How the effect happens
A pigmented base coat goes down first so no concrete shows through. The metallic clear coat is poured and spread, and while it is still open we move it, squeegee passes for direction, a leaf blower for cells and craters, denatured alcohol for fine lacing. The resin keeps self-levelling for another twenty minutes after we stop, and that continued movement is where the depth comes from.
Why it costs more than flake
The premium is labour, not material. The substrate has to be skim-coated flat first, because anything left underneath telegraphs through a clear layer. The metallic pour itself cannot be rushed. That is an extra day on site plus slower, more skilled work on the pour day.
Where it belongs
Rooms where people look at the floor, finished basements, entries, showrooms, salons, collector garages. Under directional lighting it is spectacular. In a working shop or a commercial kitchen it is the wrong product; a flake or quartz build outperforms it for less money.
The honest downsides
Because the effect lives in a clear layer, scratches show more than in flake. High gloss is slippery wet, so anywhere shoes come in needs an anti-slip additive. Light and cool blends show every footprint. And a damaged area cannot be spot-repaired invisibly. A section has to be re-worked.
Want this answered for your slab?
Free site visit with a moisture reading, then a written fixed price. Across the BC Interior.