Ken Fain, owner of Island Carpet Tile & Hardwoods in Rhode Island, reached out to XL North for product and technical support on a recent concrete surface prep job that left no room for error. He describes the scope of the project. “The job was approximately 4,200 sq ft of flooring, wall tile, and stone for a new Anytime Fitness location in Newport. We were there to install synthetic turf, rubber flooring, and carpet tile. We provided but did not install ceramic tile for floors and walls, as well as ledger stone for a display wall at the entrance.” The job required a very quick turn-around as Ken notes, “The contractor agreed to convert what was formerly a dollar store in one-month’s time.”
What were the job challenges?
Along with needing to meet a tight deadline, mistakes were simply not an option on this project. Ken explains, “When I first saw the job site I was immediately concerned by the polished finish on the concrete floor. I bid the job pricing in grinding the surface of the floor because I was concerned about adhesion. We had four different flooring products going down on this floor, and there was no room for error because this gym operates 24/7. There would not be an opportunity come back and address an adhesive failure without shutting down the business.”
He emphasizes, “We had to get it right the first time.” That’s when Ken contacted XL North.
How did you approach the job?
Two XL North concrete surface prep products, XL Porosity+ and XL Clean-Up, were recommended to assist on Ken’s job. He notes, “We used Porosity+ and equipment loaned by XL North for the surface prep. We also used Clean-Up to dispose of the waste water.” This was the first time Ken’s team had used our surface prep products. We asked about his experience. “I was apprehensive about the process because it was new to me and we had a very tight time-slot to get the floor prepped.” He continues, “We were carefully trained by personnel from XL North, and the process was much easier than I imagined it to be.”
And the results?
“The results were great! We and the contractor learned something.”
Ken adds, “And we saved money in comparison to what we would have spent grinding the finish off the floor.”
He concludes, “I now have a crew that is trained for the next commercial job where we encounter this situation.”
Job Photos
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