How Epoxy Flake Flooring Works: A Complete Guide

If you’re looking at brightening up your home garage or the floor in an industrial or commercial space, epoxy flake flooring is a stunning option that is quickly growing in popularity. It is a hard-wearing and long lasting flooring topcoat that is highly resistant to both chemical spills and moisture. And with the right kind of flakes, it can brighten up your work area while still being functional.

You can grab an epoxy flake flooring kit from Australian Slate-Crete Supplies. Whichever you choose, this article is going to tell you all about what epoxy flake flooring is and how it can be installed.

What is Epoxy Flake Flooring?

This style of flooring is a curable and decorative coating system to lay over the top of concrete. Some people have polished concrete indoors, however the bulk of this style of flooring occurs in garages, patios and commercial locations. It is hard-wearing and easy to clean, which is why it is used in such areas. Clearing the oil spills off your garage floor is a breeze when you have an epoxy floor laid down.

You can easily bring sophistication to your garage or outdoors area by choosing reflective flakes or classy black and white flakes to include in your epoxy resin.

Once it is laid, you seal it with a clear topcoat creating a seamless surface that can have a textured and speckled look and feel. This can help with traction and safety in areas that are prone to liquid spillage.

Epoxy flake flooring is cost effective and you get a lot of decorative bang for your buck. You can absolutely glam up your garage without breaking the bank.

Choosing your Flakes

There are two main kinds of flake types you can choose to mix in with the epoxy.

Vinyl Flakes

These types of flakes offer better flexibility and lay flatter when used with epoxy resin. This means there is less sanding involved to get a good finish. They add great texture and traction to your floor and they also dampen sound.

Less sanding with vinyl flakes means a quicker and easier installation.

Acrylic Flakes

Acrylic flakes are harder and less flexible than vinyl. This means they bond well and are extremely strong, however they can create more voids in the floor which need filling. Their hardness also requires more sanding to achieve a smooth surface finish.

Benefits of an Epoxy Flake Floor

There are many benefits to installing this type of floor in your outdoor and heavy traffic areas.

• Decorative- You may think polished concrete or might not look nice? How can concrete look sophisticated? But you will be pleasantly surprised at how smart and sharp it looks. It invites questions, and people will be sure to love your new floor. It can feel welcoming as well. No more grimy, cold concrete in your garage when you go work on your car. Instead you have a shiny and decorative floor that looks great and is super easy to clean.
  
• Scratch and wear resistant- Epoxy floors are quite hardy. Installed in high traffic areas you will not see much damage to them for many years. This makes such areas look like new for longer, giving you a sense of pride and satisfaction.
  
• Anti-bacterial– The nature of epoxy and how dense it is means bacteria cannot find a foothold and grow. Porous substances, such as concrete, can harbour nasties, especially in places like the garage where dirt, dust and spillages occur.
  
• Easy to clean– Epoxy floors can pretty much be wiped clean with a mop. They resist stains and dirt quite well.
  
• Can only be applied indoors– Wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries benefit from epoxy floors. Kitchens are great places as well, with the high traffic and easy to clean nature of epoxy.

How to Lay an Epoxy Flake Floor

1. Surface Preparation

Epoxy is a clear floor covering so you will see the concrete base beneath. If it is not prepared well you could have a smooth surface but a rough looking base. Also, with dry or porous concrete surfaces you could have some uneven patchiness with your end result.

Get your surfaces smooth and flat and then seal it. This will result in a much better finish with your transparent flooring.

2. Apply Primer Base

Use a base roller and spiked-sole shoes. Apply an initial epoxy coating that will bond with the concrete base. The mixture must be at room temperature.

You may wish to apply a primer to your concrete base before applying the epoxy coating depending on how rough your base is.

3. Apply the Flakes

On your second coat of base, apply your colour flakes. Best practice is to roll out 2-3m2 and broadcast the flakes on top.  Then roll another 2-3m and cast the flakes and so on.Consider your design choices and what look you’re aiming for.

Take small handfuls of your flakes and fling them around and onto the epoxy. The more even the broadcast the more even the end result. You don’t want bunches of flakes and areas with very few flakes.

Cover as much of the epoxy area as you want for a great end result. Be wary not to run out of flakes before you’ve finished broadcasting, as this will leave bare patches and not look so good.

4. Remove Unsecured Flakes

Allow the epoxy and base to cure over night.

If you have a leaf blower or vacuum cleaner, you can go over and remove any flakes that did not adhere to the epoxy flooring.

The next step is to scrape away any flakes that landed but stick up from the floor, or you can knock them down flat so they are within the epoxy.

5. Apply Protective Topcoat

Once the epoxy has cured and you are happy with the look of your flake floor you apply the topcoat. This can be either a glossy finish or a matte finish.

Generally only one coat of clear is required, but more coats will make the surface smoother. Each coat takes around 8 hours to cure.

You can add anti-slip material to the top coat to help with traction upon the final product.

The area must be well ventilated while curing.

For a floor that looks high class and decorative and is incredibly durable and easy to clean, epoxy flake floors are a solid option. Highly customisable with the colour and shape of flakes you use, this flooring can turn your garage from a dingy, greasy hideaway into a showroom for your custom, weekend ride.

Australian Slate-Crete Supplies are here to consult with you on the best type of flooring for your garage, warehouse floor and outdoor entertaining area. We invite you to see how stylish an epoxy floor is, choose one for your home or work area.

Contact us today and let’s get you a beautiful floor laid tomorrow.