It’s All in the Details

Similar to the miracle makeovers that auto detailing shops give to cars, the newly opened Simoniz facility in West Hartford, Conn., got a new high-gloss decorative finish that completely transformed its rundown concrete floor.

“The facility had been used for many years as a garage for auto repairs, so there were decades of grease and grime on the floors as well as many cracks, joints and popouts we had to fill or patch,” says Don Pinger of Custom Concrete Solutions, a company that specializes in decorative concrete overlays. “We had to grind the floors for a full day to get all the crud off and profile the floor properly.”

Restoring the 4,000-square-foot floor took Pinger seven days to complete and involved applying multiple coats of epoxy and a large Simoniz floor logo. “The owner wanted to create the look of individual parking spaces for when the cars come in to be detailed. Because the floors had to be able to withstand cars driving on them, we used all 100%-solids epoxies for durability. The owner also wanted us to use solid colors that matched the logo,” says Pinger.

The main body of the floor was done with a 100%-solids self-leveling epoxy coating with a white base tinted a pale yellow/beige color. To define the borders and parking spaces, a pigmented epoxy in the shades of Nevada clay and black was used. Then, after the logo was applied, the whole floor was topcoated with a clear epoxy. For the logo itself, Pinger used a custom made aluminum-based decal designed to hold up under heavy traffic.

“What made the project come out so nice was that we sawcut the patterns in with a lightweight decorative concrete saw prior to applying the individual coats of epoxy. It took longer to do, and we had to do one color at a time so they wouldn’t bleed together,” says Pinger.

The restored floor not only looks great, it will also be easy for the owner to maintain. “Epoxy-coated floors are extremely durable and require a simple washing with water and mild soap,” says Pinger.

Materials and equipment used Floor decal: FloorSignage.com
Self-leveling epoxy: ArmorSeal 650, Sherwin-Williams
Pigmented epoxy: E-100 PT-4, EliteCrete
Epoxy topcoat: E100-UV1, EliteCrete
Decorative concrete saw: DekraSaw, from Blastrac

Contractor Custom Concrete Solutions, West Hartford, Conn.

See other decorative flooring projects completed by Custom Concrete Solutions:
Tanning Salon Floor Glistens Like Copper
Stenciled Concrete Overlay Adds a Touch of Class
Concrete Overlay Is a Kaleidoscope of Color
Color It Purple
Glossy Polished Floor Guides Customers Through Showroom

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