Case Study – Concrete Overlay for Shoe Chain
DirectStone is delighted to have been asked to create a new store layout and spec for a major UK shoe retailer. Our flooring specialists will be installing a Schonox DSP concrete overlay to achieve a polished concrete finish look throughout. Additionally, the window sides, fronts and furniture will also be clad in tiles which are cast from the same material.
Why Choose a Concrete Overlay?
The majority of concrete slabs we encounter in situ can be polished, but occasionally we come across a slab with flaws that would compromise the finish. These might be carpet tack holes, or a patchwork which would be evident through the polishing. A concrete overlay covers up the flaws and creates a seamless surface.
Rather than digging out the old slab to start from scratch, a concrete overlay is installed at 10-15mm depth, over the original surface. This offers a much faster turnaround time for our client, and the finish is comparable with an unproblematic polished concrete slab. The overlay is created from a bagged polymer adjusted mix. This ensures a durable flooring solution, with plenty of movement and variation in the surface, so that the finish exhibits the characteristic tonal variations.
Installing Concrete Overlays
Laying concrete overlay requires a different kind of expertise to polishing an existing concrete floor. First the concrete slab needs to be prepared. Any legacy floor covering or unsound concrete has to be removed before the concrete overlay can be poured. Once the floor is poured and dried we use HTC Superfloor™ to achieve a lustrous polish finish.
DirectStone Creates Beautiful Polished Concrete Overlays
Whilst concrete overlays are the solution to a specific problem, they also provide new opportunities to clients. Existing concrete floors can be limited to the application of topical colour, whist overlays can be seeded with coloured aggregate offering an extended palette. This innovative technique is, therefore, a great option for any clients that worry their existing concrete floor can’t be polished.
DirectStone Ltd install and polish polished concrete overlays throughout Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and London.
Want polished concrete but don’t have a suitable slab for polishing? DirectStone has the solution. Call us on 01525 20863920 to find out more about concrete overlays.
