Concrete solutions

While concrete floors are still a niche choice, more retailers are drawn to their low maintenance and high creative potential.

Tile troubles got you down? Is wood Tile proving woefully inadequate for your foot traffic and merchandising demands? Consider concrete, which can put an end to your supermarket surface tension, according to some retailers and flooring experts.

It's true that concrete can sometimes cost at least four times as much as the ever-popular vinyl composition tile, says Greg Rogers, design consultant at Design Fabrications, Inc., a Troy, Mich.-based full-service decor company that designs, fabricates and installs retail concrete floors. But greater durability and lower maintenance costs make it a wise investment, he adds.

"Plus, concrete can allow you to create something with a pretty complex appearance for a lot less money and time than tile," says Dave Fabyonic, national accounts representative at Ardex, Inc., a manufacturer of self-leveling cements based in Coraopolis, Pa. "And its designed to last as long as the structural concrete slab underneath it, which can't always be said for tile."

Right now, concrete is "a very niche application in supermarkets," Rogers says. "What's holding back many stores from choosing concrete is tile tradition and lack of real knowledge about concrete. They've become used to VCT flooring maintenance practices and technology, and are committed to that equipment and tile contracting services.

AN ARTIST'S PALETTE

"But we try to convince these stores that concrete is much more versatile; it becomes a palette you can play in rather than on," Rogers continues. "You can create street scenes, swirls and many eye-catching patterns with a pigmented concrete floor that you can't do with tiles, which limit your creativity because they're broken up into small squares."

Case in point: At an Andronico's Market store in Danville, Calif., concrete is used to add different themes to different departments. In the health and nutrition section, an antique green-and-brown pigmented floor is accentuated with leaf-shaped patterns, while the wine department flooring sports a structured, off-white-and-green checkerboard pattern.

"It adds a real warmth and flavor to the store, giving it kind of a rustic European feel with contemporary twists," says Bill Andronico, president and CEO. "Each of our stores has its own unique color patterns and combinations to create its own look, which we're proud of."

NO CHEMICALS

A Co-Op Markets store in Chicago features a tan-and-red stained concrete floor with a checkerboard pattern that instantly catches the customer's eye and also fits well with the co-op's environmental bent. "We wanted a low-maintenance floor," says Carl Waggoner, assistant general manager at the Chicago-based cooperative retailer. "The environmental committee was very concerned about our commitment to not using chemicals, especially on the floor."

The concrete floor simply requires regular mopping and cleaning with an electric scrubber to keep it dirt-free and shiny, Waggoner says.

At a Wild Oats Market in Hinsdale, Ill., the bronze-stained concrete floor that covers the entire walking surface area of the supermarket requires a stripping and waxing every eight to 12 weeks because it's a high-traffic location, says Dan Babb, regional director at Wild Oats, Boulder, Colo. "Other than that, we don't use any special chemicals--just soap and water cleaning and a daily buffing. We've been very happy with it so far, and there haven't been any issues."

The chain opted to pour concrete floors in each of its Midwest stores, adds Babb, mostly out of financial concerns. "Tile may have better traction, but the expenses related to maintenance and upkeep with a tile floor made it a cost-prohibitive choice," he says. "When you factor in the lower maintenance costs, a concrete floor virtually pays for itself."

Ray Thompson, president of Ray Thompson Floor Covering Institute, a CleElum, Wash.-based floor covering consulting firm, doesn't see concrete overtaking VCT as the flooring material of choice in retail applications anytime soon. "But concrete can be a better option in the long run due to maintenance factors such as moisture resistance," he says.

Worried about slips and falls? Relax, Thompson says: "If it's got a textured or patterned finish, or if you emboss the surface with a release agent, it's more slip-resistant and hydroplaning doesn't become an issue."

If you're constructing a new store, you can opt to use the actual slab, to which pigments or dry shake color hardeners can be added topically or to the mix, as your floor surface, according to Fabyonic. Stores looking to remodel can choose to add a thin top layer of cement to the existing slab, which can cost between $4 and $6 per square foot--more expensive than VCT, but less than higher-end ceramic or quarry tile. Opt for a strong-bonding material such as Ardex's cement and you only need to add about 1/4 inch of top cement, instead of up to 2 inches, to the slab, eliminating potential elevation problems, Fabyonic says.

COPYRIGHT 2000 SED, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group