What Is the Difference Between Epoxy, Polyurethane and Urethane Cement Flooring?

Epoxy is the rigid, high-build body of most resinous floors (Shore D 80 to 85 as a coating, 85 to 90 as a mortar, from about 12 mils to 1/4 in); polyurethane is the flexible, UV-stable wear topcoat over it (Shore D 73 to 78, 4 to 10 mils per coat); and urethane cement is a cementitious mortar at 80 mils to 1/4 in rated to 248°F in service that handles thermal shock and damp slabs epoxy cannot. Most floors use two of the three together. The table below shows where each belongs.

By Alexi Cortez · November 4, 2026 · 9 min read

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How do epoxy, polyurethane and urethane cement compare?

Values are published manufacturer examples, not DTI promises; the product DTI installs is confirmed at the floor condition assessment.

Epoxy vs polyurethane vs urethane cement flooring
PropertyEpoxy (bisphenol-A, high build)Polyurethane (aliphatic topcoat)Urethane cement (polyurethane-cement mortar)
ChemistryTwo-part epoxy resin plus amine hardener; rigid thermosetTwo-part aliphatic polyurethane; flexible thermosetWater-dispersed polyurethane plus cement and aggregate
Typical thicknessCoating 12 to 16 mils wet per pass (up to 40 mils in one coat); self-leveling slurry 60 to 120 mils; troweled mortar 1/8 to 1/4 in4 to 10 mils wet per coatSelf-leveling screed 80 to 160 mils; trowel mortar 1/4 in nominal (3/16 to 1/2 in)
Shore D hardness (ASTM D2240)80 to 85 coating; 85 to 90 mortar73 to 7878 to 84
Compressive strength (ASTM C579)7,426 to 8,702 psi coating; 10,000 psi mortar at 7 daysNot a load-bearing layer6,961 psi at 28 days (screed); 7,700 psi at 7 days (mortar)
FlexibilityLow; rigid under slab movementHigh; 85% elongation at breakModerate; deforms plastically under impact without cracking or debonding
Abrasion (ASTM D4060, CS-17, 1,000 g, 1,000 cycles)58 to 90 mg loss18 mg loss0.074 g loss with urethane topcoat (mortar)
UV stabilityPoor; yellows and chalksGood; carries UV blocker technologyUsually topcoated for color
Heat and thermal shockTypical coatings degrade at sustained temperatures above 150°FTopcoat only; limited by the epoxy beneathService range -40 to 248°F, softening point 266°F (screed); one trowel mortar lists 300°F dry; passes ASTM C884 thermal compatibility with concrete
Moisture toleranceMost coatings 75 to 80% RH; one high-build epoxy allows 85% RH (ASTM F2170), or a moisture mitigation primerSame as the epoxy baseSubstrate moisture above 4% by weight, RH below 100%; applied to concrete 5 to 10 days old
Cure at about 68 to 77°FFoot 8 to 12 h; light traffic 2 days; full 7 daysFoot 24 h; light traffic 2 days; full 7 daysFoot 6 to 18 h; light traffic or normal operations 24 h; full 3 to 5 days
Typical usesWarehouses, manufacturing, labs, showrooms, garagesTopcoat for showrooms, retail, labs, healthcare, anywhere color and gloss must holdCommercial kitchens, bakeries, food and beverage, breweries, wash-down and thermal shock areas

What is the difference between epoxy and polyurethane flooring?

Epoxy is the structure; polyurethane is the skin. A high-build epoxy builds thickness, bonds to concrete and carries compressive load at 7,400 to 8,700 psi, but it yellows under UV and scratches when abrasive grit is ground into it. An aliphatic polyurethane topcoat goes on at 4 to 10 wet mils, tests softer at Shore D 73 to 78 but stretches 85% before breaking, and loses only 18 mg in the ASTM D4060 abrasion test against 58 to 90 mg for epoxy coatings.

That is why polyurethane is almost always a topcoat and not a base: at 10 mils it cannot fill, level or build. Where polyurethane is the base it is as a flexible membrane on a parking deck or as the binder in urethane cement, which is a different material and covered next. For the full family of coating types, see /blog/types-of-industrial-coatings-explained.

What is urethane cement and why does it beat epoxy under heat?

Urethane cement is a water-dispersed polyurethane binder mixed with cement and graded aggregate, poured as a screed at 80 to 160 mils or troweled as a mortar at 3/16 to 1/2 in, with 1/4 in the usual nominal. One manufacturer rates its screed from -40°F to 248°F in service with a softening point of 266°F and reports a pass on ASTM C884, the thermal compatibility test between a resinous overlay and concrete; another lists 300°F dry for its trowel mortar. Typical epoxy coatings, by contrast, degrade at sustained temperatures above 150°F.

The advantage is movement, not only heat tolerance. Rigid epoxy expands and contracts at a different rate than the slab, so repeated hot wash-down and cool-down cycles shear it at the bond line. The cement-filled urethane moves closer to the concrete's own rate, which is what ASTM C884 measures, and it deforms plastically under impact rather than cracking or debonding.

Urethane cement also tolerates moisture epoxy cannot. One manufacturer allows substrate moisture above 4% by weight and RH below 100%, and application to concrete 7 to 10 days old; another allows 5-day-old concrete. Most epoxy coatings stop at 75 to 80% RH, and one high-build epoxy at 85%, beyond which a moisture mitigation primer is required (see /resources/epoxy-flooring-installation-guide).

Urethane cement vs epoxy for a commercial kitchen or bakery floor: which one?

Urethane cement, in almost every case. A kitchen or bakery floor sees four things epoxy handles poorly. Ovens, fryers and dropped racks put heat on the floor above the 150°F sustained limit of typical epoxy coatings. Hot water and steam wash-down followed by cold production creates thermal cycling that cracks and delaminates rigid films. Sugar, flour, butter and oil find any crack and feed bacteria, so the floor must stay crack-free under that cycling, with an integral cove base. And the slab under a kitchen is often damp from floor drains and cooler condensation, which is inside urethane cement's moisture tolerance and outside epoxy's. Organic acids from dairy, dough and sanitizers are covered chemical by chemical in /blog/chemical-resistant-epoxy-flooring-options.

Decision guide:

  • Hot line, fryers, ovens, dish pit, wash-down and drains: DTI's standard kitchen build is a 1/4 in (6 mm) urethane cement slurry broadcast system with slip texture and a 6 in integral cove base, the build that handles hot wash-down thermal shock and heavy impact and meets USDA, FDA and local health department sanitation requirements for a cleanable, coved floor.
  • Dry storage, offices and front-of-house: epoxy with urethane topcoat is acceptable.
  • Walk-in coolers and freezers: urethane cement, rated to -40°F and tolerant of the damp slab under a cooler.
  • Return to service: DTI's kitchen installs return to service in 48 to 72 hours. Manufacturer sheets put urethane cement at light traffic or normal operations in about 24 hours and full cure in 3 to 5 days, versus 7 days to full cure for epoxy.

For zone-by-zone kitchen detail, drains and the ANSI A326.3 wet DCOF 0.42 target, see /blog/commercial-kitchen-flooring.

When should you combine them?

Most DTI floors are hybrids. A warehouse gets epoxy body coats and an aliphatic urethane wear coat. A food plant gets urethane cement in process areas and epoxy with a urethane topcoat in packaging. A showroom gets epoxy color under a UV-stable topcoat. At Sweetgreen locations in California, DTI installed urethane cement with a textured anti-slip finish in the back-of-house kitchen and a polished concrete finish in the dining area, matched to the brand (see /case-studies). The rule: epoxy for build and bond, urethane cement for heat, moisture and thermal shock, polyurethane on top for wear, color and UV. DTI's free floor condition assessment settles which zones get which; call (209) 879-9674 or start a FloorQuote™.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between epoxy and polyurethane flooring?

Epoxy is the rigid, thick body coat: Shore D 80 to 85, 12 to 16 wet mils per pass, 7,400 to 8,700 psi compressive strength, but it yellows under UV. Polyurethane is the flexible topcoat: 4 to 10 mils, Shore D 73 to 78, 85% elongation, 18 mg abrasion loss, and UV stable. Most floors use both.

Is polyurethane flooring a base coat or a topcoat?

A topcoat. At 4 to 10 wet mils per coat it cannot build, fill or level, so it goes over an epoxy body. The exceptions are flexible deck membranes and urethane cement, where polyurethane is the binder in a cement-and-aggregate mortar poured at 80 mils to 1/4 in.

How hot can a urethane cement floor get?

One manufacturer rates its urethane cement screed from -40°F to 248°F in service with a 266°F softening point; another lists 300°F dry for its trowel mortar. Typical epoxy coatings degrade at sustained temperatures above 150°F, which is why kitchens and wash-down areas use urethane cement.

Urethane cement or epoxy for a bakery floor?

Urethane cement for the production floor. It handles oven heat, hot oil, steam wash-down and the thermal cycling that cracks rigid epoxy, it tolerates damp slabs, and it passes ASTM C884 thermal compatibility with concrete. DTI's standard build is 1/4 in with a 6 in integral cove. Epoxy with a urethane topcoat is fine in dry storage and front-of-house.

Can urethane cement go on new or damp concrete?

Yes. One manufacturer allows substrate moisture above 4% by weight and RH below 100%, and application to concrete 7 to 10 days old; another allows 5-day-old concrete. Epoxy coatings typically require RH under 75 to 85% and 28-day strength, or a moisture mitigation primer.

Which cures fastest?

Urethane cement: foot traffic in 6 to 18 hours, light traffic or normal operations in about 24 hours, full cure in 3 to 5 days at about 68 to 77°F. Epoxy coatings take 8 to 12 hours to foot traffic and 7 days to full cure; aliphatic polyurethane topcoats about 24 hours and 7 days.

Related reading

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