Epoxy resin is well-known as a versatile material used for a variety of purposes—from serving as a durable protective coating and repair sealant to being a key component in composite materials like those used in aircraft and boat construction.
Its aesthetic appeal also makes it a popular choice for enhancing furniture, interior décor, and various arts and crafts projects. However, the effectiveness of epoxy resin depends significantly on its quality, which must maintain high quality and safety standards.
An Industry Overrun with Substandard Resin Products
Regrettably, the online market is flooded with subpar epoxy resins, and some vendors make overblown claims about their product's capabilities, misleading consumers about what epoxy can actually do.
While epoxy resin is indeed a powerful material, it has its limitations, and misinformation is rampant among unscrupulous sellers looking for quick profits.
In this article, we'll outline common misleading tactics used by these sellers and provide guidance on how to steer clear of them, ensuring you select the highest quality resin for your projects.
The Erosion of Quality Assurance in the Epoxy Industry
There's a range of misconceptions circulating about epoxy resin, especially on online marketplaces where dubious sellers prey on the uninformed. These sellers often tout their epoxy products as having abilities far beyond their actual capabilities.
In this article, we aim to debunk these myths by offering transparent, truthful insights into epoxy resin. We'll explore its genuine properties, potential drawbacks, and the impact of quality on its performance.
Here are the key issues we’ll address:
- How the safety standards of epoxy are affected by where its made.
- The effects of inferior quality on epoxy resilience.
- The long-term costs of using low-quality, untested brands.
- Realistic expectations regarding epoxy’s heat resistance.
- An honest look at how epoxy can yellow over time and its susceptibility to UV light.
- What "food safe" really means with epoxy resin.
We'll discuss each topic in detail to give you a well-rounded understanding of what to expect from epoxy resin.
Issue #1: How the Safety Standards of Epoxy Are Affected by Where Its Made.
Much of the epoxy resin available in the USA is imported from foreign locations, each governed by its own set of safety regulations which may not always align with the stringent standards upheld in the USA.
Not every nation where epoxy is produced is as strict with potentially harmful chemicals as the U.S., and this discrepancy can in turn pose a health or safety risk, as imported epoxy does not need to fully comply with U.S. safety standards and its quality often goes unchecked until it reaches the consumer.
This situation can result in consumers facing health risks due to compromised product safety standards. However, you can avoid these risks by choosing epoxy resin produced in the USA, which is guaranteed to meet all local regulatory safety requirements.
Choose a Trusted Epoxy Dealer for Peace of Mind
At Primaloc, we prioritize your safety by ensuring that all our epoxy resins, including our popular Bar & Table Top Epoxy and Deep Pour Epoxy varieties, are 100% made in the USA.
This commitment helps us maintain high quality and safety standards, ensuring that our users receive a product that provides not only what its supposed to but also peace of mind.
For more information, visit the product pages on our website, listed below:
Issue #2: The Effects of Inferior Quality on Epoxy Resilience.
Epoxy resin is highly valued for its scratch and impact resistance, qualities that make it ideal for use in interior decor such as countertops, table tops, bar tops, and even flooring. A high-quality epoxy should not dent or damage easily if something is dropped on it, providing a durable surface for various applications.
However, the reality is that many epoxy resins offered by lesser-known brands do not meet these durability standards. Often, these products are not rigorously tested for hardness and may fail under pressure, despite claims made by those who sell them.
That's a big problem for epoxy, which is designed to hold up long term to heavy or rough usage in high-traffic environments such as commercial bars and outdoor locations. In the end, this underscores the importance of choosing well-tested and reliable epoxy resins to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of the finish.
Issue #3: The Long-Term Costs of Using Low-Quality, Untested Resin Brands.
The recent surge in the number of credulous epoxy resin sellers on platforms like Amazon and eBay has introduced a myriad of low-quality epoxy resins into the market. These products often attract beginners with their lower initial costs compared to premium brands.
However, the allure of saving money upfront can be misleading, as these inferior quality epoxies tend to result in fragile, unreliable finishes due to the presence of impurities in the resin.
Over time, low-quality resins may deteriorate quickly, necessitate frequent maintenance, and generally fail to meet their expected lifespans, ultimately costing more in terms of time and money.
Avoid Compromise and Opt for Quality
It's genuinely important to not skimp on quality when selecting epoxy resin for your projects. Investing in a reputable, high-quality brand like Primaloc ensures that you achieve a durable, stable finish and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you have purchased a superior product.
Our Primaloc Bar & Table Top Epoxy Resin is designed to provide exceptional strength and longevity, offering true value for your investment.
Issue #4: Realistic Expectations Regarding Epoxy's Heat Resistance
The heat resistance of epoxy resin is often overstated by some resin dealers, leading to unrealistic expectations about its capabilities.
Many claims suggest that epoxy can withstand temperatures as dangerously high as 500°F, which can mislead consumers into using their epoxy-coated surfaces for overly hot items, such as pots directly from the stove or placing objects near intense heat sources like fireplaces.
A More Practical Claim
In reality, high-quality epoxy resin generally supports temperatures up to about 135°F. Exposure to temperatures around 140°F may cause the epoxy to soften, and reaching 150°F can result in heat damage. These thresholds are significantly higher than temperatures that could cause skin burns but are far from the exaggerated claims some sellers make.
Within the realm of reason, however, all our Primaloc Epoxy products conform to genuine heat resistance limits, ensuring that you receive a product that performs as promised without the risks associated with inflated claims.
Issue #5: An Honest Look at How Epoxy Can Yellow Over Time and Its Susceptibility to UV Light.
In addition to epoxy's value as a protective sealant, it also exhibits stunning aesthetic qualities. In fact, there are many creators who view epoxy primarily as an artistic medium, often tinting it with gorgeous colors.
However, maintaining its pristine appearance requires proper care, particularly to avoid the issue of resin yellowing. This yellowing effect is when epoxy develops a yellow tint over time due to prolonged exposure to UV rays from sunlight.
For indoor projects, using high-quality epoxy resin usually prevents yellowing, as these are generally not exposed to direct sunlight. However, for outdoor projects, the risk of yellowing increases due to direct sunlight exposure.
Watch Out for Unbacked Claims of Immunity to "Yellowing"
It's important to be wary of claims made by some sellers asserting their epoxy resins are immune to yellowing. Such claims are misleading, as all polymers—including epoxy—can yellow under UV exposure, and no epoxy variant is fully resistant to this process.
If you come across a product advertised as incapable of yellowing, knowing that it isn't true, you should be mindful of other exaggerations or misinformation from that seller. Unfortunately, many customers discover the truth about yellowing only after the product has been used and reviewed positively, as the yellowing occurs gradually, and the average review is posted mere days after receiving or using a product.
Yellowing Can Be Avoided and Mitigated
For outdoor epoxy projects, positioning them in shaded areas can significantly mitigate direct sun exposure and slow the yellowing process. Consider using natural shade from trees or architectural elements, or build a protective shade structure yourself.
Our Primaloc epoxy resins are engineered to minimize yellowing and will maintain their clarity for an extended period indoors and resist yellowing outdoors much longer than many competitors, although like any epoxy, they will eventually begin to yellow with constant exposure to UV light over many years. The more you can shield them from UV radiation, the longer they'll retain their pristine appearance.
Issue #6: What Food Safe Really Means with Epoxy Resin
Health and safety are paramount when dealing with synthetic materials like epoxy resin. While many types of plastics receive FDA approval for being food safe, epoxy resin has not been universally certified in this way.
Despite this, high-quality epoxies are considered food safe once fully cured. However, the lack of stringent regulatory oversight means that many epoxy products on the market may not meet appropriate safety standards.
To ensure your safety and that of others, it is crucial to use only reputable brands known for their high-quality and safe epoxy resins.
All of our Primaloc epoxy resins, once cured, are confirmed to be food safe and completely devoid of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), making them suitable for use with items that come into direct contact with food and beverages, such as snack trays and coasters.
Avoid the dishwasher with epoxy! Learn why here.
A Good Epoxy Is Still Amazing
While some of the information shared might seem concerning, it's ultimately just a portion of something greater. Epoxy resin is an excellent material for a variety of applications when sourced correctly.
And the silver lining here is that once you discover a high-quality epoxy brand that meets your needs, you can continue using it with confidence.
Do Your Research
The key to finding a brand you can be satisfied with is to conduct thorough research before buying to avoid the pitfalls of misleading claims made by unscrupulous sellers.
If you're new to epoxy resin or are searching for a more reliable brand, we invite you to explore our premium Primaloc epoxy resins. We're proud of our product's quality and think it could be the perfect fit for your projects.
They can be found on the following pages:
Primaloc Epoxy: Premium Epoxy for Premium Results
With our premium Bar & Table Top Epoxy and our Deep Pour Epoxy, Primaloc gets the job done. Our epoxy resins are premium-grade, with high performance in every category, including:
- Unmatched Strength: A Primaloc finish won't buckle, even under high pressure.
- Long-Lasting Resilience: Primaloc epoxy lasts for many years with minimal care, and can endure high-traffic environments with ease.
- A Crystal-Clear Coating: With its pristine, transparent appearance, looking at a cured Primaloc coating is like peering through a window.
Epoxy resin can be beautiful, strong, and long-lasting—which is why you shouldn't compromise on quality. With Primaloc Epoxy Resin, you get the ultimate finish in durability and visual appeal.
Protect your surfaces by giving them a rock-solid epoxy finish. Choose strong. Choose reliable. Choose Primaloc.