How to Choose the Best Paint Flakes for Concrete Floors?

When it comes to sprucing up your concrete floors, you may be having a hard time deciding on paint and coating, in particular a coating that can incorporate decorative flakes. 

There are two main types of paint used on concrete. One is acrylic latex, which can be used on concrete floors, walls, steps, or any other concrete surface. While latex is a great budget option compared to epoxy, it is less durable and isn’t the best option for flooring.   

The other main type is epoxy paint. It’s certainly worth the higher price tag because it’s extremely durable and able to withstand weather and high foot traffic. Another benefit to epoxy paint is the glossy finish and the option to include decorative flakes.

Epoxy floor paint isn’t the only concrete coating with flakes as an option. Others include urethane and resinous flooring coatings. Smart Coatings offers a variety of coatings that have decorative paint flakes for concrete floors, so call today for a free quote.  

What Are Paint Flakes and Why Are They Used?

Paint flakes are becoming a popular way to make your concrete floor look a little less dull. On top of providing an eye-catching design, they offer unique texture and color for your floor. However, while flakes are mostly used for aesthetic purposes, they have practical uses as well. The flakes can be used to help create a more slip-resistant surface, increasing safety in wet conditions.

The flakes themselves are made up of a combination of acrylic and vinyl resins that are made of resin and organic minerals, along with different pigments. Flakes will vary in size and shape. Smaller flakes tend to look more uniform and are often preferred to larger flakes that are often random in shape and size.

Other benefits of paint flakes are:

•     Durability
•     Cost-effectiveness
•     Ease of cleaning
•     Low sound

While the paint flakes are mostly for decorative purposes, they have numerous benefits beyond looking good. Standard color chips come in shapes and sizes ranging from 1/32 of an inch to a single inch with a variety of colors to choose from. The only hard part is narrowing down those sizes and colors to suit your style.   

Choosing the Best Paint Flakes for Your Floor

Once you’ve decided to go with paint flakes, whether for appearance or practicality, you will need to choose the color of the flakes and the paint or coating being used. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that you have a multitude of colors to pick from.

While there may be premixed color options to choose from, you should also consider coming up with your color scheme for a more customized touch. You will also need to choose a color for your concrete floor’s base coat of paint that goes before the flakes. Choosing multiple colors may be easier if you have multicolored wall systems.

Things to consider when choosing paint flakes and concrete coating are:

•     The intended use (Flooring, concrete walls, high foot traffic, etc.)
•     Weather resistance (How often is the space at risk of rainstorms?)
•     Color tone (Match the color of the flakes to the rest of your room.)
•     Glossy or not (Depending on the look you want, you might choose a paint with a glossy finish.)

Of course, while there are many benefits to paint flakes, there are some limitations, too. They are best used on concrete floors rather than walls. The flakes are popular options for places like schools, hospitals, auto dealerships, laundromats, retail stores, dog kennels, salons, and more.  

Why Choose Smart Coatings to Paint Your Concrete Floors?

If you’ve been putting off the TLC your concrete floor needs, then Smart Concrete Coatings has got your back. Our experienced professionals can get most jobs finished in a single day. Our goal is to help you get back to your life as quickly as possible. We offer industry-leading coating materials that are skid-resistant, quick to clean, and customizable in a variety of colors.

On top of speed and efficiency, we offer coatings that are six times stronger than epoxy. Types of coatings we offer include seamless polyurea chip systems, metallic systems, quartz systems, Formcove systems, shop floor systems, and solid color systems. We are so confident in our concrete floor coatings that we offer a lifetime guarantee.

So, if you’re looking at paint flakes for concrete floors in your home, Smart Concrete Coatings is ready to go. Call (217) 343-5965 today for a free estimate.