The Arapahoe Animal Hospital and Kennel, Boulder, Colo., needed a complete coating restoration for 2000 square feet of horizontal surfaces and 2000 square feet of vertical surfaces. Only one week was allotted for the recoat. Throughout construction, the front of the facility was open for business with negative air fans working to minimize odors. The hospital owner, practice manager, and interior designer called on Stonecrete USA to create a custom stone look to meet their needs. In the end, the company's system enabled a crew of four to complete the project in three days.
Surface preparation was the first big challenge. Space restrictions limited the equipment that could be brought in to remove the multiple layers of existing paint on the aged concrete floors and cinder block walls. Hand vacuum grinding was too costly and time consuming. Instead, Poly-Granite International and Stonecrete developed Surface Prep material—a water-based epoxy coating to use in place of grinding—that was applied using a spray rig after the loose paint was scraped and powerwashed.
Vertical surfaces were handtroweled to create the look of real stone. The horizontal surfaces were more complex. A scratch coat, which would later become the faux grout lines, was handtroweled down to a featheredge. The artistic team then installed a cut Ashlar stone pattern on the floor.
The final microtopping acrylic installation—done completely by hand—followed. Tape was pulled up to reveal the pattern and give the stone a broken look. Multiple layers of antiquing colorants were applied, which then melted and absorbed into the microtopping that had been detailed to create an authentic appearance. Finally, after the acrylic color cured, the team applied a single-component roll-on polyurea seal coat.
For more information on the products used, visit www.stonecreteusa.com.
