Surf's Up! A Pebbled Epoxy Overlay Replicates a Sandy Beach

Project submitted by Shawn Halverson, Surfacing Solutions Inc., Temecula, Calif.

By Anne Balogh, ConcreteNetwork.com

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Concrete Floors Surfacing Solutions Temecula, CA

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The floor in the lobby of O'Neill Clothing is transformed into a sandy beach with an epoxy overlay accented by decorative aggregate.

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Another view of the floor.

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Stacked wood on the walls and colored glass tiles, installed by JPS Designs of Santa Ana, Calif., complement the beach theme and bring out the rich colors in the stone aggregate.

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A close-up view of the pebbled floor.

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Another view of the O'Neill Clothing lobby.

The challenge
For those who hang ten, O'Neill Clothing has long been the go-to source for wetsuits and other beach sportswear. For the company's warehouse store in Irvine, Calif., the owners wanted to evoke that "surf's up" vibe by giving the floor in the lobby the look of a sandy beach.

Design goals
O'Neill wanted the overall look of the floor to resemble a pebble beach on some exotic island, says Shawn Halverson of Surfacing Solutions Inc. "The staff at O'Neill ride skateboards and beach cruisers around the office to get from meetings, to the reception desk, to break rooms. It's a very cool environment." To recreate that pebbled look, Surfacing Solutions covered the existing 2,000-square-foot concrete floor with an epoxy stone overlay system from Westcoat Specialty Products, which uses decorative aggregate to give surfaces the look of natural, wave-washed pebbles.

Secrets to success

Surface prep was an important aspect of this project, since the existing floor was marred by cracks and spalls. Surfacing Solutions went over the surface with a 32-inch floor grinder, filled the open cracks with an epoxy patch material, and then covered the repairs with a thin reinforcing fabric to ensure a sound subbase for the new overlay.
After application of the overlay, a satin urethane topcoat was sprayed over the top to give it a natural low-luster sheen and to help keep the decorative aggregate intact.

Materials and equipment used
Epoxy stone overlay: Westcoat Specialty Products
Epoxy patch: EC-72, from Westcoat
Satin polyurethane topcoat: EC-96, from Westcoat
Floor grinder: Diamatic USA
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Other specialties
In addition to resurfacing existing concrete, Surfacing Solutions also specializes in polished concrete and concrete countertops. "Polishing has really taken off for us, and we are aggressively pursuing this market with our crews throughout the western states," says Halverson. He notes that the demand for concrete countertops is also on the upswing. "They finally seem to be getting the credit they deserve for design, beauty and durability," he says.

Contractor
Shawn Halverson
Surfacing Solutions Inc.
Temecula, CA 92590

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