SITUATION:
Tesla Motors Showroom was scheduled to open in Washington Square Mall in Portland, Oregon. The 2,000 square-foot space had been converted multiple times by previous tenants. As a result, the floors were in severe disrepair. After the old vinyl flooring was removed there were height variations of zero to three inches throughout the floor. These slopes and gouges had to be addressed before the new tile flooring could be installed. Per Tesla Motors specifications, the finished floor had to be flat and smooth.
CHALLENGES:
- 2,000 square- foot installation area
- Four-day installation time frame
- Showroom space being converted after several previous tenants
- Extreme height variations up to three inches
- Zero floor height variations tolerated
SOLUTION:
On day one, the Pure Floors, Inc. crew shaved and grinded the subfloor to achieve a medium-high surface elevation throughout the floor. The floor was then primed with ARDEX P 51™ Primer. The next day, ARDEX V 1200™ Self-Leveling Flooring Underlayment was poured to achieve a smooth, flat, stable floor. Paragon Tile & Stone was astounded by the ease and the flatness result of ARDEX V 1200. ‘This is the flattest floor I’ve ever been able to set tile over and I’ve been doing this a very long time!’ The floor was now properly prepared to receive the tile; ARDEX X 5™ Thin Set Mortar was used by Paragon Tile & Stone, Inc. to install the large format 12” x 24” porcelain tiles on the walls and floors. ARDEX X 5 is ideal for setting large format tile on floors and walls because of its very good shear strength and sag resistance.
The combination of ARDEX Tile & Stone Installation Systems and ARDEX substrate preparation products provided Tesla Motors with a five year ARDEX SystemOne™ Warranty. ARDEX Sales Professionals William White and Jon Esteve were available throughout the project to address installation concerns and provide recommendations for both Pure Floors and Paragon Tile & Stone, Inc. ARDEX high-performance products got the job finished on-time and on budget allowing Tesla Motors to showcase their highperformance automobiles in a premium brand environment.
PARTICIPANTS:
Contractor: Pure Floors, Inc. – Portland, OR
Installer: Paragon Tile & Stone, Inc. – Tigard, OR
SITUATION:
The newly constructed 46,000 square-foot Mercedes-Benz car dealership in Langley, British Columbia was scheduled to receive porcelain tile over a newly poured, on grade concrete slab. Slab leveling, crack repair and anti-fracture measures were required to prepare the slab for tile installation. Several other trades were on site requiring rapid-drying and fast track products to be used to finish the floors without the worry of displacing tiles after they were set and grouted.
CHALLENGES:
- New construction
- 46,000 square-foot installation area
- Other trades on site; coordination of work area was a challenge
SOLUTION:
ARDEX Sales Professional Don Brletic and ARDEX Technical Field Representative Bertram Tasch worked with Novax Tile and conducted many on site demonstrations. First the floors were leveled using ARDEX K 15®, a premier self-leveling underlayment that can receive tile or stone in just six
hours. ARDEX 8+9 was used as an anti-fracture membrane with ARDEX SK Mesh.
Once the floor was properly prepped, ARDEX X 77™ with its very easy to install creamy smooth consistency was used to set 4” x 6” imported German porcelain tiles. Novax Tile installers used ARDEX FL Grout Charcoal Dust on the floors opening them to traffic in just 90 minutes. This project was the first Novax Tile installers had ever used ARDEX 8+9 for and they were impressed with the ease of use and results it provided. “We used to use a different crack isolation product but we are converted for life.”
Novax received a full 10-year SystemOne™ Warranty on this installation for installing a complete ARDEX system assuring Langley Mercedes that their premium showroom floor would match the excellence and quality of these luxury vehicles for many years.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer: Novax Tile LTD.
Contractor: Ledcore Construction Architect: Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning
SITUATION:
Porsche Centre Vancouver was constructing a brand new state-of-the-art facility featuring an impressive display of curved concrete and glass in a modern, spacious decor. Built in the new hub of luxury car dealers at 688 Terminal Avenue, the dealership boasts more display space for a massive selection of new and used inventory, double the number of service bays and more customer parking. Before tile could be installed, the showroom and bay area floors required levelling, waterproofing and crack isolation measures.
CHALLENGES:
- 15,000 square-foot installation area
- New construction
- 9,000 square feet of severe substrate issues to be addressed
- Multiple trades working on job-site
- Seven week installation time-frame
SOLUTION:
ARDEX Sales Professional Don Brletic and ARDEX Technical Field Representative Bertram Tasch performed product demonstrations for Ledcor Construction. Each week they visited the jobsite and educated the installers on the importance of proper preparation, leveling and installation techniques. ARDEX V 1200™ was used to address nine thousand square feet of leveling issues with ARDEX V 1200 smoothed at 5/8 inch thickness. ARDEX 8+9™ was applied as an anti-fracture membrane. With the floor prepped and leveled, 12’x 24’ large-format porcelain and 12’ x 24’ glass and mosaic tiles were installed using ARDEX X 77™ and ARDEX FL™ in Charcoal Dust. A 10-year SystemOne™ warranty was given to Ledcor installers, assuring them that ARDEX products are as premium, durable and high-quality as a Porsche.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer: Robertson Floors LTD – North Vancouver, BC – General Manager, Josh Mulherin
Contractor: Ledcor Construction – Vancouver, BC – Site Superintendent, Rick Traher
Architect: Kasian Architecture – Vancouver, BC
SITUATION:
From their brand new premium facility at Exit 3, M1, Airside Motor Retail Park, Swords, Co. Dublin. Joe Duffy Jaguar, Landrover Airside offer a comprehensive range of products and services. The quality of service they provide to individual customers continues to be key to their success and is fundamental in their commitment to Land Rover Ireland and each and every Land Rover Customer that walks through their doors.
CHALLENGES:
A fast track solution was needed for Tiling and screeding this prestigious new car showroom for Jaguar and Landrover and have cars driving in on the finished floor as quickly as possible.
SOLUTION:
Ardex A23 Screed was used as a fast track screed option allowing the K15HB to be installed with 72 hours and the tiling system to be installed the next day. The K15 HB left a beautiful smooth and level surface for the tile system to be installed. The BAL Stone and Tile insured that the tiles were solidly bedded in adhesive with no voids or weakspots under the tiles. The Microflex grouts gave a very smooth and hard grout joint. From start to finish this was a sucessful system.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer/Applicator: Crannagh Concrete, Kealy Construction
General Contractor: Kealy Construction Ireland
Architect(s): Project manager and Facilities Director Dermot Fallon Dublin Ireland
SITUATION:
Porsche, one of the most famous luxury cars manufacturer, has set up showrooms and workshops all over the world to showcase their world-class craftsmanship in vehicle quality. Besides its showrooms, Porsche also had high visual and functional requirements for their aftersales service centre in Hong Kong, as they wanted to offer premium customer experience in every point of touch, even in the car maintenance and repair process.
CHALLENGES:
Chemical resistance for sure is the key factor for the client to consider.
The Porsche workshops had frequent vehicle in and out, so the chemicals emited from it might cause erosion on the floor tile and the grout.
SOLUTION:
The client wanted the 7000m2 floor tile in the workshops to be extreme appealing and also long-lasting. Ardex EG2 was specified in the project. It was selected to cater two issues – chemical resistance and ease of application. On one hand, the epoxy-based EG2 has excellent chemical resistance which made it very suitable to be used in the workshop. On the other hand, when compared to the ordinary epoxy-based grout, EG2 has high viscosity and is extremely easy for workers to manipulate during application, even for narrow joints.It made the application process much easier. Also for the client, EG2 was an excellent option for them to keep the tile system durable while not sacrificing good tile appearance.
PARTICIPANTS:
V.K. Decoration
SITUATION:
The Prestige Shantiniketan consists of 603,869 m2 (6,500,000 f2) of residential, commercial and leisure areas contained in a community of 23 towers, parking garages and parks. This project took nearly five years to complete, and as time was running, the interior flooring needed to be completed quickly. ARDEX ENDURA was called in to offer fast-track solution.
CHALLENGES:
- 400,000 m2 (4,305,564.17 f2)
- Fast-track installation
- Limited time for underlayment curing
SOLUTION:
ARDEX ENDURA recommended ARDEX CL11 Commercial Leveling & Smoothing Compound be installed by Siddhi Coatings. Siddhi Coatings, a preferred ARDEX ENDURA installer, has attended ARDEX ENDURA product training and is trained on the ARDEX products installation. ARDEX CL11 can be pumped into place and receives most floor coverings in 24 hours. ARDEX CL11 also saved time as other trades could walk on the installation and continue their work in two to three hours.
To prepare the concrete slabs to receive ARDEX CL11, Siddhi Coatings made sure the slabs were clean of debris and any contaminates that could break the bond between the underlayment and the structural slab. Once the areas were clean and dry, ARDEX P 51 Concentrated Water-Based Primer and Bonding Agent was diluted with water and applied with a soft broom. ARDEX P 51 improves the bond between the substrate and leveling compound. ARDEX P 51 takes three to 24 hours to dry, minimizing the amount of down time on site. After the ARDEX P 51 was dry Siddhi Coatings pumped the ARDEX CL11 into place for a fast-track installation of the wood flooring.
ARDEX ENDURA and Siddhi Coatings were able to install all products within the required time- frame. ARDEX ENDURA Technical Service Department remained on site for the installation of ARDEX CL11 in 3000 residential flats to ensure a successful installation.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer: Siddhi Coatings – Mumbai, India
General Contractor: IJM (India) Infrastructure Limited – Hyderabad, India
Architect: RSP Architects (Alexander Architects Pvt. Ltd.) – Bangalore, India
SITUATION:
Trolley Square is a 239,000-square-foot former trolley car barn built in 1908.
The refurbishment requires: upstairs – 17,000 sq. ft. of ceramic tile to be transformed into a polymer-modified cement diamond design floor. Work could only be completed at night to allow the mall to be open during the day. Schedules were set up to stop work and cover the floor with paper to accommodate mall traffic. This created challenges in making the stopping points look seamless.
Downstairs – 30 years of wax was built-up on the century old pavers brick flooring.
CHALLENGES:
- 39,000 square feet
- Multiple substrates
- Varying elevations, often as much as every 4 or 5 feet
- Night work only – mall open for business during the day
SOLUTION:
UPSTAIRS
Day one: Shotblasting the ceramic tile
Day two: Pour ARDEX EP-2000, a solvent free two coat substrate preparation epoxy, broadcasted with sand
Day three: Pour ARDEX SD-T® and the same night cut a diamond pattern and border to take on the appearance of the fine tile
Day four: Seal and stain the ARDEX SD-T® in two colors. Very difficult to stain and seal in the same day!
DOWNSTAIRS
The following routine completed continuously over a 5 week period
Day one: Shotblast brick to remove wax
Day two: Clean pavers with a pneumatic needle scaler and repoint the grout
Day three: Painstakingly repair broken pavers with colored cement
Day four: Apply two coats of floor coating
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer: E.B. Berger ARDEX LevelMaster Elite Installer®
SITUATION:
The Red Market in Macau is the only active wet market in Macau that are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The building is built in 1936. As the most trafficked wet market in Macau, inside there are three busy floors of seafood, poultry, meat, vegetables and other sundries. Since it is a heritage protected by the law, routine maintenance works are necessary to keep the building’s integrity.
CHALLENGES:
In the wet market environment, the floor is always subject to heavy traffic and water. So the grouting are prone to trap moisture and dirt. The heavy traffic would also easily cause damage to the grouting, causing it to lose its original functionality.
SOLUTION:
Ardex EG2 grout was specified in the project. The robustness and the water resistance of the ARDEX EG2 are the two key factors for client to select the product. First of all, epoxy-based grouting is extremely water resistance when compared to cement-based grouting. This further minimize the risk of water leakage to the below level. Also, due to its high stain resistance properties, it could virtually eliminates common stains and dirt pick up. EG2 also has excellent abrasion resistance thanks to its high compressive strength, making it perfect for high traffic areas.
SITUATION:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ellington Field Hangar 276 was in use for more than 60 years and needed upgrades to the facility. A six-year-old epoxy floor coating had failed because of moisture issues. Because of adhesion and moisture issues, the epoxy manufacturer would not warrant a new installation.
CHALLENGES:
- Maintain clean environment during installation
- Work around ongoing aircraft hangar repairs
SOLUTION:
ARDEX Sales Professional Jaime Colmenero worked with Ron Caron of Business Flooring Specialists and proposed ARDEX Polished Concrete Systems (APCS) to address moisture issues and fulfill the need for an easily maintainable floor. The environmental and sustainable qualities of polished concrete were an added bonus. APCS floors have high reflectivity reducing the need for overhead lighting. As an ARDEX Choice ContractorTM, Business Flooring Specialists installation of ARDEX Polished Concrete Systems was backed by a 10-Year extended warranty. The ARDEX team worked to ensure all products were available when needed to speed up installation.
The high-gloss ARDEX PC FINISH conducted such a high reflectivity that repairmen working on the aircraft did not need individual flashlights to light their way as they worked. NASA technicians tested the air environment in the hangar during the grinding process and were pleased they met NASA air quality requirements. NASA officials were so satisfied with ARDEX Polished Concrete Systems that a proposal for additional installations in two other NASA hangars has been submitted. Because of the excellent work done by ARDEX Choice Contractor Business Flooring Specialists, they will install those polished concrete floors.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer: Business Flooring Specialists – Houston, TX
ARDEX Choice ContractorTM – Polished Concrete
SITUATION:
Radio Television Hong Kong is the public broadcasting service of Hong Kong. It currently operates seven radio channels and three television channels, and produces educational, entertainment, and public affairs programmes that are also broadcast on commercial television channels. These radio channels are being on-air nonstop everyday, all round 24 hours.
SOLUTION:
Existing waterproofing system was found aged and a number of waterproofing seepage have been noted. It was challenging to have a complete re-roofing of a 24-hour operation building without noise nuisance.
Sheltercoat 157 PU spray applied membrane system is capable to be applied directly on the existing roof concrete tile, concrete surface or metal surface without removal.
Due to this application method, there will be no noise disturbance and waste material from the site, which is also an environmental friendly re-roofing solution.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer Hancrete Engineering Co. Ltd.
Owner Hong Kong Government (ASD)
