A lot of people in the industry are focused on the preparation and installation of products. They are not wrong to think that preparation
and installation are important to success but that does not make you a Complete Epoxy Installer.
There are now countless manufacturers offering 2-3 day “training” courses and sending newbie installers out into the world of epoxy flooring to fend for themselves. This type of demonstration/application can be helpful, but that also does not make you a Complete Epoxy Installer.
Globally, there are a handful of recognised trade qualifications based on independent training and assessment of preparation and installation. This is great training if you can get it, but that also does not make you a Complete Epoxy Installer.
The Complete Epoxy Installer will need a broader understanding and framework, which we refer to as the 5 Rs of the Complete Epoxy Installer.
As hinted above, the key to epoxy flooring success is more than just good preparation or the right product. To guarantee the best outcome on
a project, every stage must be considered carefully and tackled properly.
A car showroom might’ve been superbly prepared and a great product used to create a mirror white finish, but if the specification ignored
the floor-to-ceiling windows and threat of UV, it will have a problem.
Likewise, a good specification that leads to a suitable flooring system in a commercial kitchen is a great start, but if the contractor did not clearly specify the transitions to the drains, or the right slip rating and cleaning methodology, then there are going to be problems.
After 25 years of projects ranging from defence to residential, industrial to retail, we developed the framework to produce The Complete Epoxy Installer:-
In an industry that is lacking an association, a minimum standard or even capstone testing, the 5 Rs become a benchmark of competence. A practical resource that can be used by contractors to show their level of competence; it gives manufacturers confidence in the installers they refer work to and it gives specifiers clarity, direction, and confidence that they will get the best possible results in their flooring projects.
Below is a summary of each of the 5 R’s.
The aim of an epoxy flooring specification is to paint a bigger picture for everyone involved – the main function of the floor, the conditions it will face, and a range of expectations surrounding performance, lifespan etc. Therefore, the focus should be on defining the project’s needs at this point rather than trying to select the perfect product.
With the specification defining the project destination, so to speak, the right system basically boils down to whatever epoxy flooring
system is best equipped to take you there.
Once the generic type of system is defined from the framework, e.g. a Rollcoat broadcast system, the manufacturer should be consulted because
they can help with the product selection, installation process, maintenance program and warranty statement. Also, there may be specific
criteria noted in the specification that require more technical input.
Preparation is often assumed as standard for the various types of flooring systems, however, with the unpredictability of field work and the
fact that more than one type of preparation is possible, it needs to be officially ticked off at some point.
The right preparation, therefore, boils down to checking the proposed preparation actually lines up with the products and site conditions
during the all-important site inspection. It also involves making sure everything else that can come into play with floor preparation has
been properly addressed.
A big part of a successful resin flooring project is having a suitably sized contractor with training in both the generic resin flooring system and specific products being used. They should also be using the right consumables and application hardware to complete the flooring finish.
At a “nuts and bolts” level, the right management covers all aspects of the epoxy flooring business, including: project management, client expectation management, sales and quoting management, marketing to the ideal client, training management and financial management
Images below (from left to right) show ResinJack working with industry suppliers, hands-on teaching new decorative techniques, providing CPD presentations to architects, testing products "On the Tools" and teaching decorative flooring in Japan.
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