Embedding Objects in Epoxy Floors
Why has epoxy flooring become the fastest growing sector of the flooring industry? There are many reasons, but arguably the most prominent, is the shift to more decorative applications. Epoxy used to be available in a handful of colors and when applied, would look like a painted floor. This was great if you needed industrial strength to handle forklift traffic in your warehouse and looks were secondary. It was not so great if you wanted an extremely durable floor for your living room that also looks nice. As the epoxy flooring industry evolved many more decorative applications were developed. Now you can get the same industrial strength floor used in warehouses or airplane hangars with a beautiful custom finish.
The unique properties of epoxies, specifically 100% solids epoxies, make them great for embedding objects. There is no solvent evaporation, so the amount of material applied remains constant through the entire curing process. You can put a high build down on a floor and when it’s cured, the same build will be remaining. Advances in the materials themselves have almost completely eliminated issues such as air entrapment, and cloudiness in the cured product. The materials have also become more UV stable, so when combined with a good urethane top coat, the issue of ambering on light colored floors is drastically reduced as well. All of these factors have resulted in more experimentation and more unique floor applications.
Metallic pigments have been used extensively for quite some time in other industries. In the past, nail polish and automobile paint were the most prominent, but as of late, metallic pigments have been added to epoxies to create unique one of a kind floors. The pigments embedded in the epoxy move during the curing process creating beautiful effects not attainable with any other type of flooring. The ability to put a high build of material down on the floor results in three dimensional looks also never seen in flooring before.
Floor images have become popular with epoxies as well. A graphic can be printed and put down over the entire floor and then a 100% solids flood coat of epoxy is applied to protect the image, and help create the three dimensional effect. Because it is a printed graphic, you can’t get any more realistic and the epoxy wear surface keeps the image from being damaged when the floor is used.
Along the same lines as floor images, custom logos can be printed and then embedded once the initial floor is down. A coat of 100% solids epoxy over the logo, and a good urethane coat and now your floor is customized with your business logo where customers can’t help but see it. And you don’t even have to recoat the entire floor. You can apply 100% solids epoxy over the logo and after it cures, you just need to sand down the edges of the new coat flush with the original coat, and after the urethane goes down have a seamless floor.
Penny floors are another popular trend. A base coat of epoxy is applied and then pennies are attached to the floor side by side until the entire floor is covered. You can then apply a floor coat of clear 100% solids epoxy to embed the pennies. Many people opt to grout the pennies in, similar to how you would grout tile. This fills the voids between the pennies and helps save on material when the clear epoxy coat is applied. The results again, are very unique and stunning.
The same properties that made casting resin so great for crafts now provides the ability to create incredible floors. A bank chose to embed foreign currency bills over their entire floor. (I’m sure it was cheaper than dollar bills.) A real estate office did a black floor with house keys embedded over the entire floor. A music store put down records. With a skilled applicator and good materials, the possibilities really are endless. Are you tired of traditional floor choices? Are you looking for something customizable? Why not consider the strength and durability of epoxy flooring? We would love to talk with you about your project.
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