Polished Concrete Floor Shows Off Classic Car Collection

If you’re lucky enough to have a collection of beautiful classic cars, like Wes Wolf of Chesterfield, Va., does, you’d surely want to display them in grand fashion. In fact, Wolf had a personal car museum built for just that purpose, and having the cars showcased on a bright, light-reflective floor was a top priority.

“Mr. Wolf was looking for a high-gloss shine encompassed with beauty, maximum durability, and minimal maintenance. With the expectations and goals of the client so high, polished concrete was by far the best option,” says Jeremy Wilkerson of Mid Atlantic Floor Care / DreamKrete, a company that specializes in concrete polishing, staining, and sealing. “Our first challenge was to get the owner to trust our product. We invited him to our showroom, and once in our doors, he was blown away with the beauty of polished concrete and the possibilities it could provide for his project.”

The concrete floor in the 5,000-square-foot facility was newly placed, but it had been treated only with a cure-and-seal and did not have the glossy appearance Wolf desired. Wilkerson’s crew began by grinding the floor to make short work of the sealer and then started the polishing process. Although the project was relatively straightforward, it took several days to complete the job and attain the desired sheen level.

“After the third day, the owner was getting irritated by the tedium of the process and could not yet envision the fruit of all the labor involved. Nathan, our company’s lead polishing craftsman, promised him that he would be happy once they finished the work,” says Wilkerson. “Two days later, the owner walked into the garage and was left speechless. After a few minutes, he walked over to Nathan and said, ‘I’m sorry for ever doubting you. This is amazing!’”

The Decorative Concrete Council agreed with Wolf’s assessment. This year the project earned a second place award in DCC’s annual awards competition for polished concrete floors under 5,000 square feet.

In addition to its beauty, the floor is also easy for the owner to maintain and requires only occasional sweeping and mopping with a pH-neutral cleaner to preserve its shine. “Since the installation, the floor has held up exceptionally. It's a personal car museum so it doesn't see an aggressive amount of traffic,” says Wilkerson.

Although Wilkerson’s company primarily does commercial polishing work, they are starting to make inroads into the residential market. “We are seeing more and more people in our area recognize the value and beauty of polished concrete. We are working right now with high-end home builders whose clients are asking for polished and decorative concrete floors throughout the entire home, so I only anticipate more growth to come,” he says.

Equipment and materials used:
Polishing equipment: Two HTC 800 grinders, two HTC 80 iD dust extractors, HTC Greyline 270 floor edger, and HTC diamond tooling
Concrete densifier: Deco-Crete Supply lithium silicate
Polish guard: DCI Polish Guard, from the Decorative Concrete Institute

Contractor
Jeremy Wilkerson
Mid Atlantic Floor Care / DreamKrete, Richmond, Va.
www.dreamkrete.com

See another project completed by this contractor: Motorcycle Floor Gets a Low-Maintenance Makeover

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