Epoxy Flake Floors in Cedar Rapids, IA

Epoxy flake floors are the finish most Cedar Rapids homeowners pick for a garage. The floor is built by spreading colored vinyl chips into a wet base coat until the surface is fully covered, then scraping and sealing it under a clear topcoat. The chips give the floor a speckled look like terrazzo or granite and a slight texture underfoot. In a place that gets snow from late fall into spring, both of those features earn their keep.

Hiding what winter leaves behind

A solid gray floor shows every dried salt line, tire track and boot print. A flake floor breaks up the surface visually, so a light film of road salt or sand is hard to see until you get around to rinsing. That matters in a city that averages 26.7 inches of snow a year, where a garage floor may go weeks between thaws.

Grip underfoot

The chip layer gives a flake floor a fine texture. It is easier to walk on when snowmelt is on the floor than a smooth, glossy coating. If you want more grip, for a ramp, a step into the house or a sloped apron, we can add an aggregate to the topcoat in those areas.

Full broadcast and partial broadcast

• Full broadcast: chips are spread until no base coat shows. This gives the most texture and the most even look, and it is what we usually recommend for garages.
• Partial or light broadcast: chips are scattered over a solid color base. It reads more like a painted floor with flecks, and it is smoother to clean, with less texture.
• Chip size: smaller chips give a finer, busier pattern; larger chips read bolder from across the room.
• Color blends: mixes of grays, tans, blacks and whites can be chosen to hide the dirt you get most, whether that is light salt film or darker mud.

How the layers go together

We start with diamond grinding and crack repair, the same as any coating job. Then a pigmented base coat is rolled out and the chips are broadcast into it while it is wet. After the base cures, we scrape off loose and standing chips, vacuum, and apply a clear topcoat. The topcoat locks the chips in and takes the wear. A polyaspartic topcoat is our usual choice on garages because it resists UV and abrasion and cures quickly.

Where flake floors work besides garages

Flake systems are also a good fit for mudrooms on a slab, three-season porches with a concrete floor, workshop bays and small commercial spaces such as salons or gym rooms. They are a practical choice anywhere floors get dirty fast and need to look presentable between cleanings.

Cleaning a flake floor

Sweep or blow off grit, then mop with warm water and a mild cleaner. A soft deck brush helps on textured areas. In salt season, rinse every few weeks so brine does not sit and dull the topcoat.