Epoxy resin is a material well known for its immense strength and high visual appeal. It's often applied as a finish to high-traffic surfaces such as bar tops, table tops, and countertops; it can also be used on seating furniture, such as benches, chairs, etc.
Epoxy also has value as an artistic ingredient. Many artists indulge in the creation of resin art, using the epoxy resin primarily for its aesthetic qualities rather than its functional properties.
When considering epoxy as a finish for your countertop, or preparing for a resin art project, it's useful to understand epoxy's strengths and weaknesses.
In this article, we'll talk about how a strong epoxy finish can withstand various types of physical damage, including denting, cutting, and scratching.
Do epoxy countertops scratch easily?
Epoxy resin is highly resistant to scratching. It doesn't damage easily from typical sources of scratching, such as from fingernails or rough edges on physical objects.
This also applies to intentional acts such as sanding, which is why we recommend the use of power sanders for smoothing out mistakes on an epoxy surface or when a matte finish is desired.
Epoxy resin: how resilient is it?
Epoxy resin is a remarkably durable material. Among countertop finishes, it's one of the best options for preventing many common forms of damage. This is especially true for a high-grade epoxy resin, which will harden further than the average resin product for nearly impervious countertop preservation.
The perfect countertop finish
Epoxy resin makes for an outstanding countertop finish. It's easy to apply, affordable, and cures to a rock-solid surface with a stunning glasslike appearance.
In addition to its scratch-resistant qualities, a high-quality epoxy resin also features several other noteworthy benefits, such as:
- High impact resistance. In fact, with a premium epoxy like our UltraClear Table Top Epoxy, you get a resin so durable that it measured a 98 out of 100 on the Shore D Hardness Scale!
- High moisture resistance. Epoxy resin is waterproof—a great way to protect almost any material for water, moisture, humidity, and more!
- Low maintenance requirements. Epoxy resin is easy to clean and long lasting. With proper care, our Table Top Epoxy will last a minimum of 7 years.
How does the scratch resistance of epoxy affect sanding?
Sanding is an activity in which an abrasive material—sandpaper—is used to dull or smooth out surfaces via repeated abrasive motions with the rough sandpaper.
In the case of epoxy, sanding is often used to prepare an epoxy surface for an additional layer. Due to epoxy's ultra-smooth bond, it's often necessary to lightly sand the current layer before adding another to ensure an optimal bond.
Because epoxy is naturally very scratch resistant, it can be difficult to sand it manually. While still possible, it can be difficult and strenuous to do sand a sizable epoxy surface such as an epoxy countertop finish.
To achieve smooth, consistent sanding results, we recommend using an electric sander—preferably an orbital sander, which we feel can deliver excellent results even for those who haven't used one before.
What to watch out for when choosing an epoxy
Epoxy resin may be strong when its produced properly, but not all brands follow best practice. The formula used for an epoxy resin greatly affects its quality.
These days, there are many producers who cut corners on the quality by using substandard ingredients, fillers, and more, compromising on quality to offer a unrealistic price.
When choosing an epoxy resin, consider the goals of your project. For epoxy countertops, you likely want your epoxy finish to hold up for its full intended lifespan, which only a premium resin like our UltraClear Bar & Table Top Epoxy can provide.
By focusing on quality before price, you'll ultimately save yourself money, time, and stress in the future with lower maintenance and upkeep. Avoid epoxy budget brands, and give yourself the peace of mind that comes from knowing you didn't compromise when you chose your epoxy resin product.
Additional Resources
We hope this article was able to answer some of your questions. Below, we've added some additional resources you may find useful:
- Will epoxy hold up outside? - Planning an outdoor epoxy project is entirely feasible. But there are a few things you should know before making your decisions.
- Epoxy resin FAQs: The curing phase - We often receive questions about letting epoxy cure. Read our answers here.
- How to wash away resin and epoxy on your hands and skin - Sometimes messes occur. Learn how to easily clean resin off your skin in this guide.
Have questions? Want advice? Contact us!
If you have any questions about epoxy resin and scratching, or if you'd like assistance in planning a bar top project of your own, please reach out to us at UltraClear Epoxy—our epoxy experts are ready to assist!
You can contact us via phone or email here. During business hours, you can also text chat online with one of our resin specialists by clicking the Help button at the bottom of your screen.
In our online store, you'll find a variety of useful tools and supplies, ideal for epoxy countertop projects, plus our award-winning UltraClear Bar & Table Top Epoxy and our UltraClear Deep Pour Epoxy.
