Maintenance and Repair
How to Tell When Epoxy Resin Flooring Needs Replacing
Epoxy flooring is one of the toughest and most versatile flooring systems available. From a sleek resin kitchen floor to
Why Broadcast Materials Matter in Epoxy Floors
Few heavy-duty flooring systems balance strength, safety, and appearance as effectively as resin flakes and glitters broadcast epoxy floors. But ensuring the system’s endurance is as essential as delivering a great finish. If you’re a contractor working with decorative epoxy resin flooring, you’ll know that client expectations and satisfaction are a high priority. But how do you ensure this?
Here, we explore:
What epoxy floor contractors need to know at the specification stage
- Aggregates
- Methods
- Resins
- Topcoats
- Compliance
What happens to a quartz floor system over a five-to-ten-year lifecycle
- Traffic abrasion
- Chemical resistance
- UV Stability
- Flakes vs quartz
- Maintenance
Understanding these points will help you avoid callbacks, save costs, and strengthen your reputation as a trusted epoxy flooring contractor.
Why Broadcast Materials Matter in Epoxy Floors
The broadcast layer you choose is one of the most important factors when laying an epoxy floor. Quartz sand and decorative flakes are the most common options. Let’s look at a profile of each of these aggregates.
Some projects use both types of aggregate: flakes for design; quartz in high-traffic zones for grip and resilience. Whether you opt for quartz, flakes, or a mix, the broadcast material matters because it shapes both the look and long-term performance of the floor.
Key Broadcast Flooring Specification Essentials
Getting a quartz or flake epoxy system right begins long before any resin hits the floor. Strategic selections at the specification stage of the process can dramatically affect installation outcomes and long-term durability. Here’s a breakdown of those:
1. Aggregate size and grading
Quartz – available in fine to coarse grades. Fine quartz gives smoother finishes, while coarser grains provide higher slip resistance. Choice depends on the environment (e.g., hygiene vs traction).
Flakes – found in micro to standard sizes. Smaller flakes give a subtle, dense look, while larger flakes create bold patterns. Flake size affects aesthetics more than performance.
2. Broadcast methods
Quartz – full blind broadcasts ensure maximum durability and slip resistance. A partial scatter method uses less material but reduces grip and strength.
Flakes – Full broadcast delivers a uniform terrazzo-style finish. A partial scatter creates decorative highlights but leaves more of the basecoat visible.
3. Basecoat and resin compatibility
Quartz – requires a resin with the right viscosity to lock grains securely. Poor pairing of the resin and quartz leads to loose aggregate and premature wear.
Flakes – your basecoat colour is crucial to the finished look. A mismatched resin base can make flakes appear uneven or dull, even when topcoated correctly.
4. Topcoat choices
Quartz – clear or pigmented topcoats can fully seal in or partially expose the quartz. Fully sealed = easier cleaning, exposed texture = increased grip.
Flakes – a topcoat over flakes must completely encapsulate them to prevent peeling. Clear coats enhance decorative blends, while tinted coats can tone down colour contrasts.
5. Compliance with standards
Quartz – commonly used to meet slip resistance and hygiene standards in heavy-duty and industrial environments (HSE, OSHA, HACCP, etc.).
Flakes – this system is usually specified for commercial or decorative spaces where safety still matters, but visual appeal is equally important.
Making uninformed decisions at the specification stage can cost thousands further down the line. This could be in the form of floor failures, reputational damage or in more extreme instances, legal disputes.
Durability of Quartz and Flake Resin Flooring Over 5–10 Years
So what do broadcast epoxy floors look like after years of real-world use? The answer to this depends on whether you use quartz or flakes, since they both age slightly differently. Here’s a simple overview of how that looks for each aggregate.
Quartz floors
- Traffic wear – heavy machinery (such as forklifts and pallet trucks) gradually polishes high-use areas, which can reduce surface grip over time. However, quartz retains mechanical strength and slip resistance longer than most alternatives.
- Chemical resistance – with the right topcoat, quartz broadcast flooring systems stand up well to oils, cleaning agents, and solvents, though harsh acids or unsealed textures may accelerate depreciation.
- UV stability – clear epoxy or polyurethane topcoats can yellow over time in areas exposed to extensive sunlight. UV-stable topcoats are recommended in this instance.
- Maintenance – it’s best to reseal epoxy quartz floors every 3–5 years, depending on use. Regular professional cleaning preserves hygiene and slip resistance.
- Service life – well-installed quartz systems can exceed 10 years in demanding settings.
Flake floors
- Traffic wear – flake flooring systems hold up well in medium-duty spaces like those in the table above. In heavy traffic, they may lose gloss or show scuffing sooner than quartz.
- Appearance – one of their strengths is camouflage. Flakes disguise scratches, dust, and abrasion patterns, helping floors look fresher for longer.
- Chemical resistance – when fully encapsulated in a topcoat, flake systems resist cleaning chemicals and spills, though they’re less suited to aggressive industrial solvents.
- UV stability – like quartz, flakes can fade or yellow if exposed to UV, but this is usually more about topcoat choice than the flakes themselves.
- Maintenance – flake floors usually need resealing every 3–5 years. This keeps the surface smooth and easy to clean. It also prevents flake lift at edges or joints.
- Service life – with proper care, flake floors can last 7–10 years, often longer in light-to-medium duty environments.
Flake floors vs quartz floors durability
Epoxy flake floors deliver both durability and design, but like any decorative system, surface gloss can dull or show cosmetic wear over time. Chips or scratches to flake flooring systems may occasionally require touch-ups or resealing to keep the finish looking fresh. They are a great choice for medium-duty settings and carry a lower overall system cost compared to quartz.
Quartz floors, meanwhile, are designed with mechanical strength in mind, so even as surface texture polishes down, the underlying performance remains reliable.
In practice, both systems can perform well in the long term. The choice comes down to whether appearance or maximum strength is the greater priority for the environment in which the flooring is being installed.
Broadcast Epoxy Flooring Maintenance
Epoxy floor contractors should advise clients on resealing intervals. We teach our students that every three to five years is an optimum timescale, depending on their clients’ usage. We also advise regular cleaning with neutral detergents, which helps prevent buildup that can erode topcoats.
As a contractor, offering periodic inspections is good customer service. Doing this means small issues (like edge wear or chemical staining) are addressed before they require costly remediation.
With the right care, a well-installed quartz broadcast flooring system can easily last 10+ years. This is a great selling point for flooring contractors when they discuss lifecycle costs with their clients.
Xtreme Polishing Systems - The Epoxy Experts with the Best Advice
Xtreme Polishing Systems is trusted worldwide for epoxy supplies and contractor training. We’re uniquely positioned to guide and advise flooring professionals on high-performing and decorative epoxy floors.
With years of hands-on epoxy industry experience, we know what works and only stock proven products for quartz and flake systems. When our students attend an epoxy resin course with us, we equip them with the knowledge to install epoxy surfaces that last.
Our e-commerce store ensures that tradespeople can access the right flooring tools and materials. Contact us with any questions, and our expert team will happily help.
