It looks like most people on this forum is on the Wolverine bandwagon and it seems for a good reason. However, it appears that all companies use the chip method. We had the garage done in our last home done by Floor Guard in Illinois and they used a smaller granule type instead of the standard chip. I'm told this granule is maybe a Quarts material. I found this by 3M http://www.carolinaepoxyflooring.com/id58.html. With this said, I'm wondering if I can use this Quarts aggregate with the Wolverine product instead of the chips?
Wolverine Floor Covering with Quarts Aggregate
- Thread starter bach939
- Start date
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
Yes, we do have quartz aggregate available. It's often used where high build and extreme durability are required.
What benefits are you interested in - the appearance, the duarability, masking serious substrate flaws, or something else?
Your needs will help us determine what course of action will work best for your project.
What benefits are you interested in - the appearance, the duarability, masking serious substrate flaws, or something else?
Your needs will help us determine what course of action will work best for your project.
WolverineCoatings
Well-known member
We sell a TON of material for doing Quartz Floors. I'm not sure it would be very responsible for us to sell it for the DIY market. This is a more difficult application. Someone planning on doing a floor like this themselves would have to be on the upper side of the DIY scale for skill.
Here is the general process (not detailed):
First the floor is properly prepared (I'm not going to go into that in this post) and then primed. Some experienced applicators will skip the prime step. We always recommend that a floor be primed with BondTite 1101.
Then, a layer of polymer (clear coating) is spread out on the floor at a rate of about 100-150 ft2 per gallon (~10-16 mils). We sell a plethora of product for this. Many applicators just use BondTite 1101 while most prefer products such as our VersaRez 1107, VersaRez 1165, VersaRez 1369, or even our high performance phenolic novolac systems. The VersaRez 1107 is the product that is mostly used and the one we recommend the most. The other products are for higher performance applications for extremely demanding environments.
Then, colored quartz is thrown into the coating until rejection (rejection is the point where you've soaked up all of the liquid polymer you laid down... usually about 0.5-1.0 #/ft2 of colored quartz). The difficult part is getting the quartz even.
After this layer cures the excess quartz is removed with clean brooms and the vacuumed. Little repairs are made to any uneven areas that need them.
Then, a second layer of polymer is laid and the process repeated.
Last, the floor is topcoated with our EnduraShield 2254 Hybrid coating.
The surface texture is manipulated to the customer's liking by adjusting the amount of sealer on the surface.
Here is the general process (not detailed):
First the floor is properly prepared (I'm not going to go into that in this post) and then primed. Some experienced applicators will skip the prime step. We always recommend that a floor be primed with BondTite 1101.
Then, a layer of polymer (clear coating) is spread out on the floor at a rate of about 100-150 ft2 per gallon (~10-16 mils). We sell a plethora of product for this. Many applicators just use BondTite 1101 while most prefer products such as our VersaRez 1107, VersaRez 1165, VersaRez 1369, or even our high performance phenolic novolac systems. The VersaRez 1107 is the product that is mostly used and the one we recommend the most. The other products are for higher performance applications for extremely demanding environments.
Then, colored quartz is thrown into the coating until rejection (rejection is the point where you've soaked up all of the liquid polymer you laid down... usually about 0.5-1.0 #/ft2 of colored quartz). The difficult part is getting the quartz even.
After this layer cures the excess quartz is removed with clean brooms and the vacuumed. Little repairs are made to any uneven areas that need them.
Then, a second layer of polymer is laid and the process repeated.
Last, the floor is topcoated with our EnduraShield 2254 Hybrid coating.
The surface texture is manipulated to the customer's liking by adjusting the amount of sealer on the surface.
I'm interested in both durability and look. As I stated before, Floor Guard did the floor six years ago and it looks the same as the day they did it. It's gone through may winters with road salt, mud, etc. So I'm spoiled. I've attached an old picture and here is their website http://www.floorguard.com/flooring-systems.html. Maybe you can you can tell from this what they laid down. I want to try and duplicate this the best I can on a brand new garage floor.
Attachments
WolverineCoatings
Well-known member
We stock quartz from 3M.
Colorquart is available in many colors. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/Products/Crystals/.
We can also blend these colors in any ratio. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/SolutionsApplications/Floors/
Our system would be very comparable. However, as you may have noticed from other posters here, our EnduraShield 2254 is an incredibly tough sealer. It may be the toughest coating on the planet.
Colorquart is available in many colors. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/Products/Crystals/.
We can also blend these colors in any ratio. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ColorQuartz/HomePage/SolutionsApplications/Floors/
Our system would be very comparable. However, as you may have noticed from other posters here, our EnduraShield 2254 is an incredibly tough sealer. It may be the toughest coating on the planet.
Thanks for the info. I have already been on the 3M site, but I'm not sure if that is what Floor Guard used. I posted a picture to a reply to AlphaGarage of the floor they did to see if he can tell what FG used. I'm sure your product will do the job and I'm sure that's what I'll use, but I really like look of my old floor over the bigger chips.
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
Quartz is an option, but you might be able to duplicate the look and feel without the extra expense and steps needed for the quartz.
Use DecoFlakes, but instead of the standard 1/4" size step down to the 1/8" size, getting the right color combo and broadcasting to rejection could approximate the look you like.
For the texture incorporating our SuperGrip 850 into the final clear coat will add the surface relief.
If possible send me a close up picture of the floor with a quarter in the frame for size reference.
Use DecoFlakes, but instead of the standard 1/4" size step down to the 1/8" size, getting the right color combo and broadcasting to rejection could approximate the look you like.
For the texture incorporating our SuperGrip 850 into the final clear coat will add the surface relief.
If possible send me a close up picture of the floor with a quarter in the frame for size reference.
Sorry, I tought I attached it.
Attachments
I know I can't dup this, but how close can I get with smaller chips? Please refer to the picture I posted.
Thanks
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
I'll see if I can find a picture. Might be difficult since we don't sell much of the smaller flake.
If you do go with the 1/8 DecoFlake it's best to go with a full broadcast. Having such little mass they can be a bit difficult to broadcast evenly.
Do you know what colors you want in the mix?
You can view or download our DecoFlake colors here.
I'm not sure about color yet. I have to wait until we get some consistent warmer Michigan weather before I can start. I'm leaning towards a beige base color. Any suggestions on a chip mix with this color would be helpful. Which leads me to ask you, what's the coldest I can put down your product?
How do you sell the kits, in batch sizes?
AlphaGarage
Well-known member
With a that quartz coating you're dealing with full coverage, likewise when you replicate it with flakes you'll want full coverage. Either way the base coat should be fully covered, so its color is almost a non issue.
It's tough to see exactly what the colors in your photo are, and so much is dependent on camera and monitor settings, but with our palette, and PhotoShop's color picker, it looks like mostly Mocha, and Southern Magnolia with a bit of Slate Blue and Slate Green mixed in.
Our epoxies can be applied between 40f and 110f, and less than 80% rel. hum.
It's tough to see exactly what the colors in your photo are, and so much is dependent on camera and monitor settings, but with our palette, and PhotoShop's color picker, it looks like mostly Mocha, and Southern Magnolia with a bit of Slate Blue and Slate Green mixed in.
Our epoxies can be applied between 40f and 110f, and less than 80% rel. hum.
'the epoxy floor guy'
Well-known member
Here's a pic with chips or Quartz
Some are chips, Some are Quartz,
Can you tell??
See More: http://flickr.com/photos/amazinggaragefloors
Some are chips, Some are Quartz,
Can you tell??
See More: http://flickr.com/photos/amazinggaragefloors
Can you retake the pics but not blurry? Incredibly difficult to tell with blurry pics.
http://flickr.com/photos/amazinggaragefloors/3281940804/sizes/o/
http://flickr.com/photos/amazinggaragefloors/3281940804/sizes/o/
Here's a pic with chips or Quartz
Some are chips, Some are Quartz,
Can you tell??
See More: http://flickr.com/photos/amazinggaragefloors
Thanks for the samples. I really can't tell. I like the tan (middle left) though.
Dreamindiesel
Member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2007
- Messages
- 18
Are the flakes 1/32" flakes?
Thanks for your input. I can't do anything to the floor until the winter weather breaks. However, I'm thinking of acid staining my basement floor and considering doing the same to the garage. If I acid stain the garage, what gloss sealer will hold up to hot tires, sales, etc.?
'the epoxy floor guy'
Well-known member
YES the blends are done using 1/32" chips
Thedroid
Well-known member
I worked in a dairy plant that had a tuffco quartz/epoxy floor, and in my opinion it is unbeatable, and probably not even approached by any other methods. The cold storage areas where the finished product was stored had stacks of milk 8 crates high dragged across it day in and day out with almost no wear at all over the 4 years it was installed before I left. Our shop was also done with the same floor, and nothing phased it at all. The build up was quite thick probably 1/4" or so. I watched the installation, and I though it was pretty crude. The guys used a standard squigee spread out the epoxy, through down a thick layer of quartz, and let it dry. Then they swept up whatever didn't stick and they repeated the process. I almost laughed at their installation methods until I saw the finished results. I would not hesitate for a second to go this route
WolverineCoatings
Well-known member
Quartz is MUCH tougher than flakes... but... more expensive. Also, I'm a bit concerned for the DIY application. It's not as easy to install (properly) as it looks. Also, the 1/32" flakes are much harder to get evenly than larger flakes. People tend to drop too many in areas and it ***** up the polymer system below and makes high spots.