Give your floor a new look. Take it to the next level by sprinkling colored epoxy flakes. Get it done from the epoxy flooring contractors in Melbourne. Contact Tuff Build and get a premium epoxy flooring service.
Why Choose Us?
We have got a team of epoxy flooring professionals who have mastered the epoxy flake floor installation process. The experts at Tuff Build understand the individual requirements of clients and their floor types, therefore provide custom epoxy flooring service in Melbourne.
If you want a designer floor for your commercial, domestic or any other space, colored epoxy would do the right job.
With the colored epoxy flakes, you can make the space look more vibrant and interesting.
The best part is you can even get your own unique design, build a custom material bundle and a lot more.
We have got everything that you would need for your floor – expertise, skills, experts and materials needed.
The Expert Epoxy Flooring Contractors in Melbourne Use the following tools:
- Epoxy glide roller cover 1/4″ nap (9 inch), (18 inch)
- Wooster pro – 3/8″ nap
- Wooster 18″ pro/doo-z roller cover – 1/2″ nap, with end caps
- Bon tool floor scraper
- Adjustable roller handle – 18″
- Squeegee 1/8″ notch, red rubber (18 inch) (24 inch) (30 inch)
- Kraft steel smoother with handle
- Helix mixer (1 gallon) (5 gallon)
- Putty knife/blade (for cleaning)
Note: Using colored vinyl flakes (chips) is a multi-step process. The steps will vary as per the situation.
Step 1: Prepare the Concrete for Colored Epoxy Flake Floor System
This is the first and the most crucial step. This is the case with every decorative concrete project. All the substrates must be prepared well. They must be clean and free from any contaminants that might inhibit the adhesion of the resins.
Concrete must be cured for at least a minimum of 30 days. Also, it must be free of any internal moisture. The slab should be profiled to a minimum CSP-2 from shot blasting or grinding. This means it is quite rough. You might want the surface to be similar to 60 or 80 grit sandpaper. It gives the resin something to grab. It is also imperative that all dust is thoroughly vacuumed after preparation.
First of all, make sure all the large cracks and defects are filled and profiled to match the main surface. The easiest way to do this is by widening the crack opening with a crack chase blade.
This makes the edges of the crack smooth which makes the process of filling cracks easy. Filling the crack is the easiest. All you have to do is fill the crack with coarse sand to about ¼ inch from the top. Then pour small batches of your flooring material over the sand to cover the crack. After some settlement, add more after a short period of time. The goal is to get as close to the top as possible without overflowing. If it overflows, the build-up can show up on the final floor.
If it overflows, use a putty knife or blade to scrape off and spread the excess. Being slightly low will be okay because it should fill with your base coat and present it on the even floor.
When it comes to controlling joints, you will have a choice to make. Some people prefer joints to be seen while others might want them to be filled.
Even if you are allowing them to stay, you would also want to check for the ones that have opened up down below and still partially fill the split down below so you do not lose too much base material.
A Tip to Remember:
Keep your resin material stored in a room that is either 70 degrees or less than that. The material that is left in a heated space like in your car, in the sun, in your garage, etc., can decrease the working time quite significantly.
Step 2: Apply A Primer or a Base Coat of 100% Solids
Apply a primer or base coat of 100% solids. This can either be clear or tinted based on the application.
If the prepared floor is highly porous or if it shows a surface defect, you must consider applying a pure primer coat before the first broadcast coat. This will ensure the most adhesion to the prepared substrate.
Priming will also help in sealing air in the concrete to prevent outgassing on the finished surface.
Mix both parts of the resin A and B separately. Make sure material is brought to the room temperature.
Important: If using Epoxy HP, do not let mixed material sit in the mixing container for more than 10 minutes or it might begin to get really hot.
Step 3: Broadcast the Flakes
How To Spread Colored Epoxy Chips?
After the material is back rolled, you will start broadcasting the flakes. The best way to do this is by placing several pounds of flakes into a clean bucket and taking a handful of chips, tossing them in the air onto the tacky floor. It is crucial to throw them upward to get a good spread and faster coverage.
If you choose to go with ‘partial broadcast’, your goal should be to get a good even spread onto the floor at the coverage that looks good to the eyes. Do not toss them down on the floor as you will end up with many heavy spots.
If you choose to get ‘full broadcast’, you follow the same procedure but you might use a large handful of chips. You can do this quickly and create a mess.
Remember, it is quite normal to have a large amount of chips which are just loose on the floor.
As you walk around, you look forward to covering any shiny spot on the floor. This would be visible resin so it must be covered. Just walk on the floor by using spiked sandals.
Step 4: Scrape the Floor
Partial Broadcast
In this, the floor will be ready for the protective topcoat once you remove the colored epoxy chips that are protruding irregularly. This is easily done by using a floor scraper or a large drywall knife threaded onto the end of the pole. Just slide the blade over the entire floor by knocking down the suspect chips that stick into the air. Once complete, you can also scoop up the loose chips and then vacuum the floor thoroughly to remove the rest of the pieces.
Full Broadcast
The first step will be to remove all the loose chips that did not stick to the floor. You can also use an electric blower or a broom to push them to one side of the room then scoop or vacuum them up.
Once those are clear, you will take a floor scraper or a large drywall knife that is threaded onto the end of a pole and slide the blade over the floor knocking down the chips that are protruding into the air. Then vacuum the floor again to remove the broken pieces, if any.
Step 5: Apply A Protective Topcoat
The next step is to apply a protective topcoat. A single topcoat will be enough as it will allow more of the chip texture to be present. You can reduce this by applying a second topcoat as well. Mix the proper amount of material and ribbon out on the floor. Use a flat blade, and squeegee to drag the material back and forth and spread it out. Use a 3/8 nap roller, back roller and the material until it is even and free from any marks. You can also do an additional topcoat if desired. Walk on the floor only by using spiked sandals.
The process of applying colored epoxy flakes is not very different to other processes. However, to get the best results, always get it done by a professional. Contact Tuff Build for colored epoxy flooring services in Melbourne.