Jigsaw Puzzle Floor

Marketing firm owner turns to a client to transform his damaged studio floor into a centerpiece that inspires creativity.

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When Inventiv Designs Inc. decided to restore its 40-year-old floor in White Bear Lake, Minn., the branding and marketing company turned to a client for help.

The studio is used for photo shoots and to produce videos, but the chipped and moisture-damaged gray concrete floor served as a poor backdrop. Kyle Banes, owner of Polytek Surface Coatings in Lakeville, Minn., and an Inventiv Designs client, offered the perfect solution. The contractor had worked with formulators to develop a product line that he launched in 2010 as Penntek Industrial Coatings. Banes proposed a four-piece jigsaw puzzle design that gives Inventiv Designs pizazz and displays Banes’ products. Each piece showcases a different Penntek coatings system.

Making old flooring new again

Banes’ two-person crew first had to repair the damaged concrete. The floor was a mix of old and new concrete, since it had recently been cut into to add a new plumbing and drainage system. To create a smooth substrate, the contractor used a self-leveling multicomponent polyurea repair material to fill cracks, pits, and spalls, and then rebuild missing sections of concrete.

Due to a quick cure time, they were able to grind the surface 10 to 15 minutes after application.

Because the floor also had moisture issues, the contractor applied a two-component epoxy coating designed to control moisture-vapor emissions. The epoxy was allowed to touch-dry, and was ready for a topcoat within 12 to 15 hours.

The design consists of four large puzzle pieces that visually interlock. The contractor broadcast vinyl chips for the first piece, double-broadcast quartz for the second, used a metallic system for the third, and, for the final piece, applied a heavy-duty polyurea system typically used for high-traffic shop floors.

Full-chip puzzle piece. To create a granite look with a slip-resistant orange peel texture, the contractor first applied a polyurea primer/base coat by roller and then broadcast a blend of blue, orange, and white vinyl flakes to the point of refusal.

After sweeping and blowing away excess flakes, the crew applied a polyaspartic polyurea topcoat.

Quartz puzzle piece. Much like the chip system, the crew first applied a polyurea basecoat and then broadcast a blend of colored quartz to the point of refusal. For this double-broadcast application, the contractor next applied a polyaspartic polyurea coating to bind the next layer of quartz before broadcasting again.

Metallic puzzle piece. To create a marbled puzzle piece with shine and depth, the contractor first applied a low-viscosity metallic epoxy.

The crew mixed scarlet metallic powder into the epoxy, poured it onto the floor, and spread it by squeegee. Armed with spiked shoes and 9-inch rollers, they swirled the epoxy around the floor to achieve a marbling effect.

Heavy-duty polyurea puzzle piece. Although all of the coating systems are abrasion- and chemical-resistant, the system the contractor chose for this puzzle piece delivers a higher level of chemical resistance and durability for shop floors, commercial kitchen floors, restrooms, wash-down areas, and other high-traffic uses.

First, the crew applied a blue-tinted polyurea basecoat and primer, then broadcast dry sand to the point of refusal for added slip resistance and durability.

The finishing touch: a seamless cove base

Instead of installing pre-cut cove base pieces, the contractor used a plural-component urethane that was mixed onsite with dry silica sand and easily shaped and spread with a cove trowel. The crew used the technique to create a seamless cove base that seals the junction where floor meets wall.

By leveraging bright colors and shapes, Banes was able to give Inventive Designs a unique work environment that emulates the agency’s creativity. McAllister is so happy with the results that he uses the floor to promote Penntek. It’s a win-win for owner and contractor.

Article submitted by Inventiv Designs, http://inventivdesigns.com.

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