How Checkmate reads on a finished floor
From standing height, Checkmate reads as a light to medium gray with sharp black speckle. Up close, every chip stays distinct, because black next to white is the strongest contrast a flake floor can show.
Roughly two of every three chips are light (gray or white), so the floor leans light overall. The black third keeps it from washing out and gives the pattern its graphic edge.
The blend is neutral. None of the three colors leans warm or cool, so it sits comfortably next to white walls, black or stainless cabinets, bare block and any vehicle color.
Where Checkmate works
- Two and three car garages. A busy, high contrast pattern suits a floor that sees daily traffic, wet tires and dropped tools.
- Shops and showrooms. Black and white reads clean and sharp under bright shop lighting, and it does not compete with colored equipment or paint.
- Light commercial floors such as retail back rooms, gyms and offices, where a neutral floor has to work with whatever brand colors go on the walls.
Does Checkmate hide tire marks and dust?
Mostly, yes. Black chips hide dark marks such as tire scuffs and grime, while the white and gray chips hide light dust, dried road salt and drywall dust. A blend with only dark or only light chips hides one kind of dirt and shows the other.
The trade-off is small parts. The same busy pattern that hides dirt also hides a dropped washer or screw. If the floor is a working shop where parts hit the ground, a lighter, quieter blend such as Stone Ridge makes dark hardware easier to spot.
What base coat color goes under Checkmate?
Tint the base coat a light gray that sits near the light granite gray chip. A single broadcast can leave a few thin spots, and a base tinted to one of the blend colors makes those spots read as one more chip (Simiron system guide).
Gray is the middle value of the three colors, so it is the safest pick. A black base turns thin spots into dark holes, and a white base turns them into bright gaps. Follow your resin manufacturer's system guide for the base coat itself; the flake guide covers broadcast technique.
Matching an existing floor
Checkmate is comparable in color to Domino (Torginol). Domino also reads as an even black, gray and white mix, so contractors who already sell that look will recognize this one.
If you are patching or extending an existing Domino floor, broadcast Checkmate on a test board and compare it side by side with the old chips, in the room's own light, before you commit the job. Email Adam about the job before you order.
How many boxes of Checkmate for a two car garage?
Plan on 2 to 3 boxes for a typical two car garage of 400 to 576 sq ft at a full broadcast of 1/4 in flake.
| Two car floor | Boxes to order | Flake needed, typical to planning rate |
|---|---|---|
| 400 sq ft (20 x 20 ft) | 2 | 67 to 80 lb |
| 450 sq ft | 2 to 3 | 75 to 90 lb |
| 484 sq ft (22 x 22 ft) | 2 to 3 | 81 to 97 lb |
| 576 sq ft (24 x 24 ft) | 3 | 96 to 115 lb |
Low figures assume 0.167 lb of flake per sq ft (the typical rate) and high figures assume 0.20 (the planning rate), both from published manufacturer guidance. Where the table says 2 to 3, two boxes cover the typical rate and the third covers a heavy hand. Two boxes cost $170 and three cost $255, before freight. Run your exact square footage through the flake calculator. Checkmate, like every blend, is stocked in 1/4 in flake.
