Monday, October 21, 2013

How to apply vinyl flakes or chips to your epoxy floor.

Applying vinyl flake/chip to your "still wet" epoxy floor is as easy as "gravity".    Once your floor base coat has been fully rolled out and looking even.  It's time to apply the flakes!!

For our purposes we are talking a rich amount of flake, One pound per 100 square feet.  A full distribution flake will be covered in an other entry as this process is different.

Back to the floor...
Once you have finished rolling, strap on your spiked shoes!   Yes, you need these to walk into the coating.  It will still be slippery so pick your feet up as you walk and bend your knees.  Keep your flakes in a two or three gallon bucket, tucked under your arm.  The spike shoes will make marks in the floor that will self-heal as you walk through it.

Start with small pinches of flakes and throw them directly into the air.  Aim for the ceiling.  Gravity will take over and spread the flakes as if  GOD had put them there.  The most common mistake is to throw them at the ground directly.  This will result in an uneven, non-random, looking floor.

Another method is to use a texture gun.  Commonly used in the Southeast to texture drywall or used on your patio to make a "knock down" finish.  Same caveat....  point the nozzle up and let gravity bring them down evenly.

Once you have gone over the floor once, go back and make sure it's even.  Better to apply a light application first and make several trips back over the floor.  Once you are finished, allow to cure and apply a urethane or Polyaspartic clear sealer within 24 hours of the start.
Applying clear urethane sealer

Spiked Shoes

   
Texture Gun, Shooting Flakes!!


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