You’ve decided on epoxy. Good call. Now comes the question that trips up almost every homeowner: which type do you actually need? Most people assume the answer is complicated. It isn’t.
Solid, flake, metallic, and quartz are four different surface systems. The right one for you comes down to three things.
Where the floor is.
What it needs to do.
And how much you want to spend.
This article breaks down all 4 types, so you can make an educated decision.
The Short Answer — Here’s How the Four Systems Stack Up
Before we go deeper on each one, here’s a side-by-side look at how they compare.
| Solid | Flake | Metallic | Quartz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Look | Clean, uniform, one color | Speckled, textured, multi-color | High-gloss, swirling, stone-like depth | Grainy, uniform, professional finish |
| Best For | Utility rooms, light commercial, budget builds | Garages, basements, high-traffic residential | Showrooms, offices, entertainment spaces | Kitchens, wet areas, commercial, industrial |
| Slip Resistance | Low (smooth) | Moderate (texture from flakes) | Low (smooth, requires additive) | High (built-in grip from quartz) |
| Hides Dirt / Wear | No — shows everything | Yes — very forgiving | No — requires regular cleaning | Yes — grain pattern hides surface debris |
| Price Range (Greensboro) | $4.50–$7.00/sq ft | $5.00–$9.00/sq ft | $8.00–$12.00/sq ft | $7.00–$11.00/sq ft |
| Maintenance Level | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
| Ideal Spaces | Workspaces, utility, basements | Garages, basements, retail | Showrooms, luxury residential, lobbies | Commercial kitchens, wet areas, industrial |
Prices reflect professional installation in Greensboro using a polyaspartic topcoat. Concrete condition, square footage, and crack repairs affect the final number. For an accurate quote on your specific space, contact Colson’s Epoxy Greensboro directly.
Solid Epoxy — Clean, Simple, and Budget-Friendly
Solid epoxy is exactly what it sounds like. One color, smooth finish, clean edge-to-edge surface. It’s the most straightforward system and the most affordable to install.
It works well when your goal is functional over decorative. Think utility rooms, light manufacturing spaces, and basements. This is where you want the floor to look finished without a lot of visual noise. It also works in commercial kitchens that prioritize sanitation and easy mopping.
The one thing solid epoxy won’t do is hide daily life. Dust, footprints, and tire marks show up clearly on a smooth, solid-color surface. If your garage sees regular use, that means more frequent sweeping to keep it looking sharp. For a low-traffic space, that’s a non-issue.
- Solid epoxy comes in high-gloss, satin, or matte finishes.
- Matte cuts down on visible dust and scuffs.
Gloss brightens a darker space noticeably. - For basements where natural light is limited, a light-colored gloss finish can make a real difference in how the space feels.
At $4.50–$7.00 per square foot professionally installed, solid is the entry point for a real epoxy system. Not a DIY kit — a proper, commercial-grade floor.
Flake Epoxy — The Workhorse of Greensboro Garages
Flake epoxy is the most popular system we install in Greensboro, and it’s popular for good reason. Colored vinyl flakes are broadcast into the wet base coat before the topcoat is applied. The result is a speckled, textured surface. This hides oil drips, dust, and the small marks that come with daily garage use.
The flakes also add natural grip. Not the maximum grip of a quartz system, but enough that it’s noticeably less slippery than solid or metallic under normal conditions.
You can control how much coverage you want. A light broadcast (20–30% coverage) gives you a subtle texture. Full broadcast (90–100%) covers almost everything and hides surface repairs very well.
On older Greensboro slabs, Greensboro’s clay soil shifts and cracks concrete over time. This is most common in Guilford County homes built in the 70s and 80s. We fill and repair those cracks before coating.
Although, a full-broadcast flake system makes the repair invisible in a way that solid epoxy won’t. The broken-up pattern absorbs visual inconsistencies that a flat, uniform color surface exposes.
Color blends include popular options like granite (gray/black/white), Cookies and Cream (brown/tan/white), and custom combinations. We can match your garage cabinets or vehicles.
Flake runs $5.00–$9.00 per square foot installed. It’s the sweet spot between cost, looks, and practical performance. Professional epoxy installation ranges $2–$12 per square foot nationally, and flake systems typically land in the middle of that range for good reason, they’re the most installed system for residential applications.
Metallic Epoxy — When the Floor Is Part of the Design
Metallic epoxy is a completely different category. Metallic pigments mix into clear epoxy, to create flowing, three-dimensional patterns. You’ll see marble swirls, ocean waves, smoke effects, copper and bronze tones. No two metallic floors look identical. The installer controls the movement, so the final result is a one of a kind.
This is not a system you choose because you need a tough floor. You choose it because the floor is part of what the space wants to feel like. We see metallic most often in showrooms, office lobbies, home entertainment spaces in Irving Park. We’ve done mostly high-end residential garages where the owner wants something that makes visitors stop and look.
The trade-offs are real. Metallic is smooth, which means lower natural grip than flake or quartz. An anti-slip additive can be mixed into the topcoat if traction matters in your space.
It also shows everything, fingerprints, dust, water spots. You’ll see it more than a flake system does. Regular mopping keeps it sharp, but it’s not as forgiving as a broadcast system.
Metallic also costs more. Expect $8.00–$12.00 per square foot in Greensboro. The material cost is higher, and the application requires more skill and time than a standard broadcast system. That’s not a reason to avoid it — it’s a reason to know what you’re paying for.
Quartz Epoxy — The Functional Choice for High-Demand Spaces
Quartz epoxy replaces vinyl flakes with fine-ground colored quartz aggregate. The result is a harder, grittier surface with more built-in traction than any other epoxy system. That grip isn’t added with a topcoat — it’s structural, built into the surface itself.
That’s why quartz is the standard call for restaurant kitchens. Health inspections require slip-resistant floors in commercial kitchens. Quartz meets that requirement without any more treatment. We also install quartz in locker rooms, veterinary clinics and warehouse loading docks. Quartz is used in any wet-area commercial space where a slip creates a liability.
For residential use, quartz shows up most on patios, outdoor spaces, and workshop floors. Which is anywhere the homeowner wants serious grip and doesn’t need a decorative effect.
Aesthetically, quartz is the most uniform and industrial-looking of the four systems. It reads clean and professional, but it’s not going to turn heads the way metallic does. The quartz grain pattern does hide debris and surface wear well, similar to flake. Quartz flooring offers the highest abrasion resistance and is ideal for industrial environments”
Quartz runs $7.00–$11.00 per square foot installed. The higher material cost versus flake reflects the quartz, and it takes longer for full-broadcast saturation.
Which Epoxy Should You Get?
Most residential garages in Greensboro are going to land on flake. The clay soil here shifts concrete more than homeowners realize. The broadcast pattern handles crack repairs cleanly. The texture holds up under daily car use, and the color options are wide enough to match almost any design preference.
Commercial spaces downtown typically call for quartz. Especially when wet floors or inspection requirements are part of the equation.
When aesthetics drive the decision, metallic earns its premium.
This includes spaces like a showroom, a renovated lobby, an entertainment space, or a fancy garage
Solid epoxy is the right call when simplicity and budget both matter, or when a utility space just needs a clean, sealed surface without decoration.
Not Sure Which System Fits Your Space?
If you’re still weighing your options, a free on-site estimate will tell you exactly what makes sense for your specific floor. Concrete condition, square footage, use case, and budget included. No pressure, no obligation.
Colson’s Epoxy Greensboro has been installing epoxy systems across Greensboro and the Triad for 22+ years. We carry all four systems and will give you a straight answer on which one fits your situation.
Call (336) 652-6288 or fill out the form on our website to get your free same-day estimate.
