According to Plexi-Chemie’s Technical Director, Pat Sicilia, Metro Diner was looking for a flooring system that would not only be chemical and slip resistant, but also that would cure in a matter of hours.  “The crew couldn’t get into the area until about 3 p.m. and the floors needed to be ready to walk on by about 4:30 a.m.  Luckily, Plexi-Chemie manufactures epoxy flooring systems that are designed for speed when it comes to curing,” said Sicilia.

For the approximately 500 square-foot kitchen area, a custom Plexi-Chemie resurfacer system called Granitech/PlexiBlend was applied.  “The flooring system that Metro Diner chose for the kitchen area is a 20-year floor.  It’s functional, chemical resistant and slip resistant.  It’s a durable choice for an area that will see a lot of spills, water and otherwise,” said Sicilia.  This unique Plexi-Chemie system was troweled on in one step – no top coat is needed.  In a job where time was of the essence, this is a huge plus.

The kitchen was divided into two sections for the job, mostly due to the fact that much of the kitchen equipment couldn’t be moved.  Also, according to Sicilia, there is a ramp leading up to an office and storage area that also needed to be prepped and resurfaced.  “Because the 7-foot ramp is pretty steep, it required additional aggregate for slip resistance,” said Sicilia.

Before and After: Kitchen Area

For the 300-foot dining room, Plexi-Chemie’s PlexiQuartz system was applied.  This decorative quartz floor comes in many customized color options, including Southern Moss—a blend of green, buff and beige.  This vibrant green color was chosen for this area and is a perfect choice for the diner’s motif.  The PlexiQuartz system is a non-slip epoxy floor coating that offers excellent chemical and physical abrasion resistance.  Over the top of the PlexiQuartz, the epoxy flooring technicians applied 20 mils of PlexiGlaze #4.  This topcoat is a 100% solids water-clear epoxy floor resin that offers UV stability and is designed for decorative quartz systems.

The entire job took a skilled four-man crew three days to complete.  And with the fast-curing Plexi-Chemie commercial flooring products, the tight time constraints weren’t a problem.  “The diner was getting ready for the breakfast rush by 4:30 a.m. each day,” said Sicilia. In addition, all the products used on the Metro Diner job have no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are virtually odor free.  Sicilia credits the excellent chemistry of Plexi-Chemie’s resinous flooring products as a huge part of the success of the diner project.  “With epoxy, there’s no limit to creative imagination when it comes to flooring solutions,” said Sicilia.

Before and After: Dining Area

For more information about the custom Granitech/PlexiBlend system or the PlexiQuartz system, please contact a Plexi-Chemie sales representative, or feel free to call us at 904-693-8800 or email us at office@plexi-chemie.com.