Bedrock Floors arrived at the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) branch located in Midland, Ontario just after Greystone Construction completed installing the roof on a new kennel addition. We were hired to paint the ceiling and the concrete block walls, and to install an epoxy flooring system.

The ceiling was composite wooden I-Joists and OSB that were lightly treated to protect them from weather during construction. In order for our ceiling paint to adhere properly, we first had to prime the joists with oil paint. On our first day on site, we set up a bakers scaffold and applied the oil primer to the ceiling, working around several other trades throughout the day. The next day we applied flat latex drywall ceiling paint over the primer in the colour preference of the architect.

Once we had completed the ceiling, we proceeded to paint the concrete block walls. We coated the concrete block with latex block filler to seal the surface and then applied two coats of latex paint to match the existing building’s interior colour. All of the painting was complete after four days; extra drying time was allotted due to low interior temperatures.

During the painting process the HVAC contractor installed the heating system. We left the site for a few days to allow the general contractor to clear, heat, and dry the floor area before we continued with the flooring installation.

At the base of the block walls we troweled a 1″ radius cove base to accommodate drainage for when the kennels are cleaned. First, we hand ground around all of the block wall perimeters to remove paint debris and to prepare for the cove installation. With the cove base installed and with the rest of the trades out of the room, we were able to continue with the epoxy floor installation.

Diamond grinding equipment was used to prepare the concrete slab for the epoxy coating and the floor was thoroughly vacuumed. Before we applied the prime coat, we mixed up and applied epoxy crack filler gel to patch the control joints and some minor imperfections in the surface. The prime coat was applied over the whole area and left to cure for 12 hours.

On our last day on site, we applied the finish coat of epoxy onto the floor, the coves, and 4″ up the block walls to complete the flooring system. The OSPCA staff and Greystone Construction are ecstatic with the look of the space now that we are done and they can hardly wait to use the space for the dogs!

We had a great time working with Greystone Construction and the staff at OSPCA and we look forward to working with them again on future projects!

D.W. Tuck Construction Services Inc. in Barrie, Ontario contacted us to provide a custom coloured epoxy coating for a future tenant at their newly constructed industrial plaza. We provided our estimate, matched the custom colour, and were on site the following week, since the tenant was due to move in at the end of that week. The floor area to be coated spanned two industrial units, to be installed one week apart.

On-site within days to accommodate move-in schedule

The first step of the project, as with any epoxy coating job, was to prepare the concrete slab. This particular slab was new and impregnated with fibreglass, so we used diamond grinding equipment to introduce a profile for our coating to bond to and used a propane torch to burn off any fibres exposed during the grinding process.

Patched control joints, spalling and cracks

Once the floor surface was prepared, we cleaned out the control joints, installed backer-rod and applied epoxy crack filler gel. We also patched several pin-holes, spalling, and cracks throughout the floor area.

By the next day the crack filler gel and patching material had cured enough for us to sand off the high spots and to finish preparing the floor for a prime coat of epoxy by removing any dust. The prime coat was applied and left to cure overnight.

On the third day, we thoroughly sanded the prime coat to remove any imperfections and put down a smooth, consistent topcoat.

Hired for additional work while on-site

We were scheduled to complete the second unit the following week but our start date was moved due to various construction related delays. However, during this time we were contracted by D.W. Tuck to paint the walls in the second unit. We primed and painted the walls in the second unit that following week and then continued to install the epoxy coating in that unit just we described for the first area.

While we worked for D.W. Tuck, we were also asked by the tenant to provide a concrete sealer for their storage room that would keep the slab from dusting. We installed the concrete sealer while on-site for the second unit epoxy coating.

Bedrock Floors was contacted by a restauranteur in the process of opening up his third location – Fishbone Kitchen and Bar in Aurora, Ontario. The previous tenants covered the main dining area floor with vinyl tiles, the bathrooms with paint, and the kitchen with ceramic tile. By the time we got involved, the vinyl and ceramic tile had been removed to expose a concrete slab that needed some attention in order to match the desired high-end, classy aesthetic that the new owner was looking for. High-gloss Polished Concrete was the obvious choice for the dining area and the bathrooms. However, the slab condition in the kitchen was not suitable for polish without extensive patching, so a seamless epoxy coating was proposed instead.

Polished Concrete was the obvious choice to meet the owners high-end aesthetic

Our work was completed over the course of one week, to accommodate the owners tight schedule leading up to the grand opening on Thursday, September 24, 2015.

Completed within the client’s tight schedule

We started the first day on site by removing the left over tile mastic in the kitchen area in preparation for the epoxy coating, we then made our first rough grind pass over the entire concrete slab throughout the dining area and bathrooms. The first rough grind exposed a significant amount of spalling and damage from the previous owner which we proceeded to patch.

Day 2 – We continued with the diamond grinding process by refining the surface to remove any rough or high spots and to create a smooth level surface. We also smoothed out the perimeter edges and corners with a hand polisher wherever our diamond grinding equipment could not reach.

Day 3 – We completed the refining process and applied a sealer that penetrated the concrete surface and chemically reacted to increase the surface density and durability.

Day 4 – We started and completed the polishing process, all the way up to a 3000 grit high-gloss finish and also patched the kitchen area and applied a prime coat of epoxy.

For more information on our concrete polishing process click here.

Complementary of the modern restaurant stylings

On our fifth and final day on site, we came in to apply a finish coat of epoxy and to pack up our equipment. Several weeks later we had the privilege of visiting the finished restaurant just hours before opening night. The polished concrete floors complemented the modern stylings of the restaurant’s furniture and finishes perfectly. Next time you are in Aurora, make sure to check out Fishbone Kitchen and Bar.

Bedrock Floors transformed Bob Rumball Camp for the Deaf’s dusty old concrete floor into beautiful and functional Polished Concrete floor.

Bedrock Floors is an up and coming flooring applicator in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We were pleased to provide the Camp for the Deaf in Parry Sound with a solution to an ongoing problem they have had in their cafeteria. The camp was struggling with repairs and refinishing their floor multiple times over just a few years. The combination of temperature fluctuations and poor adhesion had caused various flooring materials to delaminate before their expected lifespan.

The advanced Concrete Polishing process in a nut shell.

Bedrock’s solution was simple, if you have problems with delamination, bypass the problem all together. Polished Concrete was the obvious choice, as it is unique in having no surface lamination, or coating to peel, crack or fail. Polished Concrete is exactly as it sounds, we take a gnarly slab of concrete, grind, patch, hone, densify, refine, and polish the surface through the use of an orbital diamond grinder. The surface profile and imperfections are removed, the concrete matrix is hardened through a chemical procedure known as densification, and the pores of the concrete are smoothed and sealed by the steel and resin compound that the abrasive diamond tooling is suspended in.

Polished Concrete: an elegant solution to an ugly problem

Once this process is completed, the concrete itself has transformed. It ceases to be concrete and becomes Polished Concrete. All other flooring materials are placed on top of the concrete substrate. This layering system is simply not as tough as the integral transformation of Polished Concrete. Layered flooring is only ever as strong as the glue that sticks it down. The oldest structures built by mankind are carved from stone. Stone is known for its longevity, when all of our glued together modern building are reduced to rust and dust, those same stone structures will still be standing, who knows, possibly even a properly Polished Concrete floor.

Bedrock Floors involves the client in planning their future floors to add transparency and ultimately nurture an environment of trust

Bedrock and the Bob Rumball foundation discussed prior to starting the job the potential for a poor concrete slab to be lurking beneath the many layers of the existing flooring. Other than the areas where the floor had peeled up, we didn’t have an accurate idea of the condition of the substrate. The Camp knew the history of the slab however, they explained that it had been split into three sections, a core slab at one end, a section of the original floor surrounded the perimeter, and one room in the corner, and finally the bulk of the floor was a recently poured slab that had been installed due to some plumbing issues. Our expectations were low as to the slabs condition, but typically any scars and age marks in a Polished Concrete floor add character. As the Polish wears with foot traffic, it matures, and often is a topic of discussion over its intrinsic beauty. With this knowledge, and what little areas of the floor we could test for hardness and damage, Bedrock made a plan on how to undertake the Polish.

After the existing flooring had been removed and we ground the self leveling skim coat off we, were greeted with an unfortunate turn of events. The floor that we were hoping would be pristine turned out to have the core slab section, roughly 40% of the area, in extremely bad condition. The slab had sunk down a half inch in some places, and had been patched with a very soft overlayment. Large deep spalling was present in the overlayment which was well below the boundaries of proper hardness to polish. In order to polish the area, the sunken slab would have to be brought up with a self leveling overlayment that would take a proper polish, not a cheap fix. We then had another frank discussion with the Camp regarding their options and preferences. Due to budgetary constraints we had to come up with a fix to their original problem along with the newly uncovered issues.

Regardless how bad the floor is to start with, Bedrock is dedicated to providing unparalleled quality, and efficiency while still being easy on your wallet

Bedrock brainstormed a cost effective solution for an expensive problem. The client was still able to have most of their floor polished, while the entrance area was able to be coated with a high quality industrial 2 component epoxy coating to fill the voids, and provide extra protection from the elements. In the end we managed to provide the changes in procedure to the client for a small mobilization fee to cover the additional costs of returning to Parry Sound.

We are glad to have built a relationship with the Bob Rumball foundation and will strive to preserve what was formed. Regardless how bad the floor is to start with, Bedrock is dedicated to providing unparalleled quality, and efficiency while still being easy on your wallet.

We are very thankful to have been given the chance to work on such an exciting project.

– Luke Sutton
Vice-President