Situation
The Blackfoot Motosports store in Calgary, Ontario recently celebrated its 47th anniversary. Whether it’s ATVs, dirt bikes, choppers, or sport bikes; Blackfoot has been meeting Canada’s motorsport needs since 1970. An old, epoxy floor with major undulations and some aging LVT was beginning to make their displays less appealing, so the owners decided it was time for an upgrade. They chose 24”x24” gauged porcelain tiles. One major obstacle the installers had to overcome was finding the time for a renovation. Showroom hours had to remain as close to their regular hours as possible, but prepping the surface for tile could take four to five days. Cochrane Floors & More, Excalibur Tile, and ARDEX were faced with a major time constraint issue.
Installer: Excalibur Tile
General Contractor: Cochrane Floors and More
Challenge
- Current floor was epoxy and LVT
- No time for substrate prep
- Many undulations in existing floor
Solution
ARDEX Feather Finish was used to patch the rolling mounds in the old floor, creating an even surface. The next issue to address was bonding. ARDEX recommended using FLEXBONE UI 720, a floating, uncoupling membrane that would essentially keep the tile installation independent from any movement or potential bond-breakers on the existing floor. The ease of installation meant there was no need for timely substrate preparation. Though the installers had a few doubts initially, being unfamiliar with the unbonded system, it didn’t take long for the stability of the product to become evident. The tiles were set the very same day the uncoupling installation was installed. Just 24 hours later the tiles were ready for grout. Excalibur Tile filled the joints and finished the installation – the new floor was ready for traffic in just 90 minutes.
The project was completed five days sooner than expected, and Blackfoot’s stunning showroom floor also comes with a warranty, thanks to the complete ARDEX system of products that was installed.
