Epoxy is a real thermosetting gum that is applied as a coating on the floor, whether in your home, office or any building space. Photo | Gennevieve Awino
What you need to know:
Mr Omondi, who borrowed the idea from his stay in the UK, said that epoxy floors come in different varieties namely; 3D floors, 2D floors, stencils floors, decorative floor metallic and decorative floor single colour.
Floors can be a bore unless you custom-design them. From the traditional basic plastering, tiling, installing terrazzo, flooring companies are giving home-owners more options.
3D epoxy flooring is the new craze in town— a type of floor applied as a coating that comes in aquatic, floral themes and other eye-tricking patterns. “Epoxy floors add emotions to your space, be it your washroom, lounge, kitchen, bedroom, restaurant, club or office,” said Christian Omondi, the chief executive of Bold and Beautiful Interiors, a company that installs the floors.
These floors, with an origin in the Arab world, are not new. The technology first appeared in malls, garages and factories, preferred for its hard surface that cannot easily break.
Its imaginative appeal has recently spread to high-end homes with clients choosing a variety of styles including—whale motifs, circles, paradise, fruits; all tiled in 3D to evoke emotions.
“The modern man wants to have a breathtaking room with lively effects and a wow factor. Just imagine the feeling when getting in such a house after a long day at work,” said Mr Omondi, adding that the pricey epoxy floors, specifically the 3D ones are not common in Kenya.
High-end homes
“3D flooring is mostly found in homes of the wealthy and the corporate world,” he said.
Mr Omondi, who borrowed the idea from his stay in the UK, said that epoxy floors come in different varieties namely; 3D floors, 2D floors, stencils floors, decorative floor metallic and decorative floor single colour.
Others include multi-coloured and decorative floors .
Many people find solace in their homes and when chanced, they go for the best interiors they possibly can get, he said.
The 3D epoxy flooring can be a good bet for children rooms or favourite spaces in a home by using 3D stencils of their favourite cartoons or movie characters.
One can also create a fairytale in the bedroom even for adults to create an atmosphere for a good night’s sleep.
How it is installed
The process of installing epoxy floors starts with computer-aided designs created by a designer, depending on a client’s tastes and preferences. To bring a design into reality, one requires epoxy glue, hardeners and high resolution 3D murals of at least 300 dots per inch.
The design is then printed on a vinyl paper and stuck on the floor in a bedroom, office or any building space. Varnish is then applied or a transparent epoxy resin flooring coating.
Installing an epoxy 3D floor could take up to five days or more depending on the temperature and humidity of the building.
Bold and Beautiful Interiors company installs at Sh8,500 per square meter. They also do 3D ceiling board installations, giving the ceiling section life and emotions.
Another company
David Getao of Druntech Epoxy and Glazing, another 3D flooring company based in Nakuru said that with the technology, it is possible to retain the shine and reflective floor for a very long time. The floor is also non-slippery even when wet.
“Sometimes, we add anti-slip aggregate to increase traction,” said Mr Getao.
The company installs 2D single colour epoxy flooring at Sh6,000 per every 10 square meters and at Sh4,000 per every 20 square meters and above. Druntech Epoxy and Glazing just finished installing the helipad glazer on the University of Nairobi’s newest building using the same epoxy technology.
Imprint face
There are various ways of installing the epoxy flooring namely; placing the photo-realistic images on the floor, using small items like shells or coins, or using optical illusions like compact disks.
“You can also imprint your face on the floor, ceiling or walls in your house or office,” he said.
While preparing the base layer of the floor, they ensure that it is clean without any lose particles, oil stains, grease, detergent or bitumen.
After preparation of the base, they put the first layer of the preparatory coat (primer). It takes up to about four hours to dry, then another layer of the primer is added.
Mr Omondi’s company has installed the epoxy floors on shopping malls, large halls, office buildings, apartments.
He said the materials are environmentally-friendly with no caustic odours or fumes.
Bold and Beautiful Interiors is currently doing a VIP toilet epoxy installation (and other four spaces) in one of the ambassadorial residences in Kenya. Their first installation was in a small office space in Nairobi, which cost about Sh250,000.
“We also train individuals and companies on 3D flooring installations. So far we have trained four companies; two in Kampala, and the other two in South Africa Kenya,” said Mr Omondi.
