The residential workhorse that can hold a commercial kitchen too.
Flake epoxy is the most-installed system in our shop for good reason. The chip broadcast gives you slip resistance, hides tire marks and dropped tools, and shrugs off oil, gasoline, and cleaner chemistry. We install it in Houston garages, basements, warehouses, auto shops, gyms, and commercial kitchens. Same prep protocol every time.
Durable, forgiving, and built for the way you actually use a floor.
Flake epoxy is what most people picture when they think “garage floor.” A colored resin base, a full broadcast of vinyl or quartz chips across the wet surface, then a clear topcoat that locks the chips down and gives the floor its chemical resistance. The chips do three jobs at once. They hide the minor surface variations that a solid-color finish would magnify, they create texture for slip resistance, and they give the eye something to read instead of a mirror, which is forgiving when oil drips or a tire mark lands.
In Houston, that forgiveness matters. Clay-soil slabs move over time. Gulf humidity means dust is always in the air. A flake floor absorbs the small imperfections that would sink a metallic install, which is why flake is our most-installed residential system. Pair it with a commercial-rated topcoat and the same floor goes into a Texas City restaurant kitchen, a League City auto shop, or a Dickinson gym without changing the install protocol.
We build every flake job on the same foundation: diamond grind with HEPA containment, calcium-chloride moisture test, manufacturer-spec primer, pigmented body coat with full flake broadcast to rejection, and commercial-grade polyurethane or polyaspartic topcoat. We do not use big-box kits. We do not acid etch. We do not spray chips on by hand while telling you to duck. The floor you see on our gallery page is what your floor looks like at handoff.
Flake is also the system where customer color choice matters most. We bring sample chips to every residential estimate and blend custom ratios on request. Most clients land on a warm charcoal, a tan blend, or a cool gray. Some want something louder. Either way, we pour a sample tile before you commit to a color so there is zero guessing about what the finished floor looks like in your light.
“Flake is the floor I recommend first for most residential work. It forgives the things that are going to happen in a real garage. Kids, dogs, oil, dropped wrenches. You would rather have a floor that takes a punch than a floor you feel bad using.”Justin Thurmon, Owner
The same four steps. Every job.
Flake looks simple on a timelapse but the sequence is load-bearing. Every step exists for a reason. If a crew tells you they can skip any of these, they are selling you a floor that fails in eighteen months.
Grind & Prep
Diamond grind the slab with HEPA vac containment. Remove curing compound, weak top layer, oil stains. No acid etch, ever.
Moisture Test
Calcium-chloride test on every slab. Install moisture mitigation if the reading demands it. Most Gulf Coast slabs do.
Coat & Broadcast
Pigmented body coat. Full flake broadcast to rejection while the coat is wet. Scrape back the excess after cure.
Top Seal & Cure
Commercial-grade polyurethane or polyaspartic topcoat. Foot traffic next day. Full vehicle use at 72 hours.
One system. Many jobs.
Flake epoxy is the most versatile coating we install. The base chemistry stays the same, we just spec the topcoat and the slip profile for the room it is going into. Here are the three environments where we pour the most flake in South Houston.
Residential Garages
The flagship use. Flake hides oil drips, tire marks, and dropped tools, gives you safe footing even when wet, and stands up to vehicle weight without softening. We pair it with a polyaspartic topcoat for maximum UV stability if the garage door stays open a lot.
Typical size: 400 to 1,200 sq ftCommercial Kitchens
Chemical-rated and thermal-shock-rated flake systems pass USDA and FDA requirements for food-prep facilities. We coordinate with health inspectors on coving detail and slip profile. Night install, back open the next morning. No shortcuts on the prep even on tight windows.
Typical size: 1,500 to 5,000 sq ftAuto Shops & Warehouses
Heavier traffic, hydraulic fluid, brake cleaner, battery acid. We spec a thicker body coat and a tougher topcoat for shops that see vehicle lifts and forklifts. Flake color hides the wear pattern so the floor still looks sharp three years in. Chemical resistance is non-negotiable.
Typical size: 2,000 to 10,000 sq ftStraight answers about the residential workhorse.
What does $6 per square foot actually include?
Full diamond grind with HEPA vacuum containment, calcium-chloride moisture test, manufacturer-spec primer, pigmented body coat with full flake broadcast, and a commercial-grade polyurethane or polyaspartic topcoat. Plus a written workmanship warranty. It does not include moisture mitigation if your slab needs it. That is quoted separately and only installed when the test reading demands it.
Can I pick the flake color and ratio?
Yes. We bring sample chips to every estimate and will blend custom ratios if you want something outside the standard palette. Most homeowners land on a warm charcoal blend, a tan blend, or a cool gray. We also pour a sample tile before we start the floor so you see exactly what the color looks like in your light before we commit.
How slippery is it when wet?
Less slippery than bare concrete, which is the baseline most people think it is replacing. The flake chips create surface texture that gives you grip in water, oil, and hydraulic fluid. For high-demand environments, we can add an aluminum oxide or silica additive to the topcoat to boost the slip rating further. Commercial kitchens get that treatment as standard.
Will it hold up to a heavy truck or a lift?
Yes. We spec the body coat thickness and topcoat chemistry around the load. A 7,500 pound SUV in a residential garage is no problem with the standard system. For two-post lifts, four-post lifts, and forklifts we run a heavier topcoat and a thicker primer to handle point loads. Tell us what will live on the floor at the estimate.
How hard is the floor to clean and maintain?
Very easy. The topcoat is non-porous, so spills sit on top instead of soaking in. Warm water and a deck brush handle most residential messes. For commercial work we recommend a neutral pH floor cleaner. Avoid harsh solvents, wire brushes, and high-pressure steam cleaning. No waxing, no resealing on a schedule. Just wipe it up.
Can I park on it the night you finish?
No. Foot traffic is safe the next day. Full vehicle cure takes 72 hours. Hot tires that roll onto a green topcoat will lift the surface. We plan the install around your schedule so the 72 hour window is not a surprise, and we give you a hard reopen date at the start of the job. Let us know your constraints and we will schedule around them.
Get a quote on your flake epoxy project.
Justin or a senior estimator will reach out within one business day. No pressure, no marketing-speak.
- On-site or photo-based estimate
- Honest answers about your slab
- Sample boards available on request
Prefer to talk? Call (346) 624-0125
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Ready to pour a floor that actually lasts?
Free estimate. Sample chips in hand. Honest answer on whether flake fits your space.
Coverage across the South Houston metro.
Elite Coatings installs this system throughout Harris, Galveston, and Brazoria counties, from Friendswood out to downtown Houston, Pearland, and the Galveston Bay coast. Our service radius is roughly 50 miles from our Friendswood shop.
Not sure if we reach you? Browse all service areas or ask Justin directly.