What is the difference between a full and a partial flake broadcast?

How far the broadcast goes. In a full broadcast, flake is thrown into the wet base coat until it will take no more, so no base color shows. In a partial broadcast, flake is scattered to a chosen density and the base coat shows between the chips. There is no standard definition of partial. Suppliers describe light, medium, heavy or random broadcasts, and they do not all mean the same thing by them, so agree the density on a sample.

Is a full broadcast more durable?

It is generally described as the heavier-duty option, because it builds more material into the floor and is usually finished with more clear topcoat. No test data we found compares the two directly. On either floor, the wear performance comes mainly from the base coat, the topcoat and the preparation underneath. A partial broadcast on a well prepared slab with a good topcoat will outlast a full broadcast on a poorly prepared one.

What color should the base coat be for a partial broadcast?

One chosen with the flake, because it is part of the finished look. Between the chips, the base coat is what the eye sees, so pick it from the blend, usually one of the blend colors or a neutral that sits under all of them. In a full broadcast the base is hidden, although many installers still match it to the blend so a thin spot does not stand out.

Does a partial broadcast still need a clear topcoat?

Yes. The clear topcoat locks the chips in and protects them. Without it, the chips are left exposed to wear. Every manufacturer flake system includes one, and the kit makers recommend one. A partial broadcast generally needs less topcoat material than a full one, because there is less chip profile to bury. The number of coats comes from the system data sheet.

How much flake does a partial broadcast need?

Much less than a full broadcast, and how much depends almost entirely on the density chosen. Flake suppliers publish different coverage rates for each density, and they vary by supplier and flake size. Our flake calculators are set up for a full broadcast to refusal. For a partial one, replace the coverage rate with your supplier's figure for the density you want, as the flake quantity guide explains.

Full vs Partial Broadcast: How Much Flake Should the Floor Get?

A full broadcast throws flake until the floor will take no more. A partial one stops at a chosen density and lets the base coat show. It is one decision, and it changes the look, the texture, the topcoat and the order.

Quick answer

A full broadcast throws flake into the wet base coat until it takes no more, so no base color shows. A partial broadcast scatters flake to a chosen density, so the base coat is part of the look. Full is the busier, more textured floor that masks more of the slab and takes more topcoat. Partial uses far less flake and topcoat, and its base color has to be chosen as carefully as the blend.

What each one is

Both are the same build: a base coat, flake broadcast into it while it is wet, loose chip removed once it has cured, and a clear topcoat over the top. The full broadcast flake system covers each layer. The only difference is where the broadcast stops.

Full broadcast

Flake goes on until the wet coat refuses any more. No base color shows anywhere, and the finished color comes entirely from the chips.

Partial broadcast

Flake is scattered to a chosen density and stops there, so the base coat shows between the chips. Suppliers describe it as light, medium, heavy or random, and there is no standard for what those words mean, so agree the density on a sample board, not a word.

What changes between them

The base color. In a partial broadcast the base is what the eye sees between the chips, so it is chosen with the blend, usually one of its colors or a neutral that sits under all of them. In a full broadcast it is hidden, though many installers still match it so a thin spot does not stand out.
Texture and topcoat. A full broadcast leaves more loose and standing chip to sweep and scrape, and it usually takes more clear topcoat to bury, often two coats. A partial broadcast has less chip profile and generally less topcoat. The system data sheet sets the coats either way.
What it masks. A full broadcast masks color variation, staining and minor blemishes in the slab better, because none of the surface shows. Neither one fixes cracks, spalls or an uneven slab, which still read through as profile.
How it wears. Full broadcast floors are generally described as heavier-duty, because they build more material. No test data we found compares the two directly, and on both floors the base, the topcoat and the preparation do most of the work.
Grip. A full broadcast generally has more texture underfoot. If slip resistance matters, specify an anti-slip additive in the topcoat whatever the density, as the slippery floor page explains.

Where each fits

Full broadcast suits

Garages and workshops that take real wear
Slabs with staining or patching the client wants hidden
Floors where the busy, textured look is the point

Partial broadcast suits

Floors where the client wants a solid color with a fleck in it
Lighter duty rooms such as basements, laundries and offices
Budgets that cannot carry a full broadcast’s flake and topcoat

DIY garage kits usually come with a small bag of chips, which gives a light scatter rather than a full broadcast. That is worth knowing when a client compares a quote against a kit: the two are different floors, not the same floor at two prices.

Getting a partial broadcast even

In a full broadcast a thin patch is a defect, covered in flake bald spots. In a partial broadcast the base showing through is the design, which makes an uneven scatter the fault to watch for: clumps and bare patches tend to show more where the base coat is visible.

Throw the flake up so it falls flat and evenly, rather than across the floor.
Work in sections while the coat is still wet, so every section gets the same density.

How much flake

A partial broadcast uses far less flake than a full one, and how much depends almost entirely on the density. Flake suppliers publish a different coverage rate for each density, and the rates vary by supplier and flake size.

The flake broadcast calculator and the flake floor material calculator are both set up for a full broadcast to refusal. For a partial one, replace the coverage rate with your supplier’s figure for the density you want. The flake quantity guide shows how far that moves the order, and why running the full rate on a partial job is an expensive mistake.