Side by side
| Factor | Quartz broadcast | Flake epoxy |
|---|---|---|
| Installed thickness | 1/8" to 1/4" | 20-30 mils |
| Installed cost | $11-$16/sq ft | $8-$12/sq ft |
| Broadcast media | Ceramic-coated quartz sand | Vinyl chip |
| Slip resistance | High, tunable for wet barefoot | Moderate, aggregate can be added |
| Chemical resistance | High with novolac or urethane topcoat | Domestic level |
| Appearance | Uniform, technical | Decorative, wide colour range |
| Days on site | 3-5 | 2 |
| Coving at walls | Standard | Not usually |
| Right for a garage | Overspecified | Yes |
Gold marks the stronger option for that factor. A tie is shown in neutral text.
Choose quartz when
The floor gets wet, gets hot, gets washed down, or gets inspected. Commercial kitchens, breweries and wineries, food processing, dairy, change rooms, pool decks and labs all need the thickness, the seamless coving and the slip texture that a double broadcast gives, and a decorative flake floor in any of those rooms is a floor that will be replaced.
Choose flake when
It is a garage, a basement, a shop or a home gym. Flake gives you the same broadcast principle at roughly two thirds of the cost, in a far wider colour range, with a random pattern that hides dirt and makes future repairs invisible. Paying for quartz in a residential garage buys performance the room will never call on.
They are the same idea at different scale
Both systems work by broadcasting solid media into wet resin until the surface will take no more, then locking it in. That is why both outlast a plain coloured coating so comfortably: the wear surface is aggregate held in resin rather than a resin film. The choice between them is about how much thickness, texture and chemical resistance the room requires, not about which one is better made.
Not sure which applies to your slab?
The site visit includes a moisture reading and an honest look at the concrete, then a written fixed price. We will tell you when the cheaper option is the right one.