To flake or not to flake

[Trek7700]

I'm prepping my garage floor and I'm not sure if putting on flakes is worth it when I apply the epoxy. I've heard that flakes adds a texture even if you put clear coat on top...is this true? I want a smooth surface for easy sweeping but like the flakes because of of looks and helps cover up blemishes.

I plan on using the 9100 series from Rust-Oleum.
Thanks

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Trek:
The flakes add very little traction/texture (if at all), especially if sealed.

 

[James-W]

I think the flakes make the floor look nicer. If it were my floor I would put them in for that reason alone.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

They hide many sins.

 

[jaye944]

The examples I've seen have and I didn't like it.

However it depends on how heavy the broadcast is and HOW many layers of top coat/ clear coat you use.

I'm prepping my garage floor and I'm not sure if putting on flakes is worth it when I apply the epoxy. I've heard that flakes adds a texture even if you put clear coat on top...is this true? I want a smooth surface for easy sweeping but like the flakes because of of looks and helps cover up blemishes.

I plan on using the 9100 series from Rust-Oleum.
Thanks

 

[jaye944]

They hide many sins.

^^^^ and this is very true........
don't ask me how I know this

 

[Ray916MN]

Depends on where you live, but texture can be good for traction. A super smooth floor can be very slick especially with a little grease or water on them.

OTOH, a solid colored floor is allot easier to find small stuff that gets dropped on the floor (eg. nuts, bolts).

Personally I went with solid color with some grit added before the top coats for traction.

 

[Zeke]

Jeez, I thought this was gonna be about a CL deal.

 

[Trek7700]

The traction is a very good idea. I think I'm going to try and put on the chips.

What type of clear coat should I use on top?

Thanks!

 

[jaye944]

stick with the same manufacturer so if you use "epoxyfloor inc" then get there base and suggested top, it'll be a poly urethane top coat

The traction is a very good idea. I think I'm going to try and put on the chips.

What type of clear coat should I use on top?

Thanks!

 

[[email protected]]

We did our 16k sqft race shop about 2 years ago and went with a solid color. I did my personal 3 car garage last year and went with a solid color as well. It's all about opinion and personal taste, but I like the floors clean, smooth and uniform.

With a pharma background, sanitation is in my blood! Flakes look messy to me.

Also, a solid color allows you to find tools, parts, etc. easier. Plus the lighting reflects better. This is noticeable when you're under a vehicle!

Here's a link to some pics of our shop. I'll dig up some from my house.

Thompson Racing Shop

We worked with Legacy Industrial for the supplies. We continue to use them and they are great to deal with.

LI Dark Gray:
View media item 44368View media item 44367View media item 44366

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Looking good and thank you for the kind words!

 

[James-W]

Jeez, I thought this was gonna be about a CL deal.

Now that was funny,

 

[benwah]

I agree with Eric!! I think solid, high-gloss colors look boss. To me, flakes don't belong in a garage, that's just my opinion. What he mentioned about light reflection and making it easier to find tools/screws/parts is a good point as well.

 

[Zrexxer]

Love my flakes. With the colors I chose, it looks kind of like granite. They add a little texture, even under a polyurethane clear, but it's more in the way it reflects light. If you hit it with wet feet you will still bust your ***.

This picture isn't focused the best but you can kind of see it.

 

[APEowner]

They hide many sins.

The also hide any small parts that get dropped on the floor. They do no nothing to make it less slippery when wet.

 

[OJ Bartley]

I was considering epoxy for a long time, and was set on using metallic flake. I think the regular flakes add a great depth to the floor, especially with a good thick clear coat, and even using one colour of metallic in the mix just takes it to a whole other level. I found some great looking ones, and got in touch with the company who sent me a really generous package of samples. Can't remember who it was now, but I can look it up if anyone wants to know, just PM me.

 

[NitroShark]

I have had both flake and no flake floors.

Dropped small parts are just that and it does not matter which you have as far as my experience.

With a super clean (almost white concrete) or light colored epoxy floor any speck shows up as a small dropped part.

With a flake floor you need to shine a flashlight if your part is really tiny and you will find it.

Either take the same amount of effort to find really small stuff....

Shawn

 

[CT2012]

i have a not-so-tidy concrete job on my garage slab, and the flakes create a visual distraction, making things seem more uniform.

for me, they're great. if i had perfectly flat slab, i might go without the flakes just to try something different.