Epoxy Flake Floors in Daytona Beach, FL

Epoxy flake floors are the finish most Daytona Beach homeowners pick for a garage, and the reason is practical. A flake floor is a resin base coat with colored vinyl chips scattered into it while it is wet, then sealed under a clear topcoat. The speckled pattern hides beach sand, dust and water spots between cleanings. The chips give the surface a slight texture, which helps when rain blows under the door or someone walks in wet from the pool.

How a flake floor is built

A flake system has three main layers. First comes a pigmented base coat applied to diamond-ground concrete. While it is still wet, we broadcast flakes across it. On a full-broadcast floor we keep throwing chips until the base will not take any more, which is called broadcasting to refusal. Once the base cures, we scrape and vacuum off the loose chips, then roll on one or two clear topcoats. The topcoat locks the chips in and takes the wear.

Full broadcast or partial broadcast

A full broadcast covers the floor completely with chips, so you see only the flake blend. It hides the most dirt, has the most texture and is the most forgiving of small slab flaws. A partial broadcast scatters fewer chips over a solid base color, so the base shows between the flakes. It looks cleaner and smoother and is easier to mop, though sand and dust show more. Most garages get a full broadcast. Laundry rooms and indoor spaces sometimes look better with a partial one.

Picking colors for this light

Garage light in Daytona Beach is bright. With the door up, strong sun floods the first few feet of the floor. Mid-tone blends with gray, tan and white chips tend to look even in that light and hide sand well. Very dark blends show dust and salt residue. Very light blends show tire marks. We bring full-size samples so you can see them on your own floor, in the sun and in the shade.

The topcoat is what faces the sun

The chips are vinyl and the base is usually epoxy. HomeGuide rates standard epoxy's UV resistance as poor to fair. On a flake floor the clear topcoat is what faces sunlight, so we use a UV-stable polyaspartic topcoat. HomeGuide rates polyaspartic as excellent for UV. That keeps the strip of floor by the door from yellowing while the back of the garage stays clear.

Where flake floors work well

• Attached garages that double as workshops and storage
• Laundry rooms and utility rooms off the garage
• Covered lanais and screened porches with a concrete slab
• Golf cart and boat storage areas
• Small shops and storage units
• Mudroom entries where sand and water come in

Prep still decides how long it lasts

The chips cannot hide a bond failure. Every flake floor starts with diamond grinding, crack repair and a moisture test. Old paint and kit coatings come off first. If the slab shows moisture, we use a primer made for it. Florida's state soil, Myakka, is sandy and can hold a high water table for months at a time, so we test every slab instead of assuming it is dry.

Living with a flake floor

Sweep sand out regularly, because grit under tires and shoes wears the topcoat. Mop with a pH-neutral cleaner. Rinse off pool chemicals and fertilizer spills. A deck brush lifts dirt from the texture better than a flat mop.