How to Mix Color Into Epoxy and Polyaspartic

Clear coatings are great for topcoats, but when you want a solid-color base or a metallic effect, you need to add pigment. Here's how to do it right — and how to avoid the mistakes that lead to streaky, uneven, or off-color floors.

Types of color additives

There are three main ways to add color to floor coatings:

Solid color pigment pastes or packs: These are concentrated color that you mix into epoxy to create a solid, opaque floor. Think battleship gray, tan, or white. Most epoxy manufacturers offer pre-portioned color packs that are designed for their specific products.

Metallic pigment powders: Fine metallic particles that create the 3D, swirling, marble-like effects you see on high-end floors. These go into epoxy (not polyaspartic) and the effect depends on how you manipulate the coating after pouring.

Tints and dyes: Translucent color additives that tint the coating without making it fully opaque. Less common for floor coatings, more common in countertop and artistic applications.

Adding color to epoxy

For 100% solids epoxy, color is added to Part A (the resin side) before you combine it with Part B (the hardener).

Solid color:

1. Pour Part A into your mixing bucket.
2. Add the color pack or pigment paste.
3. Mix thoroughly with a drill and paddle until the color is completely uniform. No streaks, no swirls of unmixed pigment. This usually takes 2–3 minutes.
4. Now add Part B and mix for another 2–3 minutes.
5. Pour and apply immediately.

How much pigment: Follow the manufacturer's recommendation. For most systems, the pigment pack is pre-measured for a specific volume of resin. If you're using a universal pigment, a general starting point is 2–5% by weight of the resin (Part A). Going too heavy on pigment can affect cure and performance.

Metallic pigment:

1. Pour Part A into the bucket.
2. Add metallic powder. Start with the manufacturer's recommended amount — typically 1.5–3 oz per gallon.
3. Mix until evenly distributed.
4. Add Part B and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour onto the floor and spread.
6. The magic happens next: use a roller, squeegee, or heat gun to manipulate the metallic particles while the epoxy is wet. Moving the material around creates the unique 3D patterns. You can also use a blower or small fan to push the metallic particles into flowing patterns.

Metallic tip: Less is more with metallic pigment. Too much pigment can actually reduce the 3D depth effect. Start conservative and add more on your next project once you see how it behaves.

Adding color to polyaspartic

This is less common because polyaspartic is most often used as a clear topcoat. However, polyaspartic can be tinted for use as a solid-color base coat in the double poly system.

Important: Not all pigments are compatible with polyaspartic chemistry. Use pigments specifically designed for polyaspartic systems, or use a pigment recommended by your product manufacturer. Universal epoxy pigments may not disperse properly in polyaspartic and can cause clumping or cure issues.

The mixing process is the same: add pigment to Part A, mix thoroughly, then add Part B and mix again.

Common mistakes

Not mixing long enough. This is the biggest one. If you see any streaks or color variation in the bucket, keep mixing. Unmixed pigment shows up as streaks on the floor that are impossible to fix once the coating starts to set.

Adding pigment to the wrong part. Always add to Part A first. Adding pigment directly to Part B (the hardener) can interfere with the cure chemistry.

Mixing two different color packs together. Unless the manufacturer specifically says it's okay, don't blend colors yourself. The pigment loading can exceed what the resin can carry, and you may affect the cure.

Using craft-store pigments. Mica powders and pigments from craft stores are not formulated for two-component floor coatings. They may not disperse, they may affect cure, and they may not be UV-stable. Use pigments from your coating manufacturer or a reputable industrial pigment supplier.

Going too thin with colored coatings. Pigmented coatings need sufficient thickness to be fully opaque. If you stretch the material too thin, you'll see the concrete through it. Stick to the recommended mil thickness — usually 10–12 mil for a solid-color epoxy base coat.

Can I make my polyaspartic topcoat colored instead of clear?

You can, but think about why you'd want to. The topcoat's job is to protect the system below it and provide UV stability. If it's clear, it shows off whatever is underneath — decorative flake, metallic swirl, solid color. If you tint the topcoat, you're covering up whatever you put down as the base.

The most common approach: solid or metallic color in the epoxy base coat (or first polyaspartic coat), with a clear polyaspartic topcoat to seal and protect.

That said, a lightly tinted polyaspartic topcoat can add depth to a flake floor. Some installers add a tiny amount of amber or gray tint to the topcoat for a warmer look. This is an advanced technique — go very light on the tint (less than 1% by weight) or test on a sample first.