How to find a good epoxy rollcoat

Most of the conversations we have on flake flooring are either about colour combinations and/or the choice of topcoat. There’s not much talk about basecoats for some reason, so we thought we’d get the ball rolling and post a few of our thoughts.  

The main point we like to make is: don’t fall for the trap of using any old product. It may seem like a good way to save a bit of cash or use up old stock, but it can also come back to bite you. If you want to put down consistently great-looking floors, try to find a quality epoxy rollcoat instead.

Here are five questions we think make a difference when it comes to epoxy rollcoats and flake flooring.

1. Does the epoxy rollcoat contain solvent/water?

With solvent-borne or water-borne basecoats, the main thing to watch out for is open time. Make sure you can roll it out and broadcast before it flashes off, otherwise you could suffer with patchiness and bald spots (where the flake hasn’t stuck).  Solventless epoxy rollcoats have an advantage here because you’ve got a bigger window to get an even film and spread the flake how you want it.

2. What’s in Part B?

For a 100% solids epoxy rollcoats in particular, it pays to understand what type of hardener is used. IPD-based products are inconsistent and I’ve heard many stories about them misbehaving. Find a product that has a bit more tolerance so that you don’t have to constantly worry about humidity or temperature.

3. Is it a proper epoxy rollcoat?

While you want something that rolls out easily, the common practice of putting pigment into a clear epoxy resin isn’t ideal either. This type of basecoat not only struggles with coverage and colour separation, it can also be sucked up by the concrete and the flake. Look for a proper epoxy rollcoat instead – a tintable coating with a bit of “body” that blocks out the concrete and forms a nice bed of resin for the flake to settle into.  

4. Is it easy to use?

Proper epoxy rollcoats are also typically much easier to use, especially out of storage. Throwing a bit of filler and pigment into a clear epoxy resin might be easy on the day, but what happens with split kits and leftovers? Figuring out mix ratios is confusing and prone to error, while digging up settled powder from the bottom of the bucket is a pain in the you-know-what.

5. How much difference does pricing make?

Finally, have a think about how much money you can actually save through your choice of basecoat. For example, putting down a 250-micron basecoat on a 40m² garage will take 10 litres. Even if you managed to save $5 per litre buying a cheaper product, you’d only claw back $50 on a job worth somewhere around $2000. Is $50 worth the trouble?

Take care and keep smiling,

Jack Josephsen