Farm Shop | 220m2
What the client wanted to achieve
The premises for this project were situated on a up market farm development in the heart of Cheshire, the area in question was 130m2 but the requirements were very clear, in this case the client only wanted an epoxy coating finish in mid grey but the challenge here was the condition of the substrate. Over the years two separate concrete bases had been installed and then used as a shed for livestock, the two bases were not level and ridge of about 20mm created not only a trip hazard for the public but it also looked very unsightly. As 2 coats of a high build coating was the clients requirement and knowing this only left us with a 500 micron finish this project was clearly all about the preparation and what repairs we could include into the budget, here is what we did.
The solution
The first part of the process was to remove the 20mm ridge between the two concrete bases, we did this by scabbling the two edges to take the majority of the height out, after that we used a single headed grinder approximately 1 metre either side to help eliminate the unevenness between the two bases which now created a reasonably flat surface. As this area had been used as a livestock shed the damage from the animals was very clear so we set to take out as many cracks and holes as we could using epoxy mortar, fillers and a polyurethane bulking system, once these were complete and cured we went over the surface again with an STR sanding machine to again smooth out the repairs. Finally it was time to install the coating system, the first coat was an epoxy based high build coating which created a good base for the second coat, this also sealed the concrete, during the initial survey we noticed that the window system to the front of the proposed shop let in a lot of light and as we were using a mid-grey colour we were concerned about the colour changing over time, the solution here was to install a polyurethane second coat that was not only slightly harder wearing but also UV stable, the outcome here was successful and more important the client was very happy.
Common questions
Is an epoxy high build coating suitable for a farm shop floor?
Yes, a high build coating can give a farm shop a clean, attractive and safe floor. This upmarket farm development in Cheshire chose a mid-grey finish built from two coats of high build coating to a 500 micron finish, converting a former livestock shed into a shop open to the public.
How do you remove a ridge between two concrete slabs before coating?
The ridge is reduced mechanically before any coating goes down. Here two concrete bases left a ridge of about 20mm, a trip hazard for the public. The two edges were scabbled to remove most of the height, then a single-headed grinder worked about 1 metre either side of the join to leave a reasonably flat surface.
Why use a polyurethane topcoat in a bright shop with large windows?
A polyurethane topcoat is UV stable and slightly harder wearing than epoxy. The survey found the front window system let in a lot of light, raising concern that the mid-grey colour could change over time, so an epoxy high build first coat sealed the concrete and a polyurethane coating was used as the second coat.
How were cracks and holes left by livestock repaired?
Animal damage had left cracks and holes in the concrete, which were repaired with epoxy mortar, fillers and a polyurethane bulking system. Once the repairs had cured, the surface was sanded with an STR sanding machine to smooth them out before the two-coat mid-grey system was applied.