Overlays and coatings to decorate, restore, or protect concrete has become very popular over the last ten years or so. This is partially because of the advancing polymer systems that offer stronger performance and higher qualities of aesthetics. While the polymer systems have advanced rather quickly the equipment required for finishing concrete floors has lagged.
After writing about the various color flake options in yesterday’s blog we thought it would be appropriate to follow it up with a blog on how to actually apply the color flakes. When applying an epoxy and polyaspartic coating with vinyl color flakes you will broadcast the flakes onto the floor immediately following the epoxy application.
Adding color flakes to floor coatings can change the entire atmosphere of a room and they often make a good conversation piece. One popular location to use color flakes is in the garage, but you can use color paint chips anywhere really. Color flakes are also called epoxy paint chips and color chips.
Two of the most common types of resinous industrial floors you will find are epoxy and polyurethane floors. So, what is the difference between the two and which one should you choose? The answer to that varies. Let’s look at some of the differences of the basic polyurethane and epoxy coatings.
Terrazzo was invented in the 1500’s by the Venetians, which makes it one of the oldest known types of decorative flooring. It was made with small pieces of marble or granite embedded in mortar then is polished to a desired level of sheen. Today, epoxy terrazzo is commonly used which is much thinner therefore requiring less thickness.
One of the best ways to achieve colored concrete is to use stain, especially if you want more earth tone colors. While there is a lot that goes into staining concrete, over all, there are four basic steps used for acid stains, which if followed should eliminate common problems with staining concrete.