Designer metallic epoxy coatings are now the hottest trend in decorative concrete flooring. Once installed, they provide a flowing, 3-D marbled look with iridescent accents. They are installed in residential, retail and commercial interior spaces because they are both aesthetically stunning and crazy durable.
Benefits of Metallic Floor Coatings
Metallic epoxy flooring is one of the toughest coatings around. Because it is resistant to abrasion, staining and harsh chemicals, metallic epoxy flooring is perfectly suited for high traffic areas where a real visual impact is desired.
Hotel lobbies, restaurants, kitchens, waiting rooms, nightclubs, show rooms, galleries, garages, workshops, basements and family rooms. Because of the zero VOC’s, low odor and ease of maintenance, this long-lasting flooring is a great pick for most indoor applications. Unsightly carpeting, vinyl tiles or gray concrete don’t provide any of these benefits. So if you’re a sophisticated homeowner, restaurateur or other business owner with a flair for design, this is the flooring for you!
One or more metallic coloring components (“pigments”)
When applying this mixture with a roller or squeegee, the pigments become agitated. They twist and turn and in doing so, reflect light at different angles. When the epoxy hardens, the metallic pigments lock in place and provide the lustrous metallic flooring so popular today.
Decorative Effects
However, before the epoxy cures, professional applicators use a variety of tools and techniques to create dramatic decorative effects. For example, spraying solvents into the uncured coating scatters the metallic pigment. Or, installers may use a leaf blower or notched squeegee to move the epoxy to produce rippled effects. Or, drizzling or splotching metallic pigment over top of the base color creates color variations. Only the installer’s imagination limits the possible effects. The end result is that no two metallic epoxy floors ever look the same. This is not cookie-cutter flooring!
The Wrap
It was the Roman architect and engineer, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, who first asserted in his book, De architectura, that structures must exhibit 3 qualities: “firmitas”, “utilitas” and “venustas”. That is, structures must be solid, useful, and beautiful. Based on this premise, he coined the phrase “form ever follows function”.
This perfectly describes metallic epoxy floor coatings. A dream for homeowners, designers and business owners. This custom flooring provides sheen, color and pattern that simply can’t be achieved with any other flooring type. A space coated with metallic epoxy is like stepping into a 3-D floor mural. It will leave you breathless.
About the Author
GarageFloorCoating.com
Robert Hanson is the President and founder of GarageFloorCoating.com (GFC), an ISO 9001-certified company that has specialized in the installation of epoxy, polyurethane and polyurea-polyaspartic flooring for over 25 years. Robert’s evolving knowledge and experience pertaining to concrete coatings and installation techniques culminated in GFC’s impressive line of commercial-grade Eco-Corflex floor coating products, flake epoxy flooring blends and unique coating systems. His proprietary floor coating products and flake blends are sold to over 35 franchisees & authorized dealers across the United States.
