Flake Epoxy Floors in Naperville, IL
We put down speckled flake epoxy floors in garages and other rooms across Naperville, Illinois.
- Quotes in writing
- 21 areas covered
Naperville Epoxy Flooring puts down flake epoxy floors in homes across Naperville. The flake floors we lay are an epoxy coat with small chips of colored vinyl spread across it, so the floor looks speckled, a bit like granite. We come out, look at your concrete, and send you a written quote before any work starts.
What a flake epoxy floor is
NIOSH, which is part of the CDC, says epoxies and resins are chemicals that can combine to form a hard, strong surface when they cure, or dry. It says they are often used in two-part glues or surface coatings. On the flake floors we lay, the flakes sit between the epoxy base coat and a clear top coat, so the color is sealed in under the top layer.
How we lay a flake floor
We start once the room is empty. Then we grind the top of the concrete so the epoxy has a rough surface to grip, and we fill any cracks. If a crack needs more than a fill, our concrete crack repair page covers that work.
Next we roll on the colored base coat. While it is still wet, we toss the flakes over it by hand, either as a light scatter, where some of the base color shows through, or as a full cover, where the flakes hide the base coat completely.
Once the base coat has set, we scrape off the loose flakes and sweep them up. Then we roll on a clear top coat. We can make that top layer a polyaspartic floor coating instead of epoxy. In plain terms, polyaspartic is the other liquid plastic coat we use besides epoxy.
Picking a flake blend
We bring flake samples to your home, so you can see them in your own light. We'll talk you through blends with one color or several, and dark blends or light ones, before you choose. If you want a smooth, swirled look with no chips at all, see our metallic epoxy floors page.
Grip underfoot
The CDC says falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 and older. It says over 14 million, or 1 in 4 older adults, report falling every year. If someone older uses your garage, let us know. We can mix a fine grit into the top coat so the floor gives more grip when it is wet.
Grinding dust
OSHA says concrete contains crystalline silica. It says grinding concrete creates very small particles of it, at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand you might find on beaches and playgrounds. OSHA says workers who breathe those particles in are at higher risk of serious diseases, including lung cancer and silicosis, an incurable lung disease. So before we grind, we tell you how we'll keep the dust down and out of the house.
What to get in writing
Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:
- The name of each product, and how many coats.
- The flake blend, and whether it is a light scatter or a full cover.
- Whether the top coat is epoxy or polyaspartic.
- Whether grit in the top coat is included.
- Whether crack repair and taking off any old coating are in the price.
- When you can walk on the floor, and when you can park on it.
Questions about flake epoxy floors in Naperville
Can I pick my own flake colors?
Yes, we can mix a blend for you. Show us a paint chip, a cabinet door or a photo, and we'll pick flakes to go with it.
Is a flake floor slippery?
We look at how the room gets used before we quote. In a Naperville garage where snow melts off the car all winter, we suggest grit in the top coat.
Does the smell mean the floor isn't safe yet?
NIOSH says harmful levels of chemicals cannot always be smelled, and some much less hazardous chemicals have an odor. So we don't go by smell. NIOSH also says cured epoxies are usually safer to handle than their uncured parts. We tell you when the floor is ready to use.
How do you keep the garage aired out while you work?
The EPA says that if a label says to use a product in a well-ventilated area, use it outdoors or where there is an exhaust fan, or else open windows to let in as much outdoor air as you can. We follow the label on each product we use, and we keep the door from the garage into the house shut.
What happens to the loose flakes you sweep up?
We bag the loose flakes and the grinding dust and take them with us when we leave.
Do I need a permit to coat my floor in Naperville?
The City of Naperville's Guide to Building Permits says cosmetic work, such as painting, does not need a permit, but remodeling a basement does. For a question about your own project, the city says to call Building Permits at (630) 420-6100, Option 2.
How much does a flake epoxy floor cost?
We price your flake floor once we've seen the concrete, and you get that quote in writing.
Can you add flakes to a floor you already coated?
We can't scatter flakes into an epoxy floor that has already cured, so we would grind the old surface and lay a new flake coat on top. Our epoxy floor repair page covers fixing a coating that has only failed in spots.
Get a quote for a flake epoxy floor
Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and a note about your floor. We'll look at the concrete, bring flake samples, and give you a written quote. To see the other floors we coat, go to the Naperville Epoxy Flooring home page.
Ready to talk about your epoxy flooring job?
Send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.