Epoxy Flake Floors in Ann Arbor, MI

Epoxy flake floors are the most common finish we put down in Ann Arbor garages. Colored vinyl chips are scattered into a wet base coat, then sealed under a clear topcoat. The result has a light texture underfoot and a multi-tone surface that hides the dust, sand and salt residue that build up between cleanings. In a garage that sees slush from November to March, that matters more than a mirror finish.

How a flake floor is built

The floor is ground and repaired first, the same as any coating. Next comes a pigmented base coat. While it is still wet, flakes are broadcast across it by hand. In a full broadcast, we keep throwing until the base will not take any more, so the whole surface is covered in chips. Once it cures, we scrape and vacuum off the loose flakes and apply a clear topcoat that locks the chips in and seals the floor. The topcoat is what you walk and drive on, and it controls how much texture the finished floor has.

Full broadcast or partial

A full broadcast covers the base completely. It gives the most texture, hides the most dirt and adds a little thickness. A partial broadcast scatters a lighter amount of flake over a solid color, so the base color shows through. It looks cleaner and more uniform but shows dust and salt sooner. Most Ann Arbor garage floors get a full broadcast. Basements and laundry rooms are where people more often choose a partial look.

Choosing colors and chip size

Flake blends come in grays, tans, browns, blacks and mixes of all of them. Lighter blends brighten a dark garage and make dropped bolts easier to find. Darker blends hide tire marks. Chip size changes the look too. Larger chips read as a bold pattern from across the room. Smaller chips blend into a more even tone. We bring physical samples to the estimate so you can see them under your own lights, since a blend that looks warm in a photo can look cold under a garage fixture.

Grip when the floor is wet

A smooth, glossy coating can be slick with meltwater on it. Flake floors have texture from the chips themselves, and the topcoat thickness lets us tune it. A thinner topcoat leaves more texture and grip. A thicker one is smoother and easier to mop. For a garage where you walk from the car to the house door on a wet floor all winter, we usually lean toward more texture.

Where flake floors fit

• Attached and detached garages that see road salt
• Basement utility areas, laundry rooms and workshops
• Mudrooms and entries on concrete slabs
• Home gyms, where a textured surface helps under rubber mats

In a finished basement where you want a showpiece floor, a metallic finish may be a better fit. Flake is the workhorse.

Topcoat choices

The clear coat over the flakes can be epoxy, polyurethane or polyaspartic. Epoxy topcoats can yellow in sunlight, which matters in a garage that sits with the door open on summer afternoons. Polyaspartic topcoats hold their color in UV and cure quickly. We recommend a topcoat based on how much sun reaches the floor and how soon you need to use it.