The decorative concrete overlay and custom seamless flooring industry originates from the paint manufacturing and basic concrete restoration trades. Over forty years ago, paint resins (known as acrylic resin and/or vinyl resin) and cements were starting to be blended to create more durable solutions to basic concrete repair. It was found that with the addition of a basic paint resin, certain performance characteristics were mildly increased in repair cement mortars and so began the concrete overlay and resurfacing industry. It wasn’t long before more innovative companies began to experiment with slightly improved aesthetic application techniques utilizing colors, textures and other applications processes. In the beginning, such materials were applied with masonry brushes to create subtle swirl and fan patterns. Then colors were added to enhance the look from dull gray colors to something more aesthetically appealing. That was followed by the use of drywall texture guns to create a sprayed on bubble type texture, along with troweled finishes and the now popular ¼” thin stamped overlays. Please email us or contact us at 248-373-0000 to schedule an appointment to view actual concrete overlay samples at our showroom.
Please Note:Our EpoxyMaster Services Customer Flooring Questionaire is located at the bottom of this page.
The Problem with Conventional Coatings & Overlay Products
Over the years, this industry has endured countless scrutiny and negative press from architects, specifiers, concrete contractors and homeowners due to the limitations caused by the of lack of long term product performance of polymer modified cement coatings and overlay materials. These limitations include; un-tested & un-compatible materials, adverse weather condition failure from freeze/thaw cycles, high humidity & dampness and UV degradation. Lack of long term product performance and adverse weather conditions forced installation failures, delays and also cause unforeseen expenditures downtime and application costs. This is all a result of poor product or chemical composition knowledge. Companies see a market niche or opportunity and immediately release a product line to the architectural concrete overlay and custom seamless flooring industry before the material can be properly tested or many times not even being of a quality composition. In this industry the old adage of “marketing is what sells products, product don’t sell products”, is not true and too often one reason some overlay products are seen as ineffective. Too many companies not only have an extremely high attrition rate (loss of customers), but many companies don’t even stay in business for long.
The Advantages
With the use of a proven hybrid polymer blend, the performance characteristics were a given. It wasn’t until more creative contractors got to use the products until we learned another key advantage. Versatility. Acrylic modified cements were primarily used for base coats and spray textures and lacked the workability and texturing capabilities to emboss effectively or broom finish. Vinyl cements always had to be used in extremely dry conditions which would not be subject to high traffic or water. The result is an architectural concrete overlay and custom seamless flooring system with the versatility to serve as a repair product or an aesthetic finish, as a broom finish or a splatter texture, as a troweled finish or a thin stamped overlay, our architectural concrete overlay and custom seamless flooring systems are leading the way.
Thin Stamped Overlays
Description
A thin stamped overlay is a cementitious, polymer modified coating. Typically installed at an average thickness of ¼” in various colors and surface patterns.
Designed for
•Adding the authentic look and feel of brick, stone and slate to any stable concrete surface.
•Interior flooring, driveways, pool decks, sidewalks, patios, entryways and more.
•Interior or exterior concrete.
•Surface restoration of nearly any stable concrete surface.
Advantages
•Can be easily colored to match any surroundings and landscape.
•Less expensive than real brick, stone and slate.
•Offers more customized flooring options compared to other floor covering but with much added strength and wearability.
•Safe, non-hazardous and user friendly.
Thin Stained Overlays
Description
A thin stained overlay is identical to thin stamped overlays with the exception of not having the stamping. A thin stained overlay is a cementitious, polymer modified coating. Typically installed at an average thickness of ¼” in various colors.
Designed for
•Interior flooring, driveways, pool decks, sidewalks, patios, entryways and more.
•Interior or exterior concrete.
•Surface restoration of nearly any stable concrete surface.
Advantages
•Can be easily colored to match any surroundings and landscape.
•Offers more customized flooring options compared to other floor covering but with much added strength and wearability.
•Safe, non-hazardous and user friendly.
Splatter Texture
Description
A cementitious, polymer modified coating typically installed at an average thickness of 1/16”to 1/8”. Splatter texture is an air applied texture that is then slightly troweled down to lessen the overall texture of the concrete overlay material. It is perhaps the most widely installed application primarily due to the combination of versatility in color and pattern.
Designed for
•Adding a colored “stucco-look” texture and pattern to any stable concrete surface.
•Adding a non-slip texture to any stable concrete surface.
•Driveways, pool decks, sidewalks, patios, entryways and more.
•Interior or exterior concrete.
•Surface restoration of nearly any stable concrete surface.
Advantages
•Can be easily colored to match any surroundings and landscape.
•Creates a non-slip texture for often wet surfaces such as pool decks and shower rooms.
•Less expensive than tearing out and replacing the concrete.
