Epoxy resin serves as a powerful sealant for materials that are frequently exposed to moisture, water, and physical wear. As a coating, it significantly enhances their resistance to environmental stresses and various forms of wear and tear, even for high traffic fixtures such as bar tops and countertops.

However, you might still wonder how effective epoxy is in preserving a material in the presence of heavy rain and similar conditions.

In this discussion, we'll explore the impact of rain on epoxy resin coatings and detail how this sealant helps safeguard the underlying material it coats.

What Happens If Epoxy Gets Rained On?

Outdoor epoxy projects are typically exposed to various weather conditions such as rain, wind, sleet, snow, and hail. Even if you provide your surfaces shelter, they may still be exposed to these elements.

Fortunately, premium epoxy is well-equipped to handle different types of weather. It is inherently waterproof, meaning a correctly mixed and applied epoxy finish will resist moisture effectively once fully cured.

Epoxy Is Unbothered by Rain

The surface of cured epoxy is extremely smooth and non-porous, preventing water from penetrating it as it might with more porous materials like wood or cork. This characteristic makes it impervious to rainwater.

However, it's important to note that epoxy in its uncured state should be kept in a dry environment to ensure optimal curing. For best results, maintain a curing environment with relative humidity below 60% and a temperature around 75°F.

Snow, Hail, and Sleet—Also Not a Problem

Cold weather often brings with it conditions like snow, sleet, and hail, which can be more physically demanding than simple rain. However, a high-quality epoxy coating will be well-suited to handle these challenges, too.

Once it has cured, epoxy is highly resistant to impacts, which means it can withstand the harder, more solid nature of sleet and hail without suffering damage. These elements won’t mar or dent the surface of a well-applied epoxy finish.

As for snow, which is made up of soft ice crystals, it poses no threat to an epoxy surface either. Snow can easily be brushed off or will melt away on its own if the temperatures rise again.

Not Only Resilient—It's Also Easy to Clean

An outdoor epoxy resin finish is liable to get rather dirty. Inclement weather can toss all sorts of debris onto the surface, leaving a mess to clean up. Fortunately, cleaning an epoxy surface is a breeze!

Most messes on an epoxy surface can be cleaned away with warm water and a mild soap (e.g., dish soap). Many surface cleaners will also be excellent for this task, including multi-surface cleaners and common glass cleaners.

Avoid Direct Sunlight Exposure

Despite epoxy's remarkable resilience against most forms of weather, there is one element that can become an issue: direct sunlight.

Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can present challenges due to UV radiation, which impacts virtually all materials, including epoxy resin.

UV rays, which are present in direct sunlight, can gradually degrade an epoxy resin finish. This exposure can affect the color and even the structural integrity of epoxy, including high-quality types (at a slower rate), making it a noteworthy concern for any outdoor epoxy project.

What Are the Potential Effects of UV Radiation on Epoxy?

UV radiation from sunlight can significantly affect a cured epoxy finish in several ways:

Color Changes

One of the most noticeable effects of constant UV exposure on epoxy resin is yellowing. Over time, the clear epoxy can develop a yellow tint, which can alter its original crystal-clear appearance. This is due to the UV rays breaking down the bonds in the epoxy's chemical structure, causing a change in color.

Degradation and Brittleness

Extensive UV exposure can weaken the epoxy resin, making it more brittle. This happens because UV light tends to break down the polymers within the epoxy, reducing its elasticity and making it more likely to crack under pressure or impact.

Surface Chalking

In some cases, UV exposure can cause the surface of the epoxy to become chalky and dull. This is a result of the epoxy's outermost exterior degrading, which ends up affecting its texture and appearance.

This is more likely to occur with a substandard epoxy resins.

Reduced Gloss

UV radiation can diminish the glossy finish of epoxy, leading to a more matte surface. This reduction in gloss is linked to the surface degradation and the breaking down of surface layers that reflect light effectively.

How Can You Prevent These Issues?

These problems can be reduced or prevented entirely by applying a UV-resistant topcoat, which extends the lifespan of a finish in the face of heavy UV exposure.

Shade Your Epoxy from the Sun

For outdoor epoxy projects, many users give their finish some sort of cover. This can be done with natural features such as shade from trees, or it can be provided via the construction of an actual shelter, even the outdoor walls or overhang of a building.

Use Reflective Epoxy Pigments

Colorful mineral-based epoxy pigments can be mixed into the resin prior to application to give it some resistance to UV radiation. These pigments contain tiny particles of ground minerals (often mica), which have a reflective nature that bounces the UV lighting away from the resin, preventing it from fully permeating.

Using darker colors will also diminish the appearance of any yellowing, making it nearly imperceptible.

Primaloc Epoxy: Premium Epoxy for Premium Results

With our premium Bar & Table Top Epoxy and our Deep Pour Epoxy, Primaloc gets the job done—even outdoors. 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.