At Armortech, we offer the most advanced epoxy formulations on the market today. We offer a variety of high quality fluid applied, resinous epoxy flooring systems designed for residential, commercial and industrial use.

Our decorative broadcast flooring systems are a very popular choice for numerous residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Whether you are installing a thin-mil solid-color shop floor, a one-day polyaspartic garage floor system, a high-build 100% solids epoxy for a commercial space, or a decorative quartz floor a your high-traffic commercial kitchen we have the right broadcast flooring components to help you get the job done right, the first time. 

When combined with our great selection of premium primers, epoxy build coats, epoxy broadcast coats, and quality urethane and polyaspartic topcoats, our products work together seamlessly to create the best broadcast floor systems for a diverse variety of uses and applications. Our high-quality epoxy coating products are easy to apply. And, if you do need help or advice, our professional experienced installers are here with free, unlimited technical support.

Decorative Flake: Broadcast Types, Application Rates, & Methods

One of the most popular types of broadcast flooring types is the decorative flake or chip floor. After the surface prep has been completed, a tinted coat of epoxy, polyaspartic, or polyurea is applied to the floor, and while it is still wet, a decorative flake chip is broadcast into the wet base coat. The most common type of decorative flake floor is a full broadcast flake floor. Partial broadcast flake floors are also a very popular option with many DIY installers.

One of our most frequently asked questions is, “Should I install a full broadcast flake floor or a partial broadcast flake floor?”

The easy answer is that it is completely up to you. But before making that decision it would probably be best to consider the pro’s and cons of each method of application, your project budget, and the end use of the space (i.e., will the space be used to park a car and for general storage, or will there be chemical spills and daily fork lift traffic), an honest assessment of your own DIY skill level and also the availability of helpers to assist during the mixing and installation process. 

Partial Broadcast Floors VS. Full Broadcast Floors

Partial broadcast or random broadcast floors are among the most popular choices with DIY installers. These floors are made by lightly sprinkling small amounts of decorative flake into the wet coating. With partial broadcast floors the base color of the floor will be the dominant color of the floor with the flake acting as more of an accent. This is a different look than a full broadcast floor. When you look at a full broadcast flake floor what you see are the colors of the flake, and little else. So much so that the color of the tinted base coat becomes almost irrelevant. Full broadcast flake floors are the most common type of flake floor installed by professional installers.

Below, is a visual comparison with application rates for various levels of partial broadcast floors as well as a full broadcast floor.

PARTIAL OR RANDOM BROADCAST FLAKE FLOORS

Partial broadcast flake floors, also known as a random broadcast, are among the most popular choices with DIY installers. As the name suggests these floors are achieved by randomly sprinkling small amounts of decorative flake into the still wet coating. This is a different look than a full broadcast floor. When you look at a partial broadcast floor, what you see is primarily the color of the colored primer or basecoat, with only a light sprinkling of flakes as an accent. This gives the floor a dash of colors and helps conceal imperfections in the coating and in the underlying concrete. The contrasting flake helps to hide dirt, debris, conceal smudges, scratches, and other signs of wear and tear from normal use. It also makes the space brighter and appear cleaner than an uncoated surface.

Use the formulas provided below to calculate the various application rates and amount of flake needed for your partial broadcast flooring project.

Depending on the rate of the broadcast, a partial or random broadcast may also provide some texture and slip-resistance versus a plain solid color or “neat” floor. However, for most folks, a partial broadcast floor is applied primarily for aesthetic purposes.

These floors may or may not be top coated, although a topcoat is typically recommended and preferred.

For many, it is simply that they like the look of a partial broadcast floor better than a full broadcast floor. For others, it comes down to budget constraints (a partial broadcast uses much less decorative flake than a full broadcast floor does. Or, perhaps they don’t have the availability of helpers for the more labor intensive full broadcast application. Whatever the reasoning the decision to install a partial broadcast floor can do a great deal to protect your concrete from unsightly staining as well as putting a new face on an old space, and at the same time serve to “clean up” and brighten an otherwise dark and dingy looking area.   

Flake broadcast rates for various decorative flake sizes

Calculate by multiplying the variable above by the total square footage to find the total pounds of flake
needed for the project. (Ex: .2 x 100 sq. ft. = 20 lbs. of ¼” flake needed to do a full broadcast project.)

FULL BROADCAST DECORATIVE FLAKE FLOORS

When looking at a full broadcast flake floor, the flake colors are the dominant colors seen, rather than the base coat color. 

Full broadcast flake floors are the most common type of flake floor installed by professional installers. The reasons for that are many but include the fact that full broadcast flake floors are generally thicker than their partial broadcast counterparts, which equates to a thicker wear surface, which in turn results a more durable and longer lasting floor. The main reason full broadcast floors are thicker, is that in a full broadcast floor system the aggregate (the decorative flake) is broadcast “until rejection.” Which means, the decorative flake is broadcast into the wet coating until it will not accept any more flake. Because the flake has been broadcast until rejection, much of the flake sinks into and becomes embedded into the coating as it cures. This accomplishes two things. First, it covers the coating completely, protecting it from everyday abuse and wear. And, secondly in the process of curing the flake aggregate becomes interlocked into the coating which strengthens and makes the coating much more durable and less susceptible to damage, (much like adding a gravel aggregate to cement makes concrete stronger and more durable.) Completely saturating a coating with an aggregate will thicken the floor significantly. Imagine a glass of water that is half-full. Now add ice until the water level reaches the top of the glass. This is the effect you get when you saturate a coating with an aggregate.

However, installing a full broadcast flake floor does pose a few challenges that as a DIY installer you should be aware of. First and foremost, you will use much more decorative flake chips on a full broadcast floor than you will on a partial broadcast floor. Application rates for a full broadcast floor using the most popular ¼” flake size is typically between 5-7 square feet of coverage per one pound of flake. This coverage will vary slightly depending on the flake size used and the experience of the installer, but for this discussion it is accurate. What this means is for your “average” 2 car garage (a 24’ x 24’ structure of 576 square feet) you will need to use between 82.2 lbs.-115.2 lbs. of decorative paint flake to achieve complete full broadcast coverage. Which of course, means more money spent in both materials needed, and increased shipping costs.

You will also want to have a helper or two available when installing a full broadcast floor. Although not required, especially for an experienced installer on a small area, having an extra helping hand or two will make the DIY project go much easier and help to ensure the entire application is completed well within the coating products allotted working time. Projects of 200 square feet and under can usually easily be completed with just one person. However, on larger projects, say over 200 square feet and up its nice to have one person mixing while the other one is pouring and spreading the coating. For floors 500 sq ft and over, having two or more helpers is recommended. That way one can be mixing, while the other pouring, spreading and/or applying the coating. And, of course once the mixing is done and the product is poured out on the floor having multiple hands squeegeeing, rolling, broadcasting flake, and pulling masking tape helps tremendously to ensure a smooth installation. With several helpers, it is possible to do a large area like a whole warehouse or large shop in just a few hours.

A basic full broadcast system consists of three layers: The basecoat, the flake broadcast, and a topcoat. Variations of this system may also include an added moisture vapor barrier and/or an additional primer coat, or even an added basecoat, or clear seal coat, depending on the intended use, desired slip-resistance, and desired finish type. In our opinion, this type of coating is the best system, and best value, for a residential garage floor. It offers the most bang for the buck where it matters, in performance, appearance and longevity.

For the basic full broadcast flake system using ¼” inch flake we typically recommend using a broadcast rate of 5-7 sq. ft. per pound of flake, depending on installer type and experience level. Here is another simple way to calculate how much flake a given project will require. 

Use this formula, for DIY or INEXPERIENCED INSTALLERS (square footage divided by 5 = lbs. of flake needed) EXAMPLE: 100 sq. ft. ÷ 5 sq. ft. per lb., equals = 20 lbs. of flake needed.

Use this formula, for EXPERIENCED OR PROFESSIONAL INSTALLERS (square footage divided by 7 = lbs. of flake needed) EXAMPLE: 100 sq. ft. ÷ 7 sq. ft. per lb., equals = 14.28 lbs. of flake needed. For even more durability and wear thickness many professional installers recommend what is known as a double broadcast system. Double broadcast systems include the application of a clear coat over the first flake broadcast and the application of a second broadcasting of flake, before, clear seal coating and/or final top coating.  The result is a decorative, thick, high build, high wear floor suitable for many residential, commercial, industrial, and heavy use areas.
 

Pro Tip: If working without the aid of an assistant, break the project into manageable sections. While maintain a wet edge, immediately after applying the coating to a given section apply the flakes by carefully sprinkling them from a height of approximately four feet and allowing them to randomly ‘rain down’ onto the wet surface. Do not ‘throw’ the flake down, it is better to throw them up and let them rain down naturally. Be mindful to not over-apply the flakes in any one area. The flakes should be sprinkled so that the surface is randomly applied yet still has a somewhat uniform appearance. Be sure to leave a wet edge free of flake where you can start spreading and rolling out your next area without disturbing the flakes you have already applied. Be sure to take note of how many flakes you have for the project and portion them out adequately, so you don’t run short at the end of the project.

Regardless of the type of broadcast floor you ultimately decide to install, the team at Armortech is here to help, not only do we provide high quality, commercial grade, professional quality coatings that are simple to use, and cost effective. When you buy from us, you get the free installation advice from industry experts dedicated to your projects success.

Experience the Armortech difference

We know that you have many choices when selecting a broadcast epoxy floor coating, but not all broadcast epoxy floor coatings are created equal nor will they all yield the same quality of results like Armortech Premium Coatings will. Our broadcast flooring systems have been meticulously engineered, formulated, and designed by a team with over three decades of experience in concrete floor coating industry. Our flooring products are manufactured in the US and Canada with premium components for long lasting quality results.

At Armortech, we provide the public high quality, commercial grade, professional quality epoxy that is environmentally friendly, simple to use, and cost effective. When you a buy a broadcast epoxy floor system from us, you get the freshest US and Canadian made epoxy for the best possible price. Our broadcast epoxy flooring systems can change the look of just about any space for the better. Our products outperform the competition with their superior characteristics and user-friendly attributes. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Our friendly professional installers are here to help with free, unlimited technical support.