3 ways decorative floor systems can grow your business

By Dani Sheehan. 

Understand the design possibilities and performance behind decorative coating systems to uncover new opportunities waiting right under your feet. 

As customers continue looking for surfaces that combine style, performance and value, decorative coatings are moving beyond the floor of their garage. In an episode of CoatingsCast™, Ryan Zabel from APF Polymer Surfaces discusses the growing demand for decorative floor systems and how products like Terrazzo Flakes are balancing design and durability. 

Here are three takeaways you can apply to your business today. 

1 – Decorative coatings can open the door to new markets 

Ryan highlighted several spaces that are ideal for floor coatings: “Kitchens for one. Bathrooms are huge investments for people right now in their homes and will always be. If you have concrete anywhere in your home, from indoor living spaces to garages, they all can be an ideal location for the Terrazzo Flake in residential applications.” 

Commercial and industrial opportunities are also growing as building owners look for flooring solutions that balance appearance with performance. “We do a lot of retail stores. Restaurants, offices, shopping centers and hotels are really big as well,” Ryan continued. “In the industrial sector, we provide coatings for warehouses, factories, break rooms, entryways and waiting rooms. The possibilities really are endless.” 

Decorative coating systems can create opportunities in residential remodels, tenant improvements, hospitality projects and industrial maintenance work, helping you diversify your project pipeline wherever you already work. 

2 – Customers are investing in performance 

While decorative flakes certainly create a polished finished product, Ryan emphasized that aesthetics alone isn’t driving demand. Customers are increasingly focused on cleanliness, durability and long-term maintenance. “You would think that the hotels would just continue to use tile, but they’re getting a lot more educated on long-term investments,” he explained. “We can protect concrete a lot better with a resinous flooring product than tile over time because the grout lines are just an area that bacteria grows and it’s hard to control and keep clean.” 

He added, “If you have a monolithic, cleanable floor, it stays nice for a very long time.” This can be an especially valuable talking point with restaurant owners, facility managers or homeowners comparing flooring options. Instead of leading with color blends and design, you can position decorative coatings as an investment in easier maintenance, improved sanitation and overall protection. 

3 – Choose the right system with APF 

No matter how attractive the finished floor looks, Ryan made it clear that performance starts at the very beginning. “We always need to remember that preparation is the key to success,” he said. “At APF, we only recommend grinding or shot blasting as a method of preparation to ensure the coatings get a mechanical bond to the concrete substrate.” 

He added that choosing the right system for the environment is just as important. Whether a project calls for a fast-turnaround installation, a heavy-duty garage floor or an occupied commercial space where odor matters, contractors have options. APF Polymer Surfaces has systems ranging from one-day installations with return to service in 24 hours to high-build systems designed for customers who will “really use and abuse the floor.” This flexibility can make it easier to specify systems for different customer needs without worrying about performance or durability. 

Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about how decorative concrete coatings continue to grow traction across residential, commercial and industrial markets and where they fit into your business.