Does Sherwin Williams sell polyaspartic?

Polyaspartic coatings have become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to traditional epoxy and urethane floor coatings. Polyaspartics cure faster, have less odor, and can be applied in a wider range of temperatures than other coating types. Many homeowners, contractors, and business owners are interested to know whether major paint retailers like Sherwin Williams offer polyaspartic coatings among their product selections. In this article, we’ll take a close look at polyaspartic coatings, examine Sherwin Williams’ current floor coating offerings, and determine whether polyaspartics can be purchased at Sherwin Williams stores.

What are Polyaspartic Coatings?

Polyaspartic coatings are a relatively new subclass of polyurea coatings that are derived from polyaspartic esters. The “poly” prefix indicates that these coatings contain polymers, while “aspartic” refers to the aspartic acid that is used within the polymer chemistry. Polyaspartic esters contain two carboxyl functional groups which allow them to more readily react with isocyanates to form a polyurea polymer coating.

Compared to epoxy and urethane, polyaspartic coatings offer a number of advantages:

• Faster cure time – Polyaspartic coatings typically cure in just 1-3 hours, while epoxy can take 12-24 hours to fully cure.
• Lower VOCs and odor – Polyaspartics emit fewer VOCs than other coating types since they contain less solvent.
• Wider application window – Polyaspartics can be applied in temperatures ranging from 0°F to 100°F.
• Excellent durability – Polyaspartic coatings exhibit strong adhesion, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance once cured.

These characteristics make polyaspartic an ideal coating choice for commercial and industrial flooring applications where downtime needs to be minimized. The short cure time allows floors to be recoated and opened to light foot traffic in just a few hours. Polyaspartic coatings are commonly used in garages, warehouses, airplane hangars, kitchens, laboratories, and other spaces needing durable, low-odor flooring.

Sherwin Williams Floor Coating Selection

As one of the nation’s largest specialty paint and coatings companies, Sherwin Williams offers a wide array of products for professional and DIY customers. Their floor coatings lineup includes interior and exterior paints, stains, sealers, and urethanes designed for use on concrete, wood, metal, and masonry substrates. Some of Sherwin Williams’ most popular floor coating product lines include:

• ArmorSeal Tread-Plex – Water-based polyurethane coatings for concrete floors
• FloorPlex – Epoxy and urethane coatings for commercial and industrial floors
• H&C Concrete Stains – Acid-based stains for coloring concrete
• H&C Clear Protective Sealers – Acrylic and urethane concrete sealers
• Wood Classics – Oil-based stains and urethanes for wood floors

Sherwin Williams provides both single-component and two-component floor coatings in finishes ranging from matte to high gloss. However, conspicuously absent from their lineup are any offerings described specifically as polyaspartic coatings. The fast-curing polyaspartic technology does not appear to be represented among Sherwin Williams’ current floor coating selections.

Why Doesn’t Sherwin Williams Sell Polyaspartic?

There are a few possible reasons why polyaspartic floor coatings are not currently sold by Sherwin Williams:

• Specialization in other technologies – As an established company, Sherwin Williams has historically specialized in manufacturing and marketing paints and coatings based on epoxy, acrylic, and urethane polymers. Investing in new polyaspartic technology does not appear to align with their core areas of focus.
• Limited market demand – Since polyaspartic coatings are primarily used in industrial/commercial applications, Sherwin Williams may have determined there is insufficient consumer demand to justify adding polyaspartic products to their retail lineup.
• In-house R&D priorities – Rather than acquiring polyaspartic technology through a third-party partnership, Sherwin Williams may be devoting internal R&D resources to other emerging coatings innovations they feel have more sales potential.
• Technical considerations – Polyaspartic coatings require specialized application techniques and training to use correctly. Sherwin Williams may lack expertise working with this technology compared to more established players in the professional polyaspartic coatings industry.

Unless Sherwin Williams acquires a company already producing polyaspartic coatings, or chooses to devote substantial R&D resources to develop their own polyaspartic technology, it seems unlikely they will begin offering these fast-curing floor coatings to retail customers anytime soon. Their portfolio appears strongly oriented toward more familiar and conventional coating system chemistries.

Where to Purchase Polyaspartic Coatings

While Sherwin Williams currently does not sell polyaspartic coatings in their stores, there are several other options for purchasing these advanced high-performance floor coatings:

• Specialized coatings distributors – Companies like NEOGARD, Polyset, and others specialize in manufacturing and distributing polyaspartic coating systems.
• Industrial coating suppliers – Retailers specializing in industrial and commercial MRO coatings products may offer polyaspartic coating kits.
• Online ordering – Polyaspartic coatings like Polyset’s UPZ-500 system can be purchased directly online and shipped to apply on DIY projects.
• Hiring professional contractors – Many professional flooring contractors are experienced with applying polyaspartic coatings and offer installation services.

Although they are not available on the shelves at Sherwin Williams, there are ample avenues to obtain quality polyaspartic coatings through alternate distributors and contractors.

Conclusion

At this time, Sherwin Williams does not offer polyaspartic coatings as part of their commercial flooring product lineup. While popular for industrial and commercial applications, the specialized polyaspartic chemistry and installation requirements make these systems less ideal for mainstream retail marketing. Additionally, Sherwin Williams’ R&D and manufacturing strengths appear to lie with more conventional coating technologies like epoxy and urethane.

Nonetheless, for those requiring fast-curing polyaspartic floor coatings there are several qualified distributors, online sellers, and professional contractors able to provide high-performance products and application services. By understanding Sherwin Williams’ current floor coating selection as well as the most reputable alternate polyaspartic suppliers, interested consumers can still readily access and install these advanced coatings to enhance their residential or commercial spaces as desired.