Transforming a Concrete Floor
Another important project is checked off our list here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Last year, I decided to convert the first floor of a guest house, so it could function more as a production work space and studio. I redid the studio kitchen and outfitted the prep kitchen, changed several of the doors, installed a cookbook library, and created adequate work stations for the crew. I also wanted to create a more usable work area in the garage. Yesterday, we had a team from CertaPro Painters here in Westchester County, come to coat the concrete garage floor with a special poly flake finish. The entire process took a full day, but the end result was great.
Here are photos of the transformation, enjoy.
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- Until now, this two-car garage had been used for storage – mostly items needed for various video and photography shoots. I knew it could be utilized more efficiently, so I decided to convert it into a shoot prep area and an organized storage space for production props and equipment.
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- We called in a crew from CertaPro Painters, a national residential painting company that also specilaizes in concrete floor coatings.
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- The flake floor coatings can be done in one of more than 40-different color patterns.
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- I chose this light gray and white flaked patterned floor – it will look clean and bright.
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- The very first step was to empty the garage completely.
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- Next, Omar grinds the floor down until the entire space is smooth. It must also be clean and free from any dust or debris that may inhibit adhesion of the resins.
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- Next, any cracks in the concrete are filled with a fine sand.
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- Here, Jordan pours in a crack filler over the sand to fill all the voids.
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- Omar follows with a putty knife and evens out all the cracks, spreading any excess sand or filler liquid.
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- After a short wait, Omar grinds the cracked areas.
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- And then Jordan thoroughly vacuums the entire floor.
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- The next step is to prepare the glue or Polyaspartic – a tinted primer base coat that will allow the flakes to adhere to the surface.
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- Omar uses a floor painting roller to apply this base coat. This will ensure maximum adhesion to the prepared substrate. Priming also helps to seal any air in the concrete that could cause bubbling on the finished surface.
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- Then, Omar puts on special spiked sandals and broadcasts the entire floor with flakes. It is important to cover the entire space thoroughly and quickly.
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- These flakes are actually polymer paint aggregates made up of a combination of acrylic and vinyl resins. The combination creates thin chips that easily adhere to the floor.
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- The flakes need a couple hours to dry completely. The next step is to scrape any loose chips from the surface. Omar uses a large scraper to also knock any chips that are protruding.
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- As Omar scrapes, Jordan blows the loose chips to the back of the garage.
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- These loose chips can be recycled and saved for another floor.
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- Then Omar removes the painter’s tape from cove joints, where the floor meets the wall.
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- The last step is to cover the floor with the sealer, or top coat. Jordan starts by cutting in at the edge all around the perimeter of the garage. He does this with a regular paint brush.
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- Next, he pours generous amounts of polyurea clear coat and sealer in the middle of the floor.
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- Omar uses a commercial grade squeegee broom to spread the sealer.
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- And here is the finished floor once the entire floor is coated. This floor will be left to dry for 48-hours.
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- It looks great and so different from before. It’s an affordable way to upgrade any concrete surface. And it doesn’t need re-finishing later – it is a maintenance-free floor. It will be a perfect work space for our production crews very soon.
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