HONESTONE NEWS

There are many benefits of resin flooring that make it an ideal choice for your industrial or warehouse floor. For example, did you know that the thicker resin floor types are actually harder than concrete?

This article aims to help you decide whether your particular project will benefit from resin flooring or not.

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While you cannot entirely prevent concrete from cracking, there are certainly strategies to minimise it. Your best defence against concrete cracking is to try to control where the cracks will more likely occur. Prevention starts with creating a predetermined location of joints on the concrete floor.

A concrete specialist can apply “preventive medicine” and precautionary measures on concrete floors to delay the onset of cracks.

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Used with permission. Copyright by Euphoria Films & Stuart McAndrew Photography.

“Acidic” has become an icon to the latest Australian skate park. Supporting the skater lifestyle, it regularly hosts events and spreads good vibes to the skaters nearby with its cool music and in-house DJs.

Acidic is a barber shop and skate shop combined that offers skate and streetwear, skate accessories, great coffee by exceptionally skilled baristas, and cutting-edge barber styling.

The Honestone team brought to life the vision of co-owner Mr. Joey Town, in collaboration with Brent Fitzpatrick from Eight Six Design.

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Photo by Peter Bennets, courtesy of Grimshaw Studio.

The Honestone Team recently completed an architectural flooring project for a headquarters for an Architectural Firm.

Honestone worked together with Grimshaw Architects, a global architectural firm, to provide polished concrete flooring to their new building in Charter Hall Building on 333 George St., Sydney.

The goal was to install a seamless polished concrete floor for their entry lift lobby, main office walkways and break out areas.

Grimshaw Architects had nothing but praise for our expertise in polished concrete overlay, our flexibility, and adaptability, as well as our work ethic.

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We recently completed a modern polished concrete overlay project for cutting edge university accommodation.

Honestone worked together with Hutchinson Builders to provide polished concrete flooring to build a unique and contemporary accommodation for the students living on campus in Wollongong University.

The student accommodations on campus support the learning process and affect the success of the students. The construction of such an integral part of campus life requires a team of top-notch architects, builders, and flooring specialists.

Our team impressed Hutchinson Builders with our expertise in polished concrete overlay in Wollongong, as well as our work ethic.

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The benefits of polished concrete are many. It is a very popular choice among commercial, residential, retail, and industrial establishments. If you go to the mall, to a restaurant or to your office, try looking down, chances polished concrete is staring back at you.

True to its name, “polished” concrete is what gives concrete floors that polished and shiny look. It also has a reputation of outlasting the rest of the flooring finishes.

But what are the real reasons you should choose polished concrete flooring for your next project?

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Polished concrete floors can last a lifetime if maintained properly because they can withstand wear and tear through the densification and polishing process. But as durable as they come, these floors will eventually lose their sparkle if you fail to maintain it properly, especially if they are placed in high-traffic commercial or retail facilities.

Generally, polished concrete floors are easier to maintain than other types of decorative concrete floors. However, some retail shops still make the mistake of thinking they are all too easy to maintain.

Here are three essential tips for keeping your polished concrete floor in optimum condition:

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Experts say about 40% of the carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change comes from buildings.

Most of us think it results from energy needs such as air conditioning and lighting.

But this is not the case…

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The course of architecture was forever changed the day the ancient Romans developed concrete. This wonderful material is renowned for its strength and durability as well as being abundant.

While the concrete that the Romans used to build their structures is very different from the type that we use today, concrete is still consistently the prime choice for builders throughout the ages.

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Installing a polished concrete floor is not exactly an easy task. It requires a lot of planning and a whole lot of working hours.

Timing is key when installing a polished concrete floor. Getting the timing wrong could involve ripping everything out and starting all over again. This job would normally take 3-6 days depending on the size and the condition of the room.

Getting this flooring looking perfect takes a lot of time and skill. Every step is very important, and making sure that there are no weak links is a priority. If this is not done right, the whole floor integrity can fall apart. Longevity is important when we are dealing with heavy duty floorings.

Here are the steps involved in installing a polished concrete floor:

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Polished concrete floors are an amazing type of floor that will not only look great, but also last for many years. The secret is to look after them properly.

A lot of people make the big mistake of thinking that a polished concrete floor will look great without much effort. While concrete floors are extremely lasting, you still need to do some proper maintenance work to ensure that they remain in top condition.

Here are the biggest mistakes stores make when cleaning polished concrete floors we regularly come across, and how to avoid them.

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Your building floor looks a little worn out in places, and you need to breathe new life into it.

Total removal or replacement seems an attractive proposition, but you realise that doing so would make a serious dent on your budget. So what are your options?

If you want to transform your now-imperfect concrete floor into something seriously fabulous without spending a fortune, then going for decorative concrete overlays may be the ideal choice for you.

Why decorative concrete overlays work so well

Decorative concrete overlays are your best option if you are looking to rejuvenate worn, damaged, or unsightly concrete floors. Whether you need to restore your floor to its original look, or give it a new one, or simply correct elevation problems, you can rest assured that these concrete toppings are up to the task.

With its thin-set character and in situ application, decorative concrete overlays can provide you with numerous design possibilities that would help transform existing concrete floors into spaces of distinction. Take a look at some of the concrete toppings we have provided for some of our clients to get an idea what we at Honestone can do with decorative concrete overlays.

1. Timber inserts can create classy patterns within the floor area.

 

Polished cement floors already look great. Timber inserts, however, considerably up the wow factor with the patterns they create.

2. Free form design without grout lines using multiple colours.

Don’t like grout lines on your floor? Then let our cement toppings solve that issue for you. Let your creativity run wild and go with any design you’ll like, and you’ll end up with a polished concrete floor that is absolutely striking.

3. Use subtle colour variations to identify individual areas within a space.

 

Why use dividers or anything similar to mark areas within a space when you can use decorative cement overlays for that purpose? Very subtle colour variations work just as well, and without putting up dividers or anything that takes up space.

4. Use of corporate logos or colours help reinforce a brand.

Let not the people who walk on your polished concrete floors forget who you are and what you stand for.

5. Create feature panels or strips with a reverse mix.

For example, the main floor area can be white cement with black marble aggregate while features can be black cement with white aggregate.

6. Introduce mirror chip.

Install mirror chip cement toppings–available in natural and a variety of colours–and make your floor sparkle under lighting.

7. Change the size of the aggregates to make feature areas.

 

For instance, an entry may have 10mm white aggregate with corridors at a 3mm aggregate. There may even be no aggregate feature panels if you so choose.

8. Have a door entry mat recessed into the floor.

This would be perfect for a wet area transition on those rainy days. No trip hazards, no slips guaranteed. The best thing about recessed entry mats is that they create highly effective protection against wet and dirt ruining your impeccable polished concrete flooring.

9. Stone tile inserts, motifs or brass will create a focal point or pattern to a seamless floor.

Seamless floors are awesome enough, but stone tile inserts, motifs or brass just make them magical.

10. Bring floor levels together by using the same floor finish on stairs.

Matching polished concrete floor and stairs. Always a win.

The thing about decorative concrete overlays

While decorative cement overlays are great at giving existing cement floors a makeover, it is not an end-all and be-all solution for all concrete floors. Installing decorative concrete overlays, for one, should not be an option when the underlying base is no longer structurally sound. The same is also true if the floor is resting on unstable soil, or if the concrete has huge or very bad cracks. For these conditions, total replacement of the floor is the only real option.

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Home is where the heart is, and to put the pulse back into an exclusive property takes the expertise of top-notch architects, builders and flooring specialists.

In the suburb of Dover Heights in Sydney, a property in Aboukri Street was renovated, translating tradition to modernity under the auspices of Sam Crawford Architects (SCA), SQ Projects and renowned flooring and walling specialist, Honestone.

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The advent of polished cement floors has certainly changed the way we think about concrete flooring. We used to associate concrete floors and walls with coldness and blandness.

Not anymore, not with the beauty, elegance and style that polished cement brings with it.

How do we at Honestone provide you with polished concrete that meets all your requirements? Let’s take a closer look at the basics of polished cement floors.

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The very smooth and shiny finish of polished concrete floors tend to give people the impression that they’re slippery too. Nothing, however, can be further from the truth. Polished concrete floors are completely safe to walk on. The reason? They are subject to rigorous slip resistance tests. It’s a procedure that we are very strict about, in order to guarantee that all our products are slip resistant and absolutely safe.

How is slip testing on polished concrete floors done? Read and discover the details, one of which may surprise you.

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Concrete is everywhere. Just look at our roads, buildings, dams and bridges. Today, it is the single most widely used material in the world. Its impact on our everyday lives is hard to ignore.

So we decided to collect 10 fascinating quotes about concrete, all of which will put how we view concrete in the proper perspective – be it music, dreams and even bad weather.

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Since the 1970s, the Pyrmont Fire Station has had a resident of the non-human variety dubbed Harry. Over the years, a lot of firefighters who have worked at the station have their own stories to tell about him. Those stories often tell of banging and clanging noises during the night, making Harry the ghost quite the legend.

However, with the iconic building undergoing much-needed renovations, Harry also appears to have been affected. With Honestone providing the station’s polished concrete flooring in Pyrmont, the station’s human residents are well pleased. What about Harry the ghost?

$2.7 million upgrade

The change began when NSW Emergency Services Minister Stuart Ayres and Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins announced a $2.7 million upgrade of the station building.

Located at 197 Pyrmont St, in Pyrmont, Sydney, the legend of Harry the ghost has disappeared, along with the old look of the station. With the upgrade, the station has been transformed into a first-class, modern, sophisticated and functional facility.

Polished Concrete Flooring in Pyrmont by Honestone

Integral to the 16-month make-over were principal contractor Artel constructions, Ispecs, and award winning flooring and wall specialist Honestone, in conjunction with Ardex Australia.

Artel constructions director Fyaz Gill said the company was honoured to take over the direction of the building and was buoyant that the refurbishment was a success.

Working from the ground up, Mr Gill said removing lead paints and asbestos took 4-5 months, and seismic work was done to resist a potential natural disaster.

“The extension took three months, then 5 months for the slab and lasiations” he said.

Ardex Australia NSW Specification Manager Mark Zangari said with a noticeably finer aggregate, the PanDOMO TerrazzoMicro was the chosen finish, producing a homogeneous and elegant finish.

“Being an engineered system by Ardex, the ratios all work together to ensure the right amount of marble chip is being displayed in the finish, something which often doesn’t happen with conventional polished concrete finishes,” he said.

“Considerably thinner than traditional terrazzo does not sacrifice in the strength of the floor, with it able to be used in high traffic areas.”

“The shinier material thickness also ensures minimal material consumption, which, combined with the Low VOC of the finish, provides some excellent green attributes for the flooring system.

“With the Pyrmont Fire Station, a white aggregate was used with a white binder in order to give the floor a nice, simple and sleek look. This assisted in accentuating the dark and face brick walls.”

Honestone director Rick Hendriks, in conjunction with an Ispecs spokesperson, said the polished concrete component was a medium diamond grind to partially expose the aggregate in a “hit & miss” appearance whilst the terrazzo flooring was Barossa White marble with White Ardex panDOMO TerrazzoMicro cement. Honestone’s polished concrete flooring in Pyrmont was met with praise.

“The finish was impeccable, extremely aesthetic and functional,” Mr Hendriks said.

“Our team worked tirelessly to perfect the project and we could not be happier with the results.”

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When a central business district building in Erina, on NSW’s Central Coast, needed some nurturing, the owners decided to turn their commercial headquarters into a chic retail hub. Their first port of call for the iconic Platinum Building’s make-over was well known flooring and wall specialist, Honestone.

The company’s director, Rick Hendriks, said for the discerning property owner, nothing matches the natural beauty of a stone or terrazzo floor. Terrazzo, as well as stone, has been used since Roman times to produce high performance commercial floors,” Mr Hendriks said. “It is still used in today’s largest shopping centres and institutional buildings. The Platinum Building is a perfect example of how functional and stylish the finish can be. Unfortunately at Platinum the floor has never received the right care after having been installed with original construction many years ago. It was Honestone’s role to rectify the situation and ensure a prefect finish.”

S J Skipper & Associates chairman of body corporate of the Platinum Building, Steve Skipper, said they were very happy with the results. The reputable corporate group said they would opt for the Honestone profile any time.

“The job hit expectations – a definite yes there,” Mr Skipper said. “Overall we were really pleased with the results.Would we recommend Honestone? Yes.”

Honestone stripped the existing Terrazzo flooring throughout the 645 metre square area on three levels, over two buildings. Once the terrazzo had been restored, Honestone used diamond polished pads and treated the floors with a high performance impregnating sealer from Aqua Mix.

So too, Honestone was integral in the revamping of City Link Plaza in Morriset St, Queanbeyan. The project was instigated after the plaza’s representative, Doug Chown, was shown the reputable skill-base and expertise Honestone could demonstrate, to revive yet another 650 square metre retail hub.

Mr Hendriks said Honestone representatives were requested to visit site to demonstrate the wall and flooring specialist’s ability to rejuvenate the existing mall terrazzo flooring.

“The mall flooring was in terrible neglect after years and years of mismanagement,” Mr Hendriks said. “I believe the property had ‘then been’ recently been purchased by Trinity Funds Management, and they were remodelling the entire mall to improve its vacancy rates. Doug had been appointed as the on-site property manager and who we met for our site sample. Within four hours we had demonstrated to Doug sufficiently our capability with stunning results. As soon as Doug had our proposal approval from Trinity, we were down there for stage 1. The overnight transformation was simply amazing.

“Our crews worked diligently throughout the night to make the area look like a new floor had been installed. Firstly we had to strip years and years of sealer, then we diamond polished the beautiful underlying insitu terrazzo and protected the floor with an impregnating sealer. Doug was left with a maintenance schedule he still uses to this day. The mall looked brighter, cleaner – just amazing. I think we surprised ourselves with this one. The job was completed over another two stages.”

Mr Hendriks said Honestone had fitting materials for a plethora of environments including the commercial industry, just like the Platinum Building and City Link Plaza, the hospitality industry, manufacturing, and commercial spaces, offices, architectural residential projects, and many more. He said the company had fitting experience with rejuvenating old worn flooring as well as utilising new materials on existing surfaces.

To find out about how Honestone can enhance your space, why not contact us today?

 

Related Tags: Terrazzo Floors Sydney

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When style gurus Fanuli Furniture, on Military Road at Cremorne, wanted to create the perfect finish to their showroom, they chose to integrate a look that was in sync with the trend setting company’s modern and classy appeal.

The perfect solution came from renowned wall and flooring specialists, Honestone.

The company’s director, Rick Hendriks said, “Director Fabio Fanuli contacted us after being highly recommended by another architectural finishes company, Axolotl, as contractors specialising in producing concrete wall finishes to existing substrates.

“The family owned Fanuli Furniture was remodelling its lower level showroom to create and update its modern decor and appeal.

“After an initial meeting with Fabio Fanuli and designer Bradhly Le, we produced samples, indicating various colour shades and texture variations for some existing ceiling beams and new columns yet to be built.

“The idea was to produce a concrete basement feel to showcase Fanuli’s fine Italian furniture.”

Job done in just a week

Mr Hendriks said Mr Fanuli was so impressed with the finishes, the family decided to extend the light grey, concrete colour panDOMO Wall finish to all the walls, beams and part of the display floor as well.

“After preceding trades completed plastering, electrical works and requiring a fast turnaround to allow for a scheduled re-opening, Honestone brought in two of its skilled crews to have the job done in only one week.”

Mr Fanuli said he was overwhelmed by the tasteful and voguish polished cement finish Honestone had created in the 220 square metre space.

“The area needed attention to stand out and it does!” he said.

“The finish exemplifies beauty.

“Rick Hendriks and his team were very professional.

“Everything was on time and the finished result has come out beautifully.

“We get lots of comments from clients and have recommended Honestone very highly.”

To find out about how Honestone can enhance your space, visit the website www.honestone.com.au or telephone (02) 4353 0055.

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When internationally recognised Crawford Architects’ Sydney branch wanted to create a remarkable urban design, with a flooring solution to match their prowess, they had to make serious choices. Being so reputable, with a proven track record in the planning and design of a wide range of development types, detail was of utmost importance.

They chose to work with flooring and wall solution specialists Honestone, in conjunction with builders Belmadar Pty Ltd. Valuing collaboration and seek in-sync partnerships, the group went all out when it came to renovating The Briscoe and Company Iron Merchants Building, vacant since the 1970s, in Wattle Street, Ultimo. The Building has a strong historical background, and still exhibits and retains many important and interesting historic elements.

Crawford Architects’ Paul Godsell said these elements can be divided into two categories – (a) the shell, and (b) its contents.

“The shell of the building is essentially a 3-storey Romanesque detailed federation brick warehouse,” he said.

“The floor structure consists of significantly sized timber columns at 3 meter centres, with beams, joists, and an elaborate array of herringbone strutting”.

“The contents (b) consist of an original stair and hydraulic goods lift”.

Perfect marriage between flooring solution and building’s character, heritage and design.

In light of taking on board Honestone to give the floor an exceptional finish, Mr Godsell said the company chose a unique flooring solution to meld perfectly with the building’s character, heritage and design.

“The historical Iron Merchants ‘use’ of the building was the catalyst for the selection of the lobby flooring. It needed to be robust, look indestructible, look like it belonged to part of the original building,” he said.

It needed to be easy to clean, and needed to be able to be applied to original slabs

“After from looking like the ‘bees knees’ – the Pandomo ticked all these boxes, and has proven a winner with the client, Crawford Architects, not to mention all the visitors/members that are blown away when they enter the lobby.

“Honestone’s director Rick Hendriks said his highest priority was to create a stylish refurbishment of an old iconic Sydney building. He said the client was supplied with numerous samples to rectify the existing concrete floor, and after intense consolation, the appropriate product was selected.

He also said that the turnaround of pricing and rapidity of installation were of utmost importance.

To find out more look at samples on our website www.honestone.com.au or call (02) 4353 0055 or visit the showroom by appointment at 10/22 Reliance Drive, Tuggerah, NSW, 2259.

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Flooring and wall surface solution specialist, Honestone, has cleaned up at the internationally renowned Decorative Concrete Council Awards 2013 in the United States.

The Australian company won the Overlays Under ¼” > 500SF section as well as second place in the Vertical > 5000SF for the outstanding work performed at St Barnabas Church in Broadway earlier 
this year.

The Awards are part of the reputable American Society of Concrete Contractors, who strive to “enhance the capabilities of those who build with concrete”.

Church nurtured back to life

The Anglican church, which Honestone helped beautify, was burnt to the ground on May 10 in 2006.

Six years on, the Church was rebuilt and recently re-opened its doors to the community.

The church was nurtured back to life with the help of architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, Buildcorp Contracting NSW and subcontractors including Honestone.

Honestone director Rick Hendriks said his team of experts came on board three months prior to project completion to ensure the best, timely, and professional seamless floor and wall solutions were utilised.

The job was so perfectly achieved, it has now gone down in history as a dual award winning project.

“As our first ever entry into this international competition, we are totally floored by the result – pardon the pun. What an awesome way to finish the year!” Mr Hendriks said.

“Our Honestone team has worked extremely hard this year to achieve some stunning results, and to now be recognised by our industry peers as the best, makes me very proud of the people we have.

“To come away with a first and second place, it just goes to show, Australian decorative concrete skills are up there with the world’s best.

“The presentation night is at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas in February 2013, which we are very excited to be attending.”

In interpreting the intricate level of work achieved, Mr Hendriks said, “We wanted to incorporate a true representation of the warm and holy nature of the church and worked with a white Ardex panDOMO Floor-Plus seamless polished cement finish for several areas, including the upstairs worship space, the stairs to the alter and a beautifully curved feature wall,” Mr Hendriks said.

“Spanning some 200 square metres, we also used a subtle light-grey polished cement for the lobby floor of the church, which was in tune with the serene nature of the space.

Mr Hendriks said his team, as always, took extra steps to ensure seamless project management and an outstanding final result.

“We used three different skill sets of our highly trained crews over an eight week period to perfect the project.

“The project involved many intricate processes too, such as blending wall products to the flooring, working with curvatures, and technical details such as lining up corners and levelling various planes.

“No one has done anything like this in Australia on one project, which in total encompassed 600 square metres of flooring and 280 square metres of walls.

“We are very proud of the final aesthetics Honestone was able to contribute to the church, coupled with great functionality of a well gripped surface for the congregation.”

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