A play of light and depth
Metallic epoxy
floors
Metallic pigments bring the floor to life with every step. A 3D illusion of depth and the wow factor.
Exact price after a site survey
Metallic floors are a spectacular combination of epoxy and metallic pigments which, in the right light, create a sense of depth and movement — a 3D illusion. Every viewing angle reveals a different nuance.
This floor is chosen by people who want to make a strong visual impression — showrooms, prestige spaces, and bolder homes too. Customers, guests and even passers-by can’t help noticing it.
We install it using the TopStone METALIC system. Two coats of TopStone EP02 primer seal the pores of the concrete, the TopStone EP11 Metallic base coat carries the effect itself, and two coats of TopStone EP22 Plus topcoat protect the surface against abrasion and UV from the windows. The finished build-up is 3 to 5 mm thick.
The pattern only takes shape during the pour — the pigment spreads through the resin by itself and nobody can repeat it a second time. So with a metallic floor there is no such thing as a sample in the sense of “this is exactly how it will look”: a sample shows the shade and the character, not the actual pattern of your floor.
Features
- 3D visual depth
- Light plays differently from every angle
- 20 TopStone EP11 Metallic shades
- Up to 3 shades poured into a single floor
- TopStone EP22 Plus matt topcoat
How we install a metallic floor
Step by step, including the waiting times between coats. This is the sequence that is actually followed on site.
1. Site survey and substrate testing
We measure the residual moisture and check the strength of the substrate and the condition of the movement joints. Depending on the material used, moisture must be below 4–6%, and for an anhydrite screed no more than 0.5% CM. If there is rising damp in the substrate, the vapour has nowhere to escape and in time the floor will come away, taking pieces of concrete with it — in that case nothing gets poured until the damp has been dealt with.
2. Grinding and vacuuming
We grind the whole area with a diamond grinder with dust extraction: we take down the high spots, open up the pores and remove the cement laitance. On anhydrite we also grind off the surface laitance. Greasy stains aren’t spot-ground — the whole surface is, so that it is evenly absorbent. Then everything is thoroughly vacuumed — resin won’t bond to dust.
3. Crack repairs and levelling
We cut the cracks out to a V, clean them, set stitching staples across them and fill them with repair mortar. If the substrate is uneven, Sikafloor Level-30 levelling compound goes down 4 to 10 mm thick — below four millimetres the material breaks down and cracks. Once cured, the levelling layer is sanded and primed with an intermediate coat of Sikafloor-150 Plus.
4. Priming
Two coats of TopStone EP02, about 0.8 kg/m². It seals the pores so that air doesn’t escape from the concrete into the metallic layer and leave craters in it. The waiting time is 12 hours.
5. Pouring the metallic base coat
TopStone EP11 Metallic, about 1.5 kg/m². This is the layer that carries both the shade and the pattern — we spread the pigment by hand. If you have chosen more than one shade, they are poured into the floor at the same time and blended right there during the pour; three is the most we can pour together. Waiting time: 24 hours.
6. Topcoat
Two coats of TopStone EP22 Plus, about 1.19 kg/m². The topcoat is matt — there is no gloss version for this system, so we don’t promise one. It protects the effect against abrasion and against the UV that falls on the floor through the windows.
7. Curing and handover
After 48 hours the floor can be walked on. It can take full load — heavy furniture, chairs on castors, a car in the garage — after 10 days. Until then, don’t put anything heavy on it, even if it already looks finished on top.
Where a metallic floor works and where it doesn’t
Where it works
- Homes and statement interiors
Living rooms, hallways and open-plan spaces where the floor is meant to draw the eye. In a flat or a house, a metallic floor is a design feature, not a utility surface — and it needs to be treated as exactly that.
- Showrooms, shops and galleries
Car showrooms, boutiques and galleries. A continuous surface with no joints or transitions that shifts under spotlights — this is where the system is at its best.
- Offices, receptions, restaurants and bars
Dry premises with no slip-rating requirement, where the first impression is what counts.
- Concrete, cement and anhydrite screed
These are the substrates we pour metallic floors onto. Anhydrite has to be ground and moisture-tested — no more than 0.5% CM.
Where it doesn’t
- Not outdoors
No terraces, balconies, carports or outdoor garages. UV radiation destroys the metallic effect and the topcoat is slippery when wet. What belongs outdoors is a UV-stable polyurethane system with an anti-slip broadcast, not a metallic floor.
- Not on stairs
A stair tread needs an anti-slip surface. The quartz broadcast used to create one would bury the metallic pattern and the effect would be gone — so a metallic floor can’t be made anti-slip.
- In a garage only if you accept the trade-off
It can be poured and it looks superb, but a metallic floor is softer than solid-colour epoxy. Tyres leave dark marks on it, and the point load from a jack or an axle stand can dent it. If the garage mainly has to stay looking like new, solid-colour epoxy is tougher.
- Not in wet or greasy areas
Kitchens with floor drains, washrooms and anywhere a slip-resistance rating is called for. Since a metallic floor can’t be made anti-slip, it isn’t a safe choice there.
- Not on plasterboard, timber or OSB
A poured layer is too heavy for plasterboard. Timber and OSB react to moisture and move — there the build-up can’t be specified from behind a desk; it takes a site survey.
Maintenance
Routine cleaning
The surface is seamless and non-absorbent, so dirt has nowhere to hide. For day-to-day care, a damp mop and a pH-neutral cleaner are all you need.
What damages the surface
Abrasive cleaners, scouring pads and stiff brushes dull and scratch the topcoat. Sand and grit trodden in from the street do the same — a doormat at the entrance is the cheapest protection you can give the floor.
Point loads
A metallic floor is softer than solid-colour epoxy. Put protective pads under the feet of heavy furniture, shelving and stands, otherwise they will leave an indentation.
Renewing the topcoat
It is the topcoat that wears, not the metallic base coat beneath it. After some years the topcoat can be sanded back and a new coat applied, without pouring the effect again — we assess how much is needed at a site survey.
Service life
- On a properly prepared substrate we expect a service life of 20 years or more.
- It can be walked on after 48 hours and takes full load 10 days after completion.
- What decides service life isn’t the shade or the thickness of the topcoat, but the substrate. Most problems with poured floors come down to moisture that wasn’t measured properly or a surface that wasn’t ground — not the material.
Frequently asked questions
Metallic floors: the questions we’re asked most often.
Can a metallic floor go in a garage?
Can a metallic floor be used outdoors — on a terrace or balcony?
How thick is a metallic floor and what is it made up of?
When can I walk on it, and when can it take full load?
How many shades can I choose, and can it be gloss?
Can a metallic floor be made anti-slip?
How do you look after a metallic floor?
How much does a metallic floor cost?
Want to know what it will cost?
The price depends mainly on the condition of the substrate. Put together a no-obligation quote online in a few clicks.