Anywhere that microorganisms, especially bacteria, can grow is considering microbial; this is pretty much most surfaces. Interestingly, epoxy flooring is almost completely antimicrobial, making it one of the most sanitary flooring choices for almost any space.

Antimicrobial is an additive that can be included in epoxy to kill microorganisms or stop their growth. The antimicrobial agent added to the floor works at a cellular level, inhibiting or stopping the growth of microorganisms and killing the pathogen.

Antimicrobial floors have biostatic effect that kills mold, mildew, fungi, yeast, algae and bacteria upon contact. The active antimicrobial agent works in a slow-release fashion that will continue to kill unwanted organisms for the life of the floor.

Antimicrobial floor coatings are the best choice in facilities where cleanliness is vital, including food and beverage processing plants, medical facilities, commercial buildings and office spaces, school cafeterias, restaurants, animal care centers and pharmaceutical labs. Floors in these environments must withstand regular cleaning, heavy traffic, harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures. In many types of industry, these antifungal and antibacterial floor coatings are required by the USDA and FDA.

Epoxies and other seamless flooring systems are typically non-porous and they do not allow liquid or air to pass through them. Being a non-porous material, once cured, epoxy provides a surface that will not harbor bacteria.

To better illustrate the above characteristic of epoxy, if you pour a glass of water on an untreated slab of concrete, the water will absorb through or into the concrete. However, if you do the same experiment on a piece of plastic, you will see that the water stays suspended on the surface.

Antimicrobial epoxy is not limited to flooring applications. The seamless antimicrobial coating can be applied to walls and ceilings. This is ideal for labs and restrooms.

Also, with advent of COVID-19, cleaning routines have become more robust in many facilities where epoxy floors are typically installed. The routine use of isopropyl alcohol and other disinfectants will usually degrade acrylic paints but should not affect industrial epoxies.