Flake epoxy
Coloured chips broadcast into the body coat and sealed under a clear topcoat. The most popular garage finish, because it hides dust and wear and gives a little texture underfoot.
Epoxy flooring
Epoxy Flooring — Garages to Warehouses
Epoxy only lasts as long as the slab underneath it. We grind, repair and prepare the concrete ourselves, then apply the finish you choose, so you get a floor that stays bonded, not one that starts peeling in a year.
- NSW contractor licence 398552C
- $20m public & product liability
- Free itemised quotes
- Reply within 24 hours
Why do epoxy floors peel or lift?
Almost always because of what was under the coating, not the epoxy itself. Epoxy rolled over laitance, an old sealer, oil or a damp slab has nothing solid to bond to, and it starts lifting in patches. That is why every floor we coat is diamond ground back to clean, open concrete and checked before a drop of epoxy goes down.
- WhereThe Hills, Hawkesbury, Sydney and the Central Coast
- WhatGarages and homes, commercial floors and industrial floors
- FinishesFlake, solid colour, metallic and anti-slip
- Who does itWe grind and prepare the slab and apply the epoxy ourselves
- AlsoWe can pour the new slab first, then coat it
Epoxy floors
Epoxy Flooring Finishes And Settings
From a flake finish in a home garage to a seamless solid colour across a warehouse floor.
Tell us the size of the floor, what is on it now and how it is used, and we will tell you which system suits it.
Concreters who coat
The Slab Matters More Than The Coating
Most epoxy installers inherit whatever slab they are given. We are concreters first, so we can read the slab, repair it properly, or pour a new one and coat it, all under one quote.
- Diamond grinding and slab preparation with our own equipment
- Cracks, joints and damaged areas repaired before coating
- New shed, garage or workshop slabs poured and coated by the same crew
- One clear, itemised quote covering every stage
The complete package
How We Install An Epoxy Floor
The coating is the last day of the job. Everything before it decides whether the floor is still bonded in ten years.
Inspect and check
We look at the slab’s age, condition, any existing coating and signs of moisture, and confirm the finish and system you need.
Diamond grind
The surface is ground back to clean, open concrete, removing laitance, sealers and old coatings so the epoxy has something to grip.
Repair
Cracks, joints, chips and low spots are filled and ground flush, so they don’t telegraph through the finish.
Prime
A primer goes on to penetrate and seal the concrete, ready for the body coat.
Body coat and finish
The epoxy goes down, with flake, metallic pigment or anti-slip aggregate added depending on the finish you chose.
Topcoat and cure
A clear or coloured topcoat seals it. We tell you when it is ready for foot traffic and when it is ready for vehicles.
Finishes
Epoxy Floor Finishes We Install
The finish is chosen for how the floor is used, not just how it looks.
Solid colour epoxy
A seamless single colour, from light greys that brighten a workshop to safety colours for line marking. The usual choice for warehouses, factories and commercial floors.
Metallic epoxy
Metallic pigments worked through the coating to give a marbled, high-gloss look. Suited to homes, showrooms and fit-outs where the floor is a feature.
Anti-slip epoxy
Aggregate broadcast into the coating for grip in wet areas, ramps, wash bays and commercial kitchens. The grit and coverage are matched to the slip rating the area needs.
Our standard
What We Build To
Two epoxy floors can look identical on handover day. What separates them is the preparation, and that shows up a year later.
| Preparation | Mechanical diamond grinding to clean, open concrete. No acid etching, which most coating manufacturers no longer recommend. |
|---|---|
| Moisture | The slab is checked for moisture before coating. A damp slab is one of the most common reasons epoxy lifts. |
| Repairs | Cracks, joints and damaged areas filled and ground flush before the primer goes down. |
| System | Primer, body coat and topcoat applied to the coating manufacturer’s specification for your floor and its use. |
| Slip resistance | Anti-slip aggregate added where the area needs it, matched to the rating required. |
| On your quote | Preparation, repairs, system and finish written down before you accept, so you can compare like for like. |
Pricing
What Affects The Cost Of Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy quotes vary because the preparation varies. A quote that skips the grind will always look cheaper.
- Floor areaTotal square metres, and whether it is one open floor or several rooms, bays or levels.
- Slab conditionCracks, spalling, low spots and damaged joints all need repair before coating.
- Existing coatingsOld paint, sealer or epoxy has to be ground off completely, which adds time on every square metre.
- MoistureA slab with moisture coming through may need a moisture-tolerant primer or more drying time.
- Finish and systemFlake, solid colour, metallic and anti-slip systems use different materials and different numbers of coats.
- Slip ratingWet areas and ramps that need a higher slip rating need more aggregate and a heavier system.
- Access and timingCommercial and industrial floors that have to be done around operating hours or in stages.
- New slab or existingCoating a slab we have just poured avoids most of the repair work, but new concrete needs time before it can be coated.
Choosing a finish
Epoxy For Homes Or For Commercial Floors?
The process is the same. What changes is the finish, the thickness and how much grip the floor needs.
Garages and homes
- Flake or metallic finishes, chosen to suit the house
- Resists oil drips, tyre marks and everyday spills
- Easy to sweep and mop
- Often paired with a new garage or shed slab
Commercial and industrial
- Solid colour systems built for forklifts, trolleys and foot traffic
- Anti-slip where floors get wet or have ramps
- Line marking and safety colours where needed
- Planned around your operating hours. See commercial and industrial concreting
Before you start
New Slabs And Slip Ratings
Two things worth knowing before you book an epoxy floor.
New concrete needs time
Fresh concrete is still drying and still has laitance on the surface. Coating suppliers generally call for new concrete to be at least 28 days old before it is coated, and the slab still needs to be ground and checked for moisture first.
If we are pouring your new slab, we plan the coating into the program from the start, so you are not waiting on two contractors.
Source: Sydney Industrial Coatings, epoxy flooring preparation guide; Sherwin-Williams, “Acid Etching Is No Longer Recommended as a Concrete Prep Method”. Checked 24 October 2026.
Slip resistance has a standard
In Australia, slip resistance of floor surfaces is classified under AS 4586, and Standards Australia’s handbook HB 198 recommends minimum ratings for different areas. A smooth gloss epoxy can rate low when wet.
Where an area gets wet, slopes or carries the public, we add anti-slip aggregate to the coating. A coarse feel does not guarantee a rating on its own, so if your floor needs a specific rating, tell us at the quote and get it tested on site.
Source: AS 4586:2013 Slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials; HB 198:2014 Guide to the specification and testing of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces; Fosroc technical bulletin, Slip Resistant Flooring. Checked 24 October 2026.
Why Southo
Why Owners Use Us For Epoxy Floors
Concreters first
We know what is going on in the slab underneath, and we can fix it properly rather than coat over it.
We grind every floor
Diamond grinding is in every job we quote. It is the step a cheap epoxy quote is most likely to skip.
Slab and coating, one crew
New garage, shed or workshop slab poured and coated by the same people, under one quote.
Homes to warehouses
Garages and homes, offices and clinics, workshops, warehouses and factory floors.
Licensed and insured
NSW contractor licence 398552C, $20m public and product liability and workers insurance. Certificates of currency, SWMS and white cards on request.
Straight answers
If your slab is not right for epoxy yet, we will tell you why and what it needs first.
Floor looking tired?
Send us a photo of the floor and rough measurements and we’ll tell you what it needs.
Reviews
Our Customer Reviews
Service area
Where We Install Epoxy Floors
Based in the Hawkesbury, working across the Hills, Sydney and the Central Coast.
Questions
Epoxy Flooring FAQs
Can you put epoxy on new concrete?
Yes, once it has had time to dry. Coating suppliers generally call for new concrete to be at least 28 days old, and it still needs to be ground and checked for moisture before coating. If we pour the slab, we plan the coating into the program.
Do you grind the floor or acid etch it?
We diamond grind. Acid etching gives an inconsistent, shallow profile, adds moisture to the slab and does not remove sealers or oil, which is why most coating manufacturers no longer recommend it.
Can epoxy go over an old coating or painted floor?
Not safely. Old paint, sealer or epoxy has to be ground off back to bare concrete, otherwise the new coating is only as well bonded as the old one.
Is epoxy flooring slippery?
A smooth gloss finish can be slippery when wet. Flake finishes give a little texture, and for wet areas, ramps and public spaces we add anti-slip aggregate to the coating, matched to the slip rating the area needs.
Can you pour a new slab and then epoxy it?
Yes. We pour garage, shed and workshop slabs, then grind and coat them once the concrete is ready, so it is one crew and one itemised quote from the ground up.
Do you do epoxy for commercial and industrial floors?
Yes. We coat warehouse and factory floors, workshops, offices and clinics, in solid colour and anti-slip systems, and can plan the work around your operating hours.
Do you do the epoxy yourselves?
Yes. We grind and prepare the slab and apply the epoxy with our own crew. It is not subcontracted out.
Southo
Concrete
We are Sydney’s top choice for residential, civil, and industrial concreting services.
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Accuracy note
Standards and preparation information on this page is general and was correct at the date checked against the sources named above. Product requirements vary between coating systems and every slab is different. Spotted something out of date? Email southoconcrete2@outlook.com.
