In the Fast Lane

What better way to showcase a lineup of all-terrain recreational vehicles than on a floor surface that looks like a racetrack? That was the objective of Maximum Powersports in Hawkesbury, Ont., a retailer of motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles. The owner wanted to transform an old warehouse into a race-themed showroom for his vehicles and give the existing concrete floor a sporty new look. The solution was simple -- polish the concrete and "pave" it with faux driving lanes and parking areas.

"The client approached us with a vision of how he expected the finished product to look and perform. We worked closely with the design team to create an environment that allowed the owner to showcase his products and merchandise," says Arthur Walowski, operations manager of Concrete Polishing & Sealing, specialists in concrete polishing and industrial coating. "Cost and durability as well as low maintenance were other major factors in the decision to go with this flooring option.”

The transformation started with deep grinding of the existing concrete floor and filling voids, holes, cracks and other imperfections with a fine, cementitious filler. Walowski and his crew used a black water-based stain to create the parking areas and a natural gray stain for the drive lanes. "All areas were precisely marked and measured out," he says. "The parking areas were masked off during the staining of the drive lanes and vice versa. After the staining was completed, we painted on the white lines defining the parking and drive lanes and the yellow road markings using a specialty concrete paint. The lines were installed at a 3-inch width, with extreme care taken to ensure precise spacing of the road markings."

To protect the surface from foot and light-vehicle traffic, the floor was treated with a concrete densifier and sealed with a clear acrylic. Maintenance of the surface will be simple, says Walowski, who recommends a regimen of daily dry mopping to remove dust, wet mopping during the winter months and yearly burnishing.

Equipment and materials usedGrinding and polishing machines: HTC-800 HDX planetary grinders, SASE-5000 planetary grinder (for confined and small areas), Aztec high-speed propane burnishers.
Joint filler: Metzger/McGuire MM-80 epoxy joint filler
Concrete densifier and protective sealer: RetroPlate concrete densifier and RetroGuard clear acrylic sealer.
Water-based stains: Consolideck GemTone, from Prosoco.
Specialty paint for polished concrete: Sherwin-Williams

Contractor Concrete Polishing & Sealing Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario
www.concreteshine.ca

See another project completed by this contractor:
Polished Concrete Floor Overlay Is Ready for Recreation

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