Epoxy vs Polished Concrete for a Garage Floor in NSW

Epoxy is a resin coating on top of the slab. Polished concrete is the slab itself, ground to a sheen. Epoxy suits an older or marked slab and gives colour; polished concrete suits a sound slab and avoids a coating that can peel. Neither is guaranteed non-slip, so ask for a slip-test result.

How they differ

What each one is

Epoxy flooring is a resin with a hardening agent applied over the concrete surface. Polished concrete is made by grinding the slab with diamond discs until it reaches the sheen you want. That difference drives everything below. One is a layer you add. The other is the slab you already have.

Side by side

Factor	Epoxy	Polished concrete
What it is	A coating over the slab	The slab, ground and polished
Slab with cracks or marks	A coating can cover surface inconsistencies, but the cause of a crack must be dealt with first	Shows every wave and flaw in the slab
Stains and oil	Resists stains and cleans with a mop and water	Needs a densifier or sealer for stain resistance
Sunlight	Some epoxy floors can yellow or fade with prolonged UV exposure	No coating to yellow
Grip	Depends on added flakes or additives	Can be slippery when wet
Coating failure	Can peel or bubble if the slab is wet or badly prepared	No coating to peel
Typical price signal	$60 to $120 per m2 installed, from one contractor	Not sourced for NSW

Sources for the table: Policrete (an Australian installer) on grip and wetness, SlashGear (a US publication) on UV, stains and slab condition, and Top4 (contractor marketing) on price. The price is indicative. NSW Flooring found no independent NSW price for polished concrete, so none is given here.

Which garage suits which

Epoxy is usually the better fit when

The slab is old, patched or stained, you want colour, or the budget is tight. The sources describe epoxy as the easier and cheaper option, and one notes it can help revitalise an old garage because it covers surface inconsistencies.

Polished concrete suits

A sound, flat slab where you want a hard-wearing finish with nothing to peel. One source says it can last longer and resist moisture damage better, but that is a general claim from a US publication.

A third option

A penetrating sealer or densifier gives stain resistance without adding a coating. If the aim is only to stop oil marks on a good slab, ask an installer whether that is enough.

Grip and slip resistance

Neither finish is automatically safe

Traction on epoxy usually depends on added flakes or additives, and polished concrete can be slippery when wet. Slip resistance is a property of the finished system, not of the material name.

How slip is tested in Australia

The Australian test method AS 4586 uses a wet pendulum test and rates surfaces from P1 to P5, with P5 the highest. The 2013 edition changed the test slider to better represent a worn, polished heel, which makes higher ratings harder to reach. Pool surrounds and showers are usually tested differently, with a barefoot ramp test.

What to ask an installer

Ask for a test result for the exact system and finish they plan to use, and remember a result applies only to the specimens tested. We found no rule that sets a rating for a domestic garage, so this is a question to ask, not a requirement.

Slab moisture matters for both

A damp slab can lift an epoxy coating, and moisture also affects the sealer on polished concrete. See moisture barriers for epoxy floors and how a concrete slab is moisture tested.

Cost, in the sources

Epoxy

One contractor gives $60 to $120 per m2 installed for homes and light commercial work. A full breakdown is in what epoxy flooring costs.

Polished concrete

We found no independent NSW price. Treat any figure you are quoted as unverified and compare at least three quotes with the same scope.

Find a contractor

NSW Flooring lists 56 businesses with a confirmed epoxy service and 43 with a confirmed polished concrete service, from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026. Examples: epoxy flooring western sydney, epoxy flooring south west sydney, polished concrete western sydney and polished concrete st george & sutherland. For the newer resin option see polyaspartic vs epoxy garage floor. Read how this directory collects data for the limits of the listings.

Quick answers

Does epoxy yellow?

Some epoxy floors can in prolonged sunlight, according to the sources above. A UV-stable topcoat is one way installers address it.

Which is cheaper?

In the sources we found, epoxy is the cheaper and easier option. No NSW price for polished concrete was available.

Can I coat a cracked garage slab?

A coating can cover surface inconsistencies, but a crack that is still moving will return through it. See concrete crack repair.

Is polished concrete slippery?

An Australian installer says it can be slippery when wet. Ask for a slip-test result for the system you are quoted.