Flake systems
Epoxy Flake Systems
Slip-resistant, decorative flooring with multi-color chip finishes for added texture and durability.
Chapter 01
Why a bare coat falls short and a half-covered flake floor is worse
A plain coat of epoxy looks clean on the first day and then starts to work against you. It can be slick when it is wet, and it shows every scuff and boot mark in the light. Flake answers both problems at once: the chips give the surface texture underfoot, and the mix of colors hides the small marks that a single flat color would announce.
The way flake goes wrong is coverage. If the chips are only scattered partway, the floor ends up with bald patches where the base coat shows through, and the difference between the covered and bare areas never goes away. Craig McConathy of Columbia River Coatings in Pasco treats full coverage as the whole point of the system, not a finishing touch.
Close view of a black, grey and white chip flake epoxy floor
Base coat, full broadcast, scrape, clear topcoat
The slab is repaired and prepared first, like every floor Craig lays. A base coat goes down, and while it is still workable the multi-color chips are broadcast across the whole floor until the surface is fully covered. Once the coat has hardened, the loose excess is scraped off, and a clear topcoat is applied to seal the chips in and give the floor its finish.
That sequence suits a wide range of spaces, and the photos below show some of them: a finished shop with vintage signs hanging on the walls, the deck of a boat, and the floor of an enclosed trailer. A shop, a garage, a trailer and a boat deck each ask for something different from a floor, but the build-up underneath is the same.
If you are weighing flake against another finish, the garage floor page and the solid color page lay out the differences, and a call to (509) 492-8403 gets you a straight answer for your own slab.
Chapter 03
What the chips do between cleanings
Columbia River Coatings describes this finish as slip-resistant, decorative flooring with multi-color chip finishes for added texture and durability, and in daily use that mostly means less fuss. The chip pattern hides dust and light wear between cleanings, so a shop floor can look presentable even in the middle of a working week.
Care is simple: sweep up grit, mop when it needs it, and wipe spills when they happen. Craig picks the chip blend with you at the consultation, because the same floor reads very differently in a bright garage than in a dim workshop. The work is done under licence COLUMRC781K6 as a bonded and insured Washington contractor, and the person who answers your call is the person holding the trowel.
Laid by Craig McConathy, owner and installer. Licensed, bonded and insured, WA #COLUMRC781K6.
Flake work, as photographed
Flake in a shop, on a boat and in a trailer
One man laid each of these floors. Read more about Craig on the about page, or book a consultation and bring photos of the space. The phone is (509) 492-8403.
