The seven-sided floor layout directs the eye to the front altar of the church.
The seven aisles, which join at the center, are a white overlay loosely seeded with a darker stone. For the remaining area, an uncolored gray overlay was used. Aluminum divider strips separate the various sections.
The integrally colored dark-gray centerpiece was surface seeded with white marble and Mother of Pearl.
Another view of the floor, showing the entryway to the church.
Project Challenge
To install a decorative, multicolored, polished overlay for Wallace Presbyterian Church in College Park, Md. The 4,000-square-foot project was complicated by a seven-sided floor plan and the need to create a unifying centerpiece.
Design Goals
The main area of the church originally called for polished concrete. But because of flaws in the existing subfloor, Hyde Concrete proposed the use of a self-leveling overlay, polished in a similar fashion to concrete. In coordination with the architect, Hyde developed the unique pattern and color scheme.
Secrets to Success
- To permit polishing, Hyde used a custom-blended calcium-aluminate overlay placed at a ¼-inch thickness, versus a thinner microtopping.
- To separate the different colors, ¼-inch aluminum divider strips were glued to the floor before the overlay was placed.
- To enhance the floor, the entire surface was seeded with decorative aggregate, with white marble and Mother of Pearl used for the centerpiece and darker stone used for the white aisles.
- Polishing equipment equipped with special resin abrasives designed for fine grinding of self-leveling overlays was used to grind and hone the surface to a high sheen. Workers then applied a penetrating sealer and concrete conditioner to the surface and passed over the area with a high-speed burnisher for a final finish.
Products Used
- Penetrating sealer and concrete conditioner, National Polymers
- Polishing equipment, HTC Floor Systems
- Resin abrasives, HTC Fenix Pads
Special Awards
Second-place winner of a 2010 Decorative Concrete Award from the Decorative Concrete Council
Category: Polished overlay, over 1,500 square feet
Decorative Concrete Contractor
Gregory Hryniewicz
Hyde Concrete
Annapolis, MD 21402
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