Appointed as the trusted Painters & Decorators
MEE Refurb were in charge of the project and, as a trusted team of decorators who have undertaken many projects for them in the past, they requested our involvement and expertise.
This project, an industrial factory renovation, would require the transformation of a large factory unit into a modern, graffiti-fashioned play area for kids, teens and adults to utilise for fun and exercise for the whole family.
Innovative, Creative decorating was required
With a somewhat extraordinarily large blank canvas on our hands, for their arena in Stoke, Flip Out wanted us to achieve something with our decoration skills that would leave no trace of what the structure was prior to its take over. Our aim was to provide the artistic foundation for what their illustrations and trampoline equipment would bring to life.
Taping and jointing were necessary to provide a solid canvas to work from before we were able to paint the walls, but our main task was to tackle the floor of the building.
Due to the nature of this particular job, the floor had to wait until everything else was fully renovated and developed.
The warehouse structure was used for industrial purposes, which meant that when it came to the preparations, it was not a simple case of just painting over its past. Oil and other chemical debris that had come into contact with the floor needed rigorous cleansing. Unfortunately it was going to take more than a mop and bucket to ensure that we were able to provide a lasting finish.
With a mammoth 250 metres squared floor, we were required to use an acid etch primer paint after the floor was cleaned which, unlike normal paint, chemically bonds itself to the floor material and makes a brilliant base for what will go on top of it. The primer is water based, but produces bad fumes and can be tricky to apply safely and without error.
Once it was completely covered, it needed 24 hours to settle and dry fully, and only then were we able to paint over it. Leaving no less than 8 hours in between each coat of paint that was to go over it, we were able to ensure the quality of each layer and a smooth finish. We used Johnstons floor tread paint in dark grey to tie in with Flip Out’s funky theme of dark colours contrasted with lime green to achieve their signature look.
Chuffed to bits with the outcome and it was a really interesting job to be involved in. The sheer transformation of the building made it worth seeing it through from start to finish.
