What to Consider When Using Hand Troweled Overlays to Create Decorative Effects for Interior Floors

Hand-applied polymer concrete overlays can be used to create beautiful decorative flooring systems for interior floors. These systems can help you achieve the appearance of stone and tile, or they can be troweled smooth to look like colored concrete. They offer an endless array of color and design options, plus they�re typically more economical than competitive flooring materials.

Below are the factors you need to consider when installing hand trowled overlays on interior floors:

Texture

Whether you are installing a faux stone finish or a smooth finish, the texture will be an important part of the finished project. You first need to ask: what is the customer�s expectation?

Setting a clear expectation from the start will save you a lot of headaches in the future. This is why I recommend every contractor  create their own samples. This way, they can show the customer examples that the installer can actually reproduce. And I know that this may sound counterintuitive, but don�t make your samples too perfect. Be sure whatever finish you show your customer is something you can reproduce over several thousand square feet. For instance, when installing faux stone finishes, it�s important not to leave too much texture. Although it can look cool when you are done, in six months your customer will not be happy because the floor is impossible to clean. Trust me, I am speaking from experience!

Finish coats

The finish coat could very well be the most important part of your project. The coating you put on top of your overlay can have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of the floor, as well as the overall performance. Yet with so many options, where do you start? I first decide if I am going to use solvent-based or water-based, and then I determine whether my finish will be gloss or satin. Most important, I want to make sure that the coating I am using will provide my customer with the performance they expect.

To find out more information on the best coatings in the industry, click on APF’s website:

www.apfepoxy.com

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Author – Daniel Owen
Vice President of Arizona Polymer Flooring
daniel.owen@apfepoxy.com

Daniel Owen, the son of Dean and Carol Owen, founders and owners of Arizona Polymer Flooring, was raised in the specialty coatings industry. Throughout his childhood, he spent many nights and weekends getting hands-on field experience while working on construction sites with his parents. As a teenager he spent his summers building his industry knowledge by installing residential and commercial epoxy floor coatings for the family business.

At the age of eighteen he began working at the APF factory as a Chemical Processor. In recent years Daniel has put his years of experience to use in business development, R&D of new products, consulting, hands-on contractor and distributor training and the day to day management of APF as Vice President of the company.

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