Achieving a perfect epoxy finish is quite an achievement. Made possible by careful planning and proper understanding of the process, this sort of accomplishment is far from guaranteed.
And that's why it's so important to maintain your epoxy finish. After all that effort, the last thing a user likely wants is for some easily avoided mistake to permanently mar that crystal-clear seal.
In this article, we'll deliver 5 excellent tips for maintaining a beautiful epoxy finish, keeping it looking good as new for its extensive lifespan.
But the first step in getting there is choosing a good epoxy.
Maintaining epoxy is easy—and applying it can be, too! When it comes to epoxy projects, perhaps the most important decision you can make is choosing which epoxy to use for your project.
Because there are so many subpar epoxy brands these days, it's easy to get lost amidst numerous listings of unvetted resin products with suspiciously high numbers of reviews. The truth is that online marketplaces are easily manipulable by unscrupulous sellers, and many epoxy dealers will offer low-quality resin at a low price to unaware customers. But resin that doesn't meet certain standards has a high chance of failure, with the potential for cracks, soft spots, and a variety of blemishes manifesting in the epoxy when it cures—if it even can.
That's why we strongly recommend buying epoxy from an established, reputable source. At UltraClear Epoxy, we offer only premium-quality epoxy products. Each of our resins is designed to cure to a crystal-clear finish and last for many years of typical wear and tear.
You can find our products on the following pages:
- UltraClear Bar & Table Top Epoxy—Our traditional epoxy resin. This is the kind used for most projects, DIY and commercial, and it cures to the strongest finish. However, it has limitations on layer depth as a necessary consequence of its sheer durability.
- UltraClear Deep Pour Epoxy—Our deep casting resin. Unlike table top epoxies, our Deep Pour Epoxy supports vast layers of up to 2 inches deep. These layers can be applied consecutively for a total of 6 inches of pure epoxy resin.
- UltraClear Art & Craft Epoxy—An epoxy product specifically intended for resin art. Consider using this if you're interested in crafting small or intricate creations such as coasters, wall art, sculptures, etc.
5 Great Tips for Maintaining a Pristine Epoxy Finish
To help you maintain your epoxy finish, we have 5 distinct guidelines to share here. Depending on the project type, not all of these will apply, but there's a good chance at least one of them will.
Tip #1: Clean your epoxy surfaces regularly.
The first and perhaps most obvious recommendation is to keep your epoxy surfaces clean. Don't give residues and other debris a long time to settle on your epoxy surfaces.
While epoxy surfaces are actually quite easy to keep fresh, owing to their ultra-smooth molecular bond, they still benefit from punctual cleanings. When there's a spill or a mess of some sort, wipe it away. You can apply warm water and a mild dish soap to accomplish this, or make use of a multi-surface/glass cleaner to get the job done even faster.
An important thing to note regarding this is that epoxy doesn't need strong solvents to be cleaned, and in fact such things should be avoided, as there are few materials that don't get damaged to some extent by powerful solvents like acetone or bleach.
Get more advice on cleaning epoxy in our FAQs article about the subject!
Tip #2: Use trivets and coasters to hold consumables.
Our second tip is about avoiding certain types of damage to your epoxy surfaces. Epoxy is incredibly resilient as a material, more so than many other sealants.
But that doesn't mean it's impervious to damage. Some forms of damage are more likely to occur with epoxy, notably heat damage. Epoxy resin has a moderate level of heat resistance; it can handle temperatures up to 135°F without concern.
However, it's not uncommon to have cookware and drinking cups that end up surpassing these temperatures temporarily, whether due to having just been used or being filled with a hot beverage. In situations like that, you can avoid transferring that high heat into the epoxy surface with the use of trivets and coasters.
Trivets and coasters are very similar objects. Coasters are designed to act as a buffer between two surfaces to prevent the transfer of heat, cold, and moisture. They tend to be absorbent or have a space to contain condensation and small spills. Trivets are much like coasters but larger and more focused on the heat buffering aspect.
Placing hot pans on a trivet instead of directly onto your epoxy surface will help preserve its appearance for years to come.
Tip #3: Minimize UV exposure to your epoxy surfaces.
One concern users sometimes have is the prospect of epoxy "yellowing", which is when the epoxy goes from crystal-clear to slightly yellow. Though yellowing doesn't necessarily affect the strength of the finish, it's often considered an eyesore. Fortunately, one of the primary causes is something you can greatly mitigate.
A properly applied epoxy finish that has full cured will have a fully transparent, glasslike appearance. If a high-quality epoxy was used, this beautiful display will remain so for many years. However there is one particular factor that can sometime incite degradation in the epoxy, causing it to yellow—UV radiation.
UV radiation is primarily sourced from the sun. Despite earth's atmosphere filtering out most of the damaging elements from sunlight, there still remains enough UV radiation to cause damage to most things. For humans, this is the cause of sunburn on one's skin. For epoxy, it's the cause of yellowing.
You can mitigate or fully prevent the yellowing of your epoxy finish by providing it shade from direct sunlight. The most obvious way to do so is to simply keep the project indoors—and most projects are!
But for outdoor projects, such as picnic tables and bar tops, other methods must be employed. There are a couple ways to handle this:
- Find a natural source of shading. This can be from trees, a wall, or some other reliable fixture in the area that can shield your epoxy from direct sunlight.
- Construct a source of shading. You can of course make your own cover if none is available. In fact, many users of epoxy do just that by building their own shelter, or placing a large umbrella overhead, or keeping it near a wall of their house or an overhang that receives little to no sunlight each day.
Tip #4: Watch out for powerful solvents.
Fourth in our tips guide is to avoid the use of powerful solvents. Epoxy is remarkably easy to clean, so mild detergents and cleaners are all that you'll typically need to keep your surface fresh.
This is important because at the other end of things are more powerful cleaners like acetone, bleach, and acetic acid solvents. These types of solvents are much stronger than most household cleaners and can even weaken an epoxy finish.
In other words, to prevent chemical damage to your epoxy finish, skip the harsh solvents and use mild soap, glass cleaner, or multi-surface cleaners to clean your epoxy surfaces.
Read up on epoxy's chemical resistance here!
Tip #5: Avoid using epoxy as a food prep surface.
Did you know that epoxy is food safe? That means that surface contact with epoxy is fine for most consumables. In fact, many users apply an epoxy coating to their kitchen countertops or craft custom charcuterie boards using it. However, some people take that as a cue that epoxy can be used for food preparation.
The truth is that, while epoxy is food safe—for instance, you can leave fruits and vegetables on it—it shouldn't be used as a food prep surface. This is because some utensils, such as knives, are still able to damage the epoxy surface, leaving behind scratches or other blemishes.
When working with food on an epoxy surface, use the right tools for the job. For cutting and tenderizing, use a cutting board or a charcuterie board.
Learn more about epoxy and food safety in our article on the topic here.
Epoxy resin: Not invincible—but as close as it gets.
As with any material, epoxy resin has both pros and cons. But no other sealant has so few weaknesses, and that's what puts epoxy above all other options when it comes to being a finish for high-traffic fixtures and furniture such as countertops, table tops, and bar tops. This is especially true for premium epoxy resins, such as our UltraClear products.
You can find our UltraClear Epoxy products on the following pages:
- UltraClear Bar & Table Top Epoxy: The classic choice for bar tops, countertops, and table tops. Rock-solid, waterproof, and crystal-clear.
- UltraClear Deep Pour Epoxy: Our deep pour casting resin. Ideal for thick layers, such as those needed for river tables.
- UltraClear Art & Craft Epoxy: Our arts and crafts resin, designed for smaller artistic endeavors which typically involve resin molds and require a bit more fluidity than bar top epoxy.
With high chemical and physical resistance, epoxy can withstand and endure many forms of wear and tear without breaking a sweat or showcasing any cosmetic damage.
Plus, in addition to its ease of application, it also requires little upkeep to maintain its pristine appearance. With a high-quality epoxy finish, you can expect a minimum lifespan of 7 years, with no need for reapplication. Beyond that, it's a breeze to renew that coating, requiring only a light sanding and a fresh layer of epoxy.
