A warehouse floor can reach a repaint-or-recoat decision when the existing surface is showing wear, dusting, or damage from forklift traffic, or when a facility is being fitted out for the first time. At that point an owner is often choosing between an acrylic floor paint and an epoxy coating. Individual products differ, so this guide compares specific data sheets.
This guide compares what manufacturer data sheets state about film thickness, solids, VOC, surface preparation, recoat windows, and lab abrasion results. Pricing is addressed in the Warehouse Floor Coatings Cost in Colorado and Commercial Epoxy Flooring Cost per Square Foot in Colorado guides, and line striping in the Line Striping and Safety Marking for Industrial Floors guide.
"Floor paint" in this guide refers to acrylic coatings marketed for concrete floors; the main example is a 100% acrylic, waterborne product described on its data sheet as general purpose, interior/exterior, and low odor. "Epoxy coating" refers to the epoxy and epoxy-type products compared below (the Rust-Oleum 6700 is described by its sheet as a hybrid); their data sheets range from high-solids formulas to 100% solids.
Under the federal architectural-coatings rule, a floor coating is defined as an opaque coating with high abrasion resistance formulated and recommended for application to flooring.
Here is how several specific, named products compare on data-sheet basics. Each row reflects one manufacturer's sheet for one product; it is not an industry average.
| Product (data sheet) | Type | Volume solids | Dry film thickness per coat | VOC (as listed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams ArmorSeal Tread-Plex | 100% acrylic waterborne floor coating | 43% +/- 2% | 1.5-2.0 mils | less than 100 g/L |
| Sherwin-Williams ArmorSeal 1000 HS | High-solids two-component polyamide epoxy | 65% +/- 2% (61% clear) | 3.0-5.0 mils | less than 340 g/L |
| Rust-Oleum Concrete Saver 6700 | 100% solids cycloaliphatic hybrid floor coating | 100% solids | 16 mils | less than 50 g/L |
| Tnemec Series 280 Tneme-Glaze | Modified polyamine epoxy (glaze/topcoat) | 100% volume solids mixed | 6.0-12.0 mils | 19 g/L (unthinned) |
Ask your contractor which specific product and data sheet is being quoted and how its manufacturer classifies it.
What to put in the written scope: the manufacturer and product name, the data sheet revision date, and the specific dry film thickness and number of coats being bid — not just "epoxy" or "floor paint."
Film thickness and solids content differ widely even within one category. The ArmorSeal Tread-Plex acrylic sheet recommends two coats at 1.5-2.0 mils dry film thickness per coat, for a total of roughly 3-4 mils, and "acrylic" alone does not tell you the film build, so read the sheet for the exact product.
Among the other products, the ArmorSeal 1000 HS high-solids epoxy sheet lists 3.0-5.0 mils per coat (with an 8.0-mil primer in one listed system), the Tnemec Series 280 sheet lists 6.0-12.0 mils per coat as a glaze or topcoat, and the Rust-Oleum Concrete Saver 6700 100% solids sheet lists 16 mils per coat at about 100 square feet per gallon.
Volume solids and dry film thickness are listed separately on each sheet; read both for the product being quoted.
What to put in the written scope: coats, film thickness per coat as the data sheet reports it, and total system thickness.
ICRI 310.2R is a guideline for selecting and specifying concrete surface preparation for sealers, coatings, and overlays; it defines concrete surface profiles ranging from CSP 1 (nearly flat) to CSP 10 (very rough, amplitude greater than 1/4 inch), used as benchmarks for specifying and verifying a prepared surface. Its public description covers selecting and specifying surface preparation; it is not described as setting moisture or cleanliness limits.
Minimum profile recommendations differ by product. The Tread-Plex acrylic sheet and the ArmorSeal 1000 HS epoxy sheet both list a minimum of CSP 1-3. For the Rust-Oleum 6700, the sheet requires laitance removal on new concrete by diamond grinding or shot blasting, and the final texture for new or existing concrete should resemble 60-80 grit sandpaper or CSP 2-3. The Tnemec Series 280 sheet calls for abrasive blast, shot-blast, water jet, or mechanical abrasion to a minimum CSP 3, and the Sikafloor-264 sheet calls for mechanical preparation to CSP 3-4. A full comparison of prep methods is covered in the Concrete Surface Prep Methods Compared guide.
Slab moisture is addressed by two different ASTM test methods. ASTM F1869 determines the moisture vapor emission rate from bare concrete, expressed as pounds of moisture over a 1,000 square foot area in a 24-hour period, and is not used over coatings, patching compounds, or lightweight/gypsum concrete. ASTM F2170 determines relative humidity inside the slab using in-situ probes; its own text notes that results indicate slab moisture only at the time of the test and in the locations tested, not future conditions. Product sheets set their own moisture limits and test methods; the examples here include ASTM F2170 and meter-based limits: the Tnemec Series 280 sheet states moisture vapor transmission should not exceed three pounds per 1,000 square feet in 24 hours and in-slab relative humidity should not exceed 80% per ASTM F2170, while the Sikafloor-264 sheet sets a moisture content limit of 4% by mass using a Tramex-type meter.
What to put in the written scope: the CSP range required by the product data sheet, the moisture test method to be used, the product-specific acceptance value, and who is responsible for retesting if a reading fails.
ASTM D4060 measures abrasion resistance of organic coatings on a plane, rigid panel such as a metal panel using a Taber Abraser; it is a laboratory panel test, not a test of installed concrete floors, not a forklift or hot-tire test, and its public scope makes no service-life claim. With that scope in mind, the Tread-Plex data sheet reports 132 mg loss under this test on its printed two-coat, 4.0-mil system. The Sikafloor-264 sheet separately reports 90 mg loss under the same test method. Taber results from different sheets are not directly comparable and are not a ranking of the products.
Stated real-world traffic limits also come directly from each sheet rather than from the Taber test. The Tread-Plex sheet states it is not recommended for areas subject to hot tire pickup. The Rust-Oleum 6700 sheet lists separate windows for light traffic (12-16 hours) and vehicle traffic (36-48 hours) at 70-80F and 50% relative humidity; the sheet does not state this as a forklift or hot-tire rating.
Chemical resistance is product-specific: the Rust-Oleum 6700 chart rates some chemicals as conditional and instructs washing spills within one hour, which is not a statement that all 100% solids epoxies resist all chemicals.
What to put in the written scope: the traffic and chemical exposures the floor must withstand, referenced against the product data sheet's stated uses and limitations.
Recoat windows and full cure times are listed differently across products, each tied to a stated temperature and often a relative humidity condition. The Tread-Plex sheet lists a recoat time of 4 hours at 77F (6 hours at 55F) at 4.0 mils wet and 50% relative humidity, with a 7-day cure. The ArmorSeal 1000 HS sheet lists a minimum recoat of 8 hours at 77F (24 hours at 50F) and a maximum recoat window of 7 days, after which the surface must be abraded before recoating. The Rust-Oleum 6700 sheet lists a recoat window of 12-48 hours at 70-80F and 50% relative humidity. The Tnemec Series 280 sheet lists a topcoat window of 8-72 hours and a time to service of 24 hours at 75F. The Sikafloor-264 sheet lists an 8-24 hour recoat window at 68F.
These figures are each tied to the temperature and film thickness printed on that specific sheet; actual site conditions on the day of installation, including slab and ambient temperature, should be checked against the data sheet rather than assumed.
What to put in the written scope: the recoat and minimum-cure windows from the specified product's data sheet, and who confirms ambient and slab temperature before coating begins.
Start by defining the facility's traffic and exposure: forklift frequency, tire type, chemical spills, and whether hot tire pickup is a concern, since the Tread-Plex sheet lists hot tire pickup areas as not recommended. Warehouse-specific systems are organized by use case at the Colorado Warehouse Floor Coatings contractor hub and the Colorado Commercial Epoxy Flooring contractor hub, and facility-type context for distribution and logistics buildings is available at the Colorado hub for Warehouses & Distribution Centers.
Compare the data sheets side by side rather than relying on category labels. Once you have a short list, the cost calculator can help estimate installed cost by service and Colorado city.
What to put in the written scope: product name and data sheet revision, surface prep method and target CSP, moisture test method and acceptance value, number of coats and film thickness, and the recoat/cure schedule referenced to actual site temperature.
Not necessarily. The data sheets compared here show different film thicknesses, solids content, and surface preparation requirements from product to product, so a scope of work should name the exact product and data sheet instead of using "floor paint" or "epoxy" alone.
The ArmorSeal Tread-Plex data sheet states the product is not recommended for areas subject to hot tire pickup. Confirm with the manufacturer whether your tire and traffic conditions fall in that category. Beyond that caution, forklift suitability should be confirmed directly with the manufacturer or contractor for the exact product being considered, since different products are not addressed the same way on their data sheets.
Minimum surface preparation varies by product rather than by category alone. Some epoxy sheets, such as ArmorSeal 1000 HS, list the same CSP 1-3 minimum as the Tread-Plex acrylic sheet, while Tnemec Series 280 and Sikafloor-264 call for CSP 3 or CSP 3-4. Always confirm the minimum profile on the specific product's data sheet.
Two ASTM methods are commonly referenced: ASTM F1869 measures moisture vapor emission from bare concrete over a 24-hour period, and ASTM F2170 measures relative humidity inside the slab using in-situ probes. Product sheets set their own moisture limits and test methods, so the applicable limit depends on the specific product being installed.
Data sheets list recoat windows at stated temperatures, and some also state humidity and film thickness; the windows differ by product. Recoat and cure times stated on one data sheet should not be applied to a different product, and actual job-site conditions on the day of installation should be checked against the sheet for the product being used.
Pricing is covered separately from this comparison. The Warehouse Floor Coatings Cost in Colorado guide and the Commercial Epoxy Flooring Cost per Square Foot in Colorado guide address cost ranges, and a cost calculator is available to estimate installed cost by service and Colorado city.
What warehouse floor coatings cost per square foot in Colorado, how it scales by market, and what drives the price of a distribution-center floor.
Get your quote with real numbers: commercial epoxy flooring costs $3 to $12 per square foot in Colorado, by system and market.
How aisle lines, safety zones and floor markings are specified for industrial floors, what OSHA requires about marked aisles, and how markings are applied.
How diamond grinding, shot blasting, scarifying, and acid etching compare for commercial concrete prep, with the surface profiles each produces.
FloorSpec matches commercial flooring projects to contractors whose service areas and service types fit the work. We review each contractor's credentials, insurance, and licensing. We do not verify a contractor's track record with a specific facility type, so ask about relevant experience during your own evaluation. FloorSpec is free for project owners.
Two-minute form. One reviewed contractor. Free for project owners.