Single Color Chips in Epoxy

[accord driver]

I don't know if this has been covered or not, if so I appologize.

Has anyone used single color chips in their epoxy floors? This would allow you to sort of use the chips as texture but not have to worry to much about the camafloge effect when you drop a nut or bolt.

 

[thegarageguy]

The reason for chips is to help hide imperfections of the slab and the eventual dirt and debris that will track in.

Chips are not meant for texture or non slip, although some companies inadverdantly use them as texture because their top coat goes down super, super thin.

For non slip you should try "shark grip" from Shr Williams.

 

[accord driver]

There are some posts here (mainly wolverine coating ones) that people have broadcast the maximum amount of color chips and when they clear it it gives it that orange peel effect, I assume this would give some traction but still make it easy to clean, unlike the grit in the silica sand.

 

[AlphaGarage]

A full broadcast of DecoFlakes does add texture, but it's like the texture you find on roll-out linoleum. You can feel it and see it, and it does add a bit of grip to help lessen slips, but not that much. If the floor's going to be wet or possibly have grease/oil spills, you want to seriously consider adding a grit to the clear coat.

There are quite a few different types of grit, and some that are fairly gentle on mops and other cleaning methods. We offer SuperGrip 850 which I can clean using those blue paper shop towels without shredding.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

We've done many with similar color flakes on similar color basecoats. It leaves a nice texture and look.

 

[thegarageguy]

A full broadcast of DecoFlakes does add texture, but it's like the texture you find on roll-out linoleum.

To use the chips as non slip you need to roll on your topcoat paper thin, ala Premier. Depending on your usage, you may find it traps dirt easier and depending on color, you may find it shows the trapped dirt easier as well.

It's best to completely embed your chips within the epoxy, then topcoat with added texture.

If its non slip you are after, chipping it is the wrong way to go. If you are in a colder, wetter environment, you may find it very slippery.

 

[accord driver]

Fred, I would like to know more about the Supergrip 850. I live in the midwest and I get water/snow on the pavement when it falls of the car and melts but I am interested in something that is easy to clean.

Wolverine and Fred, do you have any samples or pictures that we can all see? Even of a slightly darker decoflake would give an interesting shadow effect I guess.

The reason I was thinking single color would be so that I can find bolts and nuts when they fall to the floor. I have trouble trouble now with a bare floor, maybe due to lighting though. I may be looking at a single color floor now but I want that "nice floor" look with the color chips....

The other option is that I can run some non slip rubber mat's in there so that I can still get the "oh wow" factor when you look at the floor.

Any opinions for the Catch22???

 

[alkemyst]

a good trick to find something on a floor like concrete is to get your head right down on the ground and look sideways for it.

a magnetic broom is awesome too. I use a tool like this when I work outside and something bounces into grass or junk.

 

[AlphaGarage]

SuperGrip 850 grit is really small stuff, so after its been broadcast it's difficult to see. It is white in color, on a solid darker background it does show up, on lighter backgrounds not so much. With DecoFlakes it's almost impossible to see.

I'll try get a photo of it, but not sure my set-up will capture the grit.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Lens couldn't quite get a shot of the SuperGrip.

SuperGrip 850 is the best for garage and shop floors. A single granule is 850 microns. For comparison a single grain of table salt is about 0.3mm, or about 3.5x larger that the SuperGrip grain.

A half pound is good for 200 ft2, so it's pretty spread out.