Choosing between a flake (decorative quartz or color-chip broadcast) epoxy system and a solid-color epoxy coating is a common decision point when a facility is renovating a warehouse floor, a retail showroom, a commercial kitchen, or a healthcare space. The trigger is a combination of factors: the existing slab's condition, how the space will be used day to day, how much texture or slip resistance is wanted underfoot, and how the floor needs to look to customers, patients, or staff. Both systems fall under the broader category of commercial epoxy flooring, and both are installed over prepared concrete. This guide walks through what each system is, how they differ in texture and cleanability, how each handles an imperfect slab, how they wear and get repaired over time, and which facility types ask for which option. It closes with questions to bring to your contractor and items to put in a written scope.
A solid-color epoxy system is a roller-applied or self-leveled coating in a single color, built up in one or more coats to a specified thickness. A broadcast system spreads decorative chips or aggregate into a wet resin layer; the data sheet states the follow-on coats.
Thickness and build vary by product and by whether the system is a thin roller coat, a self-leveled slurry, or a broadcast system with aggregate. The table below summarizes build ranges pulled directly from manufacturer data sheets for specific named products; it is not a universal spec for "epoxy" as a category, and you should confirm the exact build with your contractor against the data sheet for the product actually proposed.
| System type | Build range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wear coat (unfilled epoxy) | 12 to 15 mils wet film thickness | Per Sika Sikafloor-264 product data sheet, one product |
| Primer coat | 6.0 to 12.0 mils dry film thickness | Per Tnemec Series N222 data sheet, one product |
| Self-leveling slurry (epoxy + filler) | 60 to 120 mils | Per Sika Sikafloor-264 product data sheet, one product |
| Single broadcast aggregate layer | About 1/16 inch | Per Tnemec Series N222 data sheet application section |
| Tnemec N222 double broadcast aggregate layer | About 1/8 inch | Per Tnemec Series N222 data sheet |
| Sika DecoDur Quartz FX system | Typically installed at 1/8 inch (3.1 mm) | Per Sika Sikafloor DecoDur Quartz FX system data sheet |
What to put in the written scope:
Flake and solid-color systems can both be finished to different texture levels depending on the topcoat and any added aggregate; texture depends on topcoat and any added aggregate, so ask for the data-sheet texture description.
Dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) is one way facilities evaluate slip performance. ANSI A326.3 describes a laboratory and field test method for measuring DCOF on hard surface flooring and sorts products into five use classifications; TCNA says DCOF is not synonymous with slip resistance and does not predict whether a person will slip. A326.3 lists 0.42 DCOF for Interior, Dry and (alternatively to a manufacturer declaration) Interior, Wet; the other classes are manufacturer-declared. Confirm with the manufacturer whether the standard is applied to the proposed resinous system.
What to put in the written scope:
Slab condition drives part of this decision. Sika lists a slurry of Sikafloor-264 mixed with filler at 60-120 mils; ask the manufacturer what slab defects the system is rated to conceal. A roller-applied wear coat at 12 to 15 mils wet film, by contrast, is a thin surface layer and is not the same product application as the slurry.
Broadcast systems add their own build: a single broadcast layer per the Tnemec Series N222 data sheet reaches about 1/16 inch, and a second broadcast layer reaches about 1/8 inch. The Sika DecoDur Quartz FX decorative quartz system is typically installed at 1/8 inch (3.1 mm) per its own data sheet. These builds are specific to the named products and broadcast procedures described in their data sheets and should not be assumed to apply to every flake or broadcast product on the market.
What to put in the written scope:
Both flake and solid-color systems are coatings applied in layers, and how a damaged area is repaired or recoated depends on the product and the coat structure used. A topcoat applied per the Tnemec Series N222 data sheet is listed at 8.0 to 16.0 mils dry film; Sika lists a Sikafloor-264 wear coat at 12-15 mils wet film; Tnemec N222 lists 8.0-16.0 mils dry film for an intermediate or topcoat. Matching a repair to the original build requires knowing which product and coat thickness was originally installed.
What to put in the written scope:
A solid-color system presents a uniform single-tone finish, while a flake system introduces a multi-tone, chip-pattern appearance from the broadcast aggregate; both are coating-based approaches to the same underlying concrete substrate.
For facilities weighing epoxy against an alternative concrete finish entirely, the guide on epoxy vs. polished concrete covers that separate comparison, and the Colorado polished concrete contractor hub is a resource if that path is under consideration instead.
What to put in the written scope:
Within the facility types associated with commercial epoxy flooring, a retail or showroom environment may weigh appearance options differently than a back-of-house warehouse, and a healthcare setting may prioritize a cleanable, seamless-looking surface; ask the manufacturer to document cleanability and seams for the proposed system. The retail and showroom spaces hub and the medical, dental, and professional offices hub both cover facility-specific considerations in more depth.
What to put in the written scope:
To compare installed cost ranges for these systems by Colorado city, the FloorSpec cost calculator and the Commercial Epoxy Flooring Cost in Colorado guide both provide more detail than general facility descriptions alone.
It depends on the specific products and coat structure used. Sika lists a Sikafloor-264 wear coat at 12-15 mils wet film. Tnemec's N222 aggregate broadcast builds about 1/16 inch per layer, per its data sheet. Ask for the data sheet for the flake system actually proposed.
Ask the contractor what slab condition the proposed system is designed to conceal and who confirms it. A self-leveling slurry can be built to 60 to 120 mils per one manufacturer's data sheet, which is a different application than a thin roller coat; ask your contractor which approach fits your slab's condition.
ANSI A326.3 describes a test method for measuring dynamic coefficient of friction and sorts products into use classifications, but TCNA says DCOF is not synonymous with slip resistance and does not predict whether a person will slip. Ask your contractor how the specific proposed product is classified and whether any manufacturer declaration applies.
The FloorSpec cost calculator and the Commercial Epoxy Flooring Cost in Colorado guide both offer cost information organized by service type and Colorado city. Use those resources alongside a written quote that itemizes product lines and coat thicknesses for an accurate comparison.
Ask which product and build each bid assumes, how the broadcast material is applied into the wet resin, and what the data sheet for that product says about film thickness and coverage. Ask for the slip-resistance approach and any test values in writing, and ask who is responsible for confirming slab conditions before work starts.
What commercial epoxy flooring costs in Colorado, broken down by system type, market, and what actually moves your quote.
How commercial epoxy flooring and polished concrete compare on cost, durability, maintenance, and which one fits your facility.
How polyaspartic and epoxy compare as coatings and topcoats for commercial floors: cure speed, UV stability, build, prep, and where each is the better fit.
FloorSpec matches commercial flooring projects to contractors whose service areas and service types fit the work. We review each contractor's credentials, insurance, and licensing. We do not verify a contractor's track record with a specific facility type, so ask about relevant experience during your own evaluation. FloorSpec is free for project owners.
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