Six Ways to Build an Epoxy Floor

Every floor we sell is built the same way. A coating bonds to profiled concrete, something may be broadcast into it while it is wet, and a clear topcoat takes the wear. What changes from one system to the next is what goes into the wet coat and how thick the floor ends up. Here are the six, thinnest to thickest, with what each one is for and the kit that builds it.

Thicknesses are in mils, thousandths of an inch. A credit card is about 30 mils.

First, the concrete

All six start with the same day of prep. Tape a 2 ft square of plastic to the slab for 24 hours to test for moisture. Fill cracks with R-818, rebuild spalls with R-343, seal joints with R-830. Grind or acid-etch until the concrete feels like 120-grit sandpaper, then vacuum. Coatings bond to profile. Smooth concrete will not hold them. The full routine is in How to Prep a Garage Floor for Epoxy. Basements: How to Prep a Basement Floor for Epoxy.

1Solid Color

One color, edge to edge.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Primer, only if the slab needs it. P-707LVP on sound concrete, P-409 if it tests damp, P-820 over oil spots.
  2. 2Base coat. B-707 High Build Epoxy, 14 mils. 12 colors.
  3. 3Topcoat. T-521 gloss or T-520 matte in a house, T-322 in a shop. Rolled thin, 3 to 5 mils wet.
  4. Concrete, ground or etched to a 120-grit profile.

Profile: 16 to 20 mils, more with a primer coat. Smooth. Gloss, satin or matte, depending on the topcoat. 12 colors.

How it goes down

  1. Day 1: prep. Mix B-707 2:1, pour it on the floor in ribbons, pull it out with the 1/8 inch notched squeegee and back-roll it. Wear the spiked shoes. A primer adds a day.
  2. Day 2: roll the topcoat. Stir in A-HWS first for grip on a ramp or a wet area.
  3. Day 3: walk on it. Day 4 to 7: park on it.

Use it when

  • You want a clean, even floor: garage, basement, shop, showroom.
  • The concrete is in good shape.
  • Sweeping and mopping matter. Nothing is easier to keep clean.

Pick something else if

  • The slab has patches, pits or old stains. Solid color shows them. Flake hides them.
  • You want grip without stirring in an additive.

Products. Solid Color is an option in the Garage Starter System, Garage Pro System, Basement & Indoor Pro System and Commercial Pro System. One-day version: the Garage One-Day System, two coats of T-444X polyaspartic, the first one tinted. Singles: B-707, T-521, T-520, T-322, A-HWS.

2Metallic

A pigmented clear over a black base, moved into swirls.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Ground coat. P-015 Water Based Epoxy Primer in black, 5 to 7 mils.
  2. 2Metallic coat. C-671 Clear Epoxy with 12 oz of A-Metallic Pigment per 3 gal kit, 16 to 18 mils.
  3. 3Topcoat. T-521 gloss or T-520 matte. UV stable, so the clear does not amber.
  4. Concrete, ground or etched to a 120-grit profile.

Profile: About 25 mils. Smooth. High gloss, or matte with T-520. 13 colors. Every floor comes out different.

How it goes down

  1. Day 1: prep. Roll P-015 black.
  2. Day 2: sand the floor and wipe it clean with denatured alcohol on a microfiber cloth. Then stir the pigment into C-671, pour it in ribbons and spread it with the squeegee. Move it: a roller, a chip brush, a leaf blower, a drizzle of a second color. Where the clear is thin, the black shows through. That is the effect. Keep the whole floor wet. You get 20 to 30 minutes per batch, and a seam shows if you stop.
  3. Day 3: roll the topcoat.
  4. Day 4: walk on it. Day 5 to 8: park on it.

Use it when

  • Showroom, basement, bar, retail, home office.
  • You want a floor nobody else has.

Pick something else if

  • This is your first floor. It is the least forgiving system.
  • It is a working garage or shop. High gloss shows every scratch and every drip.
  • It gets wet. Metallic is slick when wet. If it has to go there, add A-HWS to the topcoat.

Products. Metallic is an option in the Garage Starter System, Garage Pro System and Basement & Indoor Pro System. Singles: P-015 Black, C-671, A-Metallic Pigment, T-521, T-520.

3Full Flake

A color coat buried in vinyl chips and sealed under clear.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Primer, only if the slab needs it. P-707LVP, P-409 or P-820, same as Solid Color.
  2. 2Base coat. B-707 in a color matched to the flake, 14 mils.
  3. 3Flake. A-Chips 1/4 inch vinyl, broadcast to refusal. About 40 lb per car bay. 10 blends.
  4. 4Clear coat. T-444X polyaspartic in the Pro systems, C-671 clear epoxy in the Starter.
  5. Concrete, ground or etched to a 120-grit profile.

Profile: 30 to 35 mils. Light texture. Looks like terrazzo. 10 blends.

How it goes down

  1. Day 1: prep. Roll B-707. While it is wet, throw the flake up so it falls like snow, and keep going until the floor will not take any more.
  2. Day 2: scrape off the chips standing on edge, sweep, vacuum. Roll the clear coat.
  3. Day 3: walk on it. Day 4 to 7: park on it.

The one-day version. B-933 polyurea under the flake instead of B-707, and T-444X on top 3 to 6 hours later. Walk on it the next morning, park on it two days after the clear coat. That is the Garage One-Day System.

Use it when

  • Garage, basement, workshop, laundry room, any floor that gets used hard.
  • The concrete has patches, pits or stains. The flake hides all of it.
  • This is your first floor. It is the easiest system to get right.

Pick something else if

  • You want one flat color.
  • The floor gets hot wash-downs or steam. See Urethane Cement.

Products. Full Flake is an option in every system: Garage Starter System, Garage Pro System, Garage One-Day System, Basement & Indoor Pro System and Commercial Pro System. Singles: B-707, A-Chips, T-444X, C-671, B-933.

4Sand Broadcast

One color with silica sand broadcast into it. The shop floor.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Primer. P-707LVP, 6 to 12 mils. P-139 if the slab moves.
  2. 2High build coat with sand. B-707, 14 mils, with dry 20-40 mesh silica sand broadcast to refusal.
  3. 3Topcoat. T-359 high wear urethane, tinted to match, or T-322. Rolled thin.
  4. Concrete, ground to a 120-grit profile.

Profile: About 1/16 inch. Textured, like fine sandpaper. One color, semi-gloss.

How it goes down

  1. Day 1: prep. Roll the primer.
  2. Day 2: roll B-707 and, while it is wet, broadcast the sand to refusal. Broadcast lightly for less texture.
  3. Day 3: sweep and vacuum what did not stick. Roll the topcoat. For a smoother, more even floor, roll a second coat of B-707 over the sand first and topcoat the day after.
  4. Walk on it the next day. Forklifts after 5 to 7 days.

Use it when

  • Shops, warehouses, loading docks, ramps, wash bays, mechanic bays. Anywhere forklifts or wet tires run.
  • Chemical exposure. Use P-257 and B-253 novolac in place of the primer and base coat for acids and solvents.

Pick something else if

  • The floor gets mopped. Texture holds dirt. A solid color floor with A-HWS in the topcoat is easier to keep clean and grips nearly as well.
  • Home garage. It is more texture than most people want under a broom.

Products. Commercial Pro System in Solid Color, plus a primer and the sand. Any dry 20-40 or 30-50 mesh silica sand from a building supply will do. It is heavy and cheap, so buy it locally. Singles: P-707LVP, P-139, B-707, T-359, T-322, P-257, B-253.

5Quartz Broadcast

Colored quartz sand broadcast into clear epoxy, once or twice.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Primer. P-139 Flexible Broadcast Primer, 20 mils.
  2. 2First broadcast. C-137MLV binder with colored quartz broadcast into it to refusal.
  3. 3Second broadcast. Another coat of C-137MLV and more quartz. Skip it for a single broadcast at 1/16 inch.
  4. 4Grout coat. C-137MLV rolled over the quartz to fill the surface and lock it down.
  5. 5Topcoat. T-359 for wear, T-322 for chemicals.
  6. Concrete, ground to a 120-grit profile.

Profile: 1/16 inch single broadcast, 1/8 inch double. Textured. The color is in the quartz, so it does not wear off.

How it goes down

  1. Roll P-139. It cures flexible, so a slab that moves a little does not crack the broadcast above it.
  2. Roll C-137MLV and broadcast the quartz to refusal. Next day, sweep and vacuum what did not stick.
  3. Double broadcast: a second coat of C-137MLV and a second broadcast. Sweep and vacuum again.
  4. Roll the grout coat. Two grout coats for a smoother floor.
  5. Roll the topcoat. Plan on four to five days for a double broadcast.

Use it when

  • Locker rooms, restrooms, showers, pool decks, veterinary clinics, wash bays, food prep. Wet and barefoot, or wet and busy.
  • The color has to survive heavy wear.

Pick something else if

  • Home garage. A flake floor gives you the look and most of the grip in two coats instead of five.
  • You want it smooth.
  • You are doing your own first floor. Two broadcasts to refusal on a schedule is installer work. Find an Installer.

Products. P-139, C-137MLV, T-359, T-322. Colored quartz blends: call (877) 703-7699.

6Urethane Cement

Not an epoxy. A cement and urethane mortar for floors that get hot water, steam and moisture from below.

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Layers in the order they go down. Not to scale.

  1. 1Slurry or mortar. U-903SL poured at 1/8 inch, or U-903M troweled at 1/4 inch. Sand broadcast into it while it is wet.
  2. 2Topcoat. U-903TC matte, over the sand.
  3. Concrete, shot blasted, with a keyway cut along every edge and drain.

Profile: 1/8 inch (U-903SL, self-leveling) to 1/4 inch (U-903M, troweled). Textured, matte. Gray, tan or red.

How it goes down

  1. Shot blast or grind the slab. Saw-cut a keyway along every edge, drain and doorway so the mortar has an edge to lock into.
  2. Mix Part A, Part B, the aggregate and the pigment. You have 15 minutes.
  3. Pour and gauge-rake the slurry at 1/8 inch, or trowel the mortar at 1/4 inch. Broadcast 20-40 sand into it while it is wet.
  4. Next day, roll U-903TC.
  5. Foot traffic in 12 hours. Heavy traffic in 24. Full cure in 7 days.

Use it when

  • Commercial kitchens, food and beverage plants, breweries, freezers and coolers, restrooms and locker rooms with hot wash-down.
  • Thermal shock. Hot water on a cold floor pops an epoxy off the slab. Urethane cement expands at about the same rate as the concrete, so it stays put.
  • The slab fails the moisture test and cannot be fixed. Urethane cement tolerates moisture vapor. Epoxy lifts.

Pick something else if

  • Residential garage. Overkill.
  • Any DIY job. Fifteen minutes of working time, four components and a gauge rake. Installer only, quote first.

Products. U-903SL, U-903M, U-903TC. Quote first: (877) 703-7699. Find an Installer.

Side by side

System Thickness Grip Hides slab flaws First floor Where it goes
Solid Color 16 to 20 mils Low, add A-HWS No Yes Garage, basement, shop, showroom
Metallic About 25 mils Low, add A-HWS Some No Showroom, basement, bar, retail
Full Flake 30 to 35 mils Medium Yes Yes, the easiest Garage, basement, workshop, commercial
Sand Broadcast About 1/16 inch High Yes With help Shops, warehouses, ramps, wash bays
Quartz 1/16 to 1/8 inch High Yes Installer Locker rooms, restrooms, showers, clinics
Urethane Cement 1/8 to 1/4 inch High Yes Installer Kitchens, food plants, freezers

Grip on any of them goes up with A-HWS in the topcoat. More in Are Epoxy Floors Slippery?

Questions about your floor, call a coating expert at (877) 703-7699. To size a kit, use Build my kit. Quartz and urethane cement are installer floors. Find an Installer.