What decorative flake flooring is
Decorative flake floors, also called chip, vinyl flake or broadcast floors, combine a resin base coat with thousands of small, colored vinyl chips. While the base coat is still wet, the chips are broadcast by hand across the entire floor until the surface is fully covered. After the base cures, the excess is scraped and vacuumed, and a clear topcoat seals everything in place. The finished floor has a speckled, granite-like look with gentle texture underfoot.
It is the most popular coating we install in New River for a reason. Flake floors hide the fine desert dust that settles on everything between sweeps. They disguise tire marks, small scratches and minor imperfections in the slab. The texture provides natural slip resistance without feeling rough. And because the chips are suspended in a thick resin build, the system is extremely durable under cars, carts and foot traffic.
Designing a flake blend for your space
Flake blends are made by mixing chips of different colors and sizes. A blend with high contrast, like black, white and gray, reads busy and bold. A tonal blend, like several shades of tan and brown, reads calm and natural. Chip size matters too: quarter-inch chips give a classic, visible pattern, while smaller chips create a finer, terrazzo-like look.
In New River, customers tend to gravitate toward blends that work with the landscape and with Southwest architecture:
- Sandstone and saddle: warm tans, creams and a touch of brown that pair with stucco and wood.
- Foothill granite: grays and charcoals with flecks of tan, inspired by the rock outcrops around Daisy Mountain.
- Sage and stone: soft greens and grays that feel modern and cool against desert light.
- Domino and nightfall: high-contrast black, white and gray for a crisp, contemporary look.
We bring board samples to your site visit and can mix a custom blend if you want something unique. We also tint the base coat to complement your blend, which makes the floor look richer and hides any tiny gaps between chips.
Inside a full-broadcast flake floor
The difference between a flake floor that looks good for two years and one that looks good for fifteen is in the build. Here is what goes into ours.
Partial versus full broadcast
Some contractors sell a partial broadcast, where a light scattering of flake sits on a solid-color base. It looks fine in photos and uses less material, but it lacks the texture, dust-hiding ability and wear protection of a full broadcast. On a full broadcast floor, the flake layer acts as an extra layer of armor; scratches have to cut through the topcoat and the flake before they reach the base coat. Unless you specifically want the look of a light scatter, we recommend full broadcast for garages, shops and commercial floors.
Choosing the right texture
The number of topcoats determines how textured a flake floor feels. One clear coat leaves a noticeable, grippy texture that is great for garages, ramps and patios. Two coats create a smoother, easier-to-clean surface for interiors and showrooms. We can also add an aggregate to the topcoat for extra grip in wet areas.
Where flake floors work best
Flake is incredibly versatile. We install it in residential garages, detached shops and RV bays, laundry rooms and mudrooms, covered patios, pool decks and walkways with a UV-stable topcoat, and in commercial spaces such as auto repair shops, gyms, restrooms, veterinary clinics, break rooms and retail backrooms. Anywhere you want durability, easy cleaning and a finished look, a flake floor is a strong option.
Indoor or outdoor: For exterior concrete, we use only UV-stable resins for both the base and topcoat. Standard epoxy will yellow in New River sun, so outdoor flake systems are built with polyaspartic or aliphatic polyurea.
Installation timeline
Most flake floors are installed in one day for residential garages and two to three days for large shops and commercial spaces. The day starts with grinding and repairs, followed by the base coat and broadcast. Once the base cures, which happens quickly with polyurea and polyaspartic chemistry, the crew scrapes and vacuums the floor and applies the topcoat. Foot traffic is typically allowed the same evening, with vehicles after 24 to 48 hours.
Not sure which blend to choose? We can make a small sample board in two or three of your favorite blends so you can live with them in the space for a few days before deciding.
Durability and maintenance
A full-broadcast flake floor is among the most durable coating systems you can buy. It resists hot tires, oil, gasoline, antifreeze, road salt and most household chemicals. It can handle dropped tools, rolling toolboxes and the weight of trucks and trailers. The texture keeps it safe underfoot, and the color variation hides everyday wear far better than a solid floor.
Maintenance is simple:
- Sweep or dust mop regularly to remove grit.
- Wash with a pH-neutral cleaner and a soft mop or deck brush for textured areas.
- Clean up chemical spills promptly and rinse.
- Use mats under heavy point loads like kickstands and trailer jacks.
With that basic care, a flake floor will stay attractive and functional for many years. If the topcoat eventually wears in a high-traffic lane, it can be scuffed and recoated to restore the finish without starting over.
Flake floor mistakes we see, and how we avoid them
We are often called to fix flake floors that failed within a year or two. The causes are almost always the same. The slab was acid-etched or only pressure-washed instead of ground, so the base coat never bonded. The installer used a thin, water-based epoxy that softened under hot tires. The flake was scattered lightly to save material, leaving bare spots that wore through. Or a standard epoxy topcoat was used on a floor that sees afternoon sun, and it yellowed and chalked by the second summer.
Each of those problems is avoidable. We grind every slab, use high-solids base coats at the right thickness, broadcast to full rejection, and finish with a UV-stable polyaspartic. It costs a little more up front than a bargain install, but it is the only way we know to deliver a flake floor that still looks right years from now, through New River heat, dust and daily use.
Why choose New River Epoxy Flooring for flake
We do not cut corners on flake floors. Every project gets diamond grinding, full repairs, a tinted base, a full broadcast and a high-quality polyaspartic topcoat. We show you real samples, help you choose a blend that suits your home, and give you a written warranty. It is the floor we would install in our own garages.
