be epoxy paint
or an epoxy coating? Is there a difference? If so, which is best? The
best way to figure this out is to learn the difference between paint,
epoxy paint, and epoxy coatings, in order to eliminate all the confusion
and be able to make an informed decision.

The first misnomer that we want to address is that an epoxy coating is
not paint. Garage floor paint is a latex acrylic product. Many of the
well-known paint manufactures do offer paint with a small amount of
epoxy in the mix and refer to them as 1-Part epoxy paint. This allows
for better adhesion and durability than standard acrylic paint, but it
is not an epoxy product.

The term “epoxy paint” came about when epoxy manufactures took notice of
the terminology that people were using when searching for epoxy
coatings. The DIY public was intermixing the term “paint” with
“coating”. So a marketing decision was made and many well known DIY
epoxy flooring manufacturers that you see in home improvement centers
decided to brand their products as “epoxy paint” since that is what
consumers seemed to be calling it.

As a result, it has only made things more confusing for the general
public. Chances are that when you see something advertised as epoxy
paint for your garage, it could be paint or it could be an epoxy
coating. This has lead to many people buying a paint product when what
they thought they were purchasing was an epoxy product.
What is an epoxy coating?

Epoxy is a two component product consisting of one part epoxy resin and
one part polyamine hardener. You have to mix the two together prior to
application. After mixing you are limited by time and temperature as to
how long you have to apply it. With colored epoxies it is the resin
that is tinted to give the epoxy color. If it’s not tinted, then it
goes on as a clear coating.

An epoxy coating cures and does not dry like paint does. It provides a
very hard and durable surface that is resistant to staining, abrasion,
and chemicals. The amount of resistance is usually determined by the
quality and solids content of the epoxy.

The ease of application and thickness of the epoxy is also dependent on
the volume of solids content. It is shown as a percentage. In other
words, 100% solids epoxy means that you have 100% of the product on the
floor after it cures. 50% solids mean that you have 50% of the product
remaining on the floor. The reason for this is that the carrier agents
which are used in the lower solids product, either solvents or water,
evaporate out as the epoxy cures.

100% solids epoxy is harder to work with during application because of
the thicker viscosity and limited time to apply it. Epoxy with a lesser
solids content has less viscosity and is easier to apply.

A high solids epoxy puts down a thicker coating on the floor while the
lesser solids epoxies put down a thinner coat. This final thickness is
known as dry film thickness or DFT.

garage floor epoxy paint kitMany of the inexpensive “DIY” epoxy paint
kits that you can buy at the local home improvement centers and online
have as little as 48% solids. This means that it is easier to apply as
well as cheaper to buy because the solids content is lower along with
the quality. It goes on the floor almost as easy as paint does.

In fact, it is one of the marketing aspects that makes these kits so
popular to purchase. They can be applied to your garage floor much more
easily compared to the more premium epoxy coat systems.

Keep in mind that it also means you have much less of it on the floor
resulting in a much thinner coat. This affects the durability of the
coating and quality of the product when compared to epoxy brands with a
higher solids content.

Does this mean that these epoxy paint kits are bad? No, not at all. It
just means that you are getting what you pay for. Many of these kits
cost under $70 and cover up to 250 sf². Two kits will cover a typical
two-car garage. They are usually available in either grey or beige with
a semi-gloss finish and include a small bag of paint chips to add if you
like.

The more expensive kits tend to be marketed as epoxy coatings, though
there are some exceptions. They come in multiple colors, have a higher
solids content, and result in a thicker, more durable surface that lasts
years longer.

When ever in doubt about what you are purchasing, always review the TDS
sheets. These will detail exactly what type of product you are
purchasing as well as other very important information regarding
application and durability.

So don’t fall for the epoxy marketing name game when deciding on what
you want to apply to your garage floor. As you can see, epoxy paint and
epoxy coating generally mean the same thing. They are both an epoxy
coating. Do your research first, as this will help you to understand
the type of epoxy you are purchasing and what kind of results to expect.