A kit-based approach to selling epoxy floor coatings is now being used to target both industrial and home users. These all-in-one kits have been developed with the recognition that people want to buy solutions not products. This outcome-based concept ensures that all of the goals for the floor are met and that all of the required tools are available during the installation. To compensate for lack of training and for the inevitable unexpected questions and problems, a complimentary 24/7 help line is provided along with the kit so applicators can be assured of staying on track.

The process of obtaining a custom-built kit starts with filling out a web-based, free cost analysis form. The floor's condition, the owner's preferences, and the desired outcome are factored in by an automated computer system. From that point, field technicians prepare a recommended kit of materials and step-by-step instructions tailored to take the project from beginning to end.

This "kit" approach stands in contrast to the alternative of shopping at local retail stores for supplies which, if they can be found, often don't match the needs of the project. When a handle for a roller frame is needed, should it be 4 ft., 5 ft., or 6 ft. in length? Should it have a metal or wood thread? Should it have a 1-inch diameter or 1- inch diameter? If a 60-grit sanding screen for a 17-inch rotary scrubber is required, where can it be purchased? The custom kit concept allows the decades of professional experience of the supplier to be applied to the project so that every tool is precisely matched to getting each specific task completed efficiently and painlessly. Experts replace the untrained and inexperienced store clerks.

By marketing "kits," floor coating suppliers are helping fuel the trend of moving away from bare concrete and wood surfaces toward lower cost, lower maintenance, and healthier floor finishes. Biohazards, mildew, dust mites, spoors, and other contaminants are a serious concern to industry and homeowners alike. In this new millennium, warehouses, food processors, manufacturing facilities, even garages, and basements are being sealed with hard surfaces using industry-proven materials and techniques adopted in the past decade.

Chemically resistant, these seamless floors are made of epoxy and urethane, finishes that flow on and then, by changing their chemistry, become resistant to dirt and stains. Flow-coated surfaces are impervious to water and are often used inside liquid storage tanks, swimming pools, and feed troughs. Unlike tile, these surfaces have no grout to clean and are not glued down with latex- or petroleum-based adhesives. Flow-coated surfaces are great adhesives in themselves. With good preparation, flow-coated surfaces are applied permanently, refinished easily, and require little or no maintenance.