Metallic Epoxy Floors in Bend, OR

Metallic epoxy floors are the decorative end of floor coating. Mica-based metallic pigments are mixed into clear epoxy, poured onto a prepared slab, and moved by hand with rollers, trowels and sprayers. The pigment drifts and settles as the resin levels, which leaves swirls, veins and pools of light. No two floors come out the same. In Bend we put them in spaces where the floor is part of the look: home studios, bonus rooms over slab, offices, tasting rooms, salons and small retail spaces.

How the look is made

After grinding and repair, a primer and a solid-color base coat go down. The base color sets the overall tone, since the metallic layer is partly see-through. The metallic coat is then poured in ribbons and spread. The installer creates movement by back-rolling, adding solvent mist, dragging a trowel or blowing air across the surface. That window is short, so the design is planned before we start, down to which wall the pour begins at.

Choosing colors and patterns

• Marble or stone: two or three tones with soft veining.
• Lava or river flow: strong contrast and wide, sweeping movement.
• Single-tone pearl: one metallic color over a matching base for a quieter shimmer.
• Dark and moody: charcoal or black bases with silver or copper highlights.

We show you sample boards and photos of real finishes so you know the range. Since every pour is hand-worked, the final floor will differ from any sample.

Sun and topcoats

Epoxy can amber in UV light, and HomeGuide rates its UV resistance as poor to fair. That matters for a metallic floor, where color is the whole point. Bend gets about 70% of its possible sunshine, according to Wikipedia's climate data. Any room with big south- or west-facing windows needs a UV-stable clear coat over the metallic layer. We use a polyaspartic or aliphatic urethane topcoat, which also adds scratch resistance.

What to expect day to day

Metallic floors are glossy, and a high gloss shows scratches, dust and footprints more than a flake floor does. They can be slick when wet. For most living spaces that is fine. For a garage that sees snowmelt, we usually suggest a flake floor or an added anti-slip aggregate in the topcoat. Furniture pads, entry mats and a dust mop keep a metallic floor looking right.

Is the slab a good candidate?

A metallic pour shows what is underneath it. Cracks that move, uneven patches and moisture problems can show through or cause the coating to fail. We check the slab carefully at the estimate, and if a floor needs leveling or crack repair first, that is built into the quote.