Metallic Epoxy Floors in Cincinnati, OH

Metallic epoxy floors are our most decorative work in Cincinnati. A metallic epoxy floor uses clear resin mixed with fine metallic or pearl pigments. While it is still fluid, we work it with rollers, brushes, sprayers and solvents to move the pigment around, so the cured floor shows swirls, ripples, cells and depth that resemble polished stone or molten metal. Every pour turns out one of a kind, which is the point.

Where metallic floors work best

Metallic finishes are best indoors, where they are protected from heavy grit and direct sun:

• Finished basements, rec rooms and home bars
• Home theaters and game rooms
• Offices, lobbies and conference rooms
• Boutique retail floors and salons
• Restaurant dining rooms and tasting rooms
• Show garages where the car is more for display than daily slush

In a daily-driver garage that takes salt and grit every winter, a flake floor usually ages better. We will tell you honestly if your space is a better fit for something else.

What makes a good metallic pour

Metallic floors show everything underneath them. Cracks, patches, saw-cut joints and low spots can telegraph through a clear, glossy pour. So prep is stricter than for a flake floor. We grind the slab, fill and level cracks and joints, and apply a primer and a solid-color base coat before the metallic layer. The base color matters, because it shows through and sets the overall tone. Dark bases give more contrast. Light bases give a softer, brighter floor.

Planning the look

Before install day we agree on a color palette and a style. Some people want gentle, cloudy movement. Others want bold veining, a lava look or a two-tone blend. You will see sample boards and pictures of different techniques, then talk about how each will look in your light. A basement with low ceilings and a few recessed lights shows a metallic floor very differently from an office with a wall of windows. Expect the real floor to have more variation than a sample board, since it is a much larger pour.

Older Cincinnati basements and metallic floors

A lot of the decorative work around Cincinnati happens in basements, and many of those sit under older houses. Point2Homes' census summary puts 40.8% of city housing units at 1939 or earlier. Older basement floors are often uneven, patched where plumbing was run, and sometimes damp. A metallic pour on that kind of slab needs careful leveling and, in many cases, a moisture-tolerant primer. We test before we design, because a beautiful floor that blisters is not worth having.

Topcoat choice

Metallic epoxy is glossy and deep but softer than some finishes, and plain epoxy can yellow over time with UV exposure. We usually protect metallic floors with a clear polyaspartic or urethane topcoat, which HomeGuide's comparison rates as far better for UV than epoxy. A topcoat also adds scratch resistance and lets us set the sheen. Matte or satin topcoats tone down glare. High gloss shows the most depth.

Living with a metallic floor

It is a floor, not a museum piece, but it rewards care. Use felt pads on chair and table legs, mats at entries, and a soft dust mop for daily cleaning. A pH-neutral cleaner keeps the topcoat clear. Fine scratches in the topcoat can be buffed or recoated later without disturbing the metallic layer underneath.

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