History of Resin and Epoxy Flooring
Resin flooring like the ones shown here might be a seemingly newer method of flooring for many, but it has been used worldwide for over a century and has been in the US since before the 1960s. With an interesting history and a variety of uses, epoxy resin may be catching modern attention more, but is a longstanding traditional material you might be more familiar with than you think.
Epoxy was first made by Dr. Pierre Castam in 1936 alongside Dr. S.O. Greenlee which was the first patent for epoxy resin. However, the US didn’t see its commercial use for half a century. Early use of epoxy was to help the adherence of paints to ships' hulls and floors, as well as uses in field industry equipment. Resin was designed to have the ability to stay unbending or be elastic. It also has high resistance to heat and chemicals and the mix is useable as a transparent or opaque surface.
By the mid-1900s, the aeronautics and aerospace industries started using epoxy resins, as did the general construction and woodworking fields. Resin itself comes in a variety of different types, which has helped it stay pertinent in usage for so many years and in so many fields of work. Eventually, it migrated into the realm of home use thanks to its versatility.
The home-use varies from counters to floors and a myriad of other surface uses and cast elements. Flooring, however, is one of the more common uses. Having around a hundred years of use as a flooring treatment with the variety of color and design being a large draw, the durability and ease of installation vs other flooring options has shown that it is a tested and true method that’s here to stay.
