What Is Metallic Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy metallic floors are a type of epoxy system where a metallic pigmented coat of epoxy is applied over a background color before being sealed with a clear top coat. This process creates a deep, three dimensional swirling design that can be made to be nearly any color. Metallic epoxy floors offer a highly decorative floor with a unique, one-of-a-kind appearance.
How We Install Metallic Epoxy Floors
Traditionally metal floor epoxy is applied in a series of single color coats that create a mono-color floor. Alternately, aggregate like vinyl flake or colored quartz sand can be added to clear epoxy, with or without a colored background, to change the appearance and texture.
What Makes a Quartz Floor?
Primer
With metallic epoxy coatings creating the floor the process is a bit different. Typically, a dark background color of epoxy is first applied to the substrate. If moisture is a concern, we’ll first apply a moisture blocking primer to the concrete floor as well.
Body Coats
Once that dries, a 100 solids metallic epoxy floor coating with metallic pigment is applied to the floor. It’s then swirled around wildly.
Activation
From there, it’s best to activate the metallic pigment with something like a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol. This immediately causes the pigment to start to react and warp and twist into wild swirls and streaks, creating the desired appearance.
The offset of the (usually lighter) metallic epoxy against the dark background produces the three dimensional appearance that our customers have come to expect.
Top Coat
Once the metallic coat has dried, another coat of high wear epoxy or urethane (or sometimes both) is applied as a final sealer and top coat. Urethane tends to be a smoother appearance than a final coat of epoxy.
UV Stability
With a highly decorative epoxy floor, like a metallic, it’s a good idea to choose a UV stable top coat. Typical epoxies can yellow or slightly change color over time with exposure to sunlight. To avoid this, we use UV stable epoxies when color change could be noticeable.
Non-Skid Properties
Unlike quartz epoxy floors or vinyl flake epoxy floors that have texture provided by the aggregate in the floor, metallic epoxy floors typically are installed without larger aggregate that would provide an orange peel profile and a non-skid texture. Because of this, these floors tends to be more slippery when wet than other epoxy floors.
Mitigating Slippery Floors
There are ways to resolve the non-skid issue, typically adding aluminum oxide or something like Shark Grip to the epoxy coats will provide adequate non-slip characteristics. However, doing this will impact the mirror like clarity of the floor and slightly cloud it’s appearance.
Especially in a commercial metallic epoxy floor, non-slip properties are something to keep in mind before deciding to go with metallic epoxy floors.
Metallic Colors
Like other kinds of epoxy, the color choices for a metallic epoxy floor are nearly endless.
White Metallic Epoxy Choices
White metallic epoxy floors, especially pearl white metallic epoxy floors can look great. These floors typically start with a grey background with a white metallic poured over the top. The white or pearl top coat stands out.
Gray and Black Metallic Epoxy Floors
Both gray metallic epoxy floors and black metallic epoxy floors can look great in the right settings. For example, these dark floors can look fantastic when offset against brick walls in a well-lighted space.
Copper Metallic Epoxy Floors and Others
We have installed a variety of wild colored metallic epoxies over the years. Copper metallic epoxy floors look good for those looking for more of a brown/copper tone. They can still be relatively subdued and provide the right look.
We’ve also installed blue metallic epoxy floors and even an orange epoxy metallic floor. If you can imagine it, we can figure out how to get the look you are after.
Commercial Epoxy Metallic Floors
Due to the relatively complex nature of installing epoxy metallic floors, most companies will not install them in a commercial facility. We have installed high performance metallic epoxy flooring systems in Denver area warehouses, retail spaces and plenty of other commercial spaces. From just a few hundred sq ft to thousands, we’d be happy to discuss the feasibility of flooring options with you or to discuss alternatives.
Metallic Epoxy Floor Design Process
Usually the best starting point from a design perspective is to use the Google Image Search function to identify a look you want to achieve. From there, we can create sample boards on large format cardboard to get the appearance you want nailed down.
There are a large number of different metallic pigments and an endless assortment of colored epoxies, so sometimes it takes some experimenting. Once you’re happy with the sample, we can move forward and install the floor.
Get in Touch
At General Industrial Flooring, we’ve been installing commercial and industrial epoxy floors since 1989. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your project ideas with you and give you thoughts on the best way to get the look and performance you want from your floor.
303-762-1600
Testimonials
Andrew and Tim are very easy to work with they are willing to help if they can with any situation. Their team is responsive and works with you toward the end goal. Overall the General industrial is a pleasure to work with being very professional with a high quality of workmanship.
- Roger Judd
General Industrial Flooring installed a metallic epoxy floor in our office and warehouse areas. We love our new floor! It is beautiful and functional. Andrew, Tim, and the crew did everything including all prep work. We highly recommend this team.
- Christopher Fullerton
Andrew, Tim and team did an amazing job! We had a bit of a water issue (not their fault) and they worked with us to make sure the job was still completed on time – really appreciate their extra efforts!
- Cindy Weber
Areas Serviced
We provide industrial flooring services in Denver and across the front range of Colorado. For certain larger projects, we are willing to travel.
Arvada
Aurora
Boulder
Brighton
Breckenridge
Broomfield
Castle Pines
Castle Rock
Centennial
Colorado Springs
Denver
Englewood
Evergreen
Ft. Collins
Golden
Granby
Greeley
Greenwood Village
Highlands Ranch
Ken Caryl
Lafayette
Lakewood
Larkspur
Littleton
Lone Tree
Longmont
Louisville
Morrison
Monument
Northglenn
Parker
Roxborough Park
Silverthorne
Superior
Thornton
Vail
Watkins
Westminster
Wheat Ridge
Windsor
Winter Park
Monument
Northglenn
Parker
Roxborough Park
Silverthorne
Superior
Thornton
Vail
Watkins
Westminster
Wheat Ridge
Windsor
Winter Park