We were contacted by a dog kennel in Bucks county Pennsylvania in September 2014 to install a new epoxy floor in their kennel. The current floor was experiencing delamination due to excessive water, urine, and cleaners.
From what we were told by the owner, the floor had been installed over 10 years ago. He knew it was an epoxy coatings, but was unsure of the millage or preparation that went into the floor. Additionally, the owner requested that the walls be painted with a fresh coat of commercial paint. At our discretion, we selected a solvent based epoxy, because of its superior adhesion.
The owner took it upon himself to remove all of the cages. This was a nice gesture. However, after we returned to the kennel in Bucks County, we noticed that there were joints under all of the caged doors. This drew concerns among the estimators, because this was extra work and material that was not foreseen during the initial site examination.
Because it was a tight area, we were unable to bring in the planetary grinders to abrade the floor. Instead, our installers used hand grinders to prepare the floor for the install.
Once the floor was prepared, it was time to install the epoxy system. The owner requested something stronger than his previous floor, but also cost effective. A urethane cement floor would have been the strongest solution. However, they aren’t always the most cost-effective. So we proposed a 2 coat, 28mil epoxy floor system with an aliphatic urethane top coat. Additionally, we installed a 4mil epoxy cove 8″ off the floor, and coated that with the aliphatic urethane. The urethane top coat has excellent chemical resistance, and will increase the longevity of the floor by preventing delamination caused by urine or chemical cleaners.
After installing the floors, we saw cut the joints and installed polyurea joint filler. We were short on polyurea cartridges because of the extra joints that were revealed. So we did have to order more material.
After the floor was completed, the owners requested that we add on a new coat of paint to the walls. Their current walls were white, and worn down. But had many coats of latex paint. To remove the additional coats of paint would have drastically increased the cost. So instead, we hand wiped the walls, and installed a solvent epoxy paint. The solvent epoxy paint offers superior adhesion, and will have a longer lifespan than latex in this type of environment.
Overall, the owners were pleased with final installation. Their cages are back in place, and the dogs of Bucks County can enjoy their remodeled living space.