Flake, metallic, solid colour, polyaspartic — the epoxy world has a lot of names. Here’s what each one actually is, where it shines, and how to pick the right finish for your space.
The four finishes, plainly
- Flake (vinyl chip). Coloured flakes broadcast into the coat, then sealed. Hides marks, adds grip, hugely popular for garages and workshops. The all-rounder.
- Metallic. Pearlescent pigments worked while wet into flowing, marbled patterns — a genuine feature floor, unique every pour. Indoor only (it relies on a non-UV-stable gloss).
- Solid colour. A clean, uniform single colour. Crisp and contemporary; the usual choice for commercial floors and line-marked areas.
- Polyaspartic. Strictly a system/topcoat rather than a “look” — it cures fast, resists UV ambering and shortens return-to-service. We use it as the topcoat where sunlight or a quick turnaround matters.
Indoor vs outdoors is the deciding question. Standard epoxy can amber under UV, so for anything sun-exposed we finish with a UV-stable polyaspartic — never a bare epoxy or a metallic. Indoors, away from the sun, you’ve got the full range.
How to choose
A quick way to narrow it down:
- Garage you actually use → flake. Forgiving, grippy, looks sharp.
- Feature / showroom / entry (indoor) → metallic, for the wow factor.
- Workshop, warehouse, retail, hospitality → solid colour, often with line marking and a hard-wearing topcoat.
- Alfresco, patio, pool surround → UV-stable flake or colour with a polyaspartic topcoat and built-in grip.
Not sure which finish suits your space?
We’ll show you real samples, talk through indoor/outdoor and slip honestly, and recommend the right system — then put it in a fixed written quote.
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