Transformation of Upscale Charlotte Shopping Center Entrance

SUNDEK National Accounts and SUNDEK of Charlotte resurfaced failing concrete at a high-end retail and restaurant location, creating a beautiful surface to welcome visitors.
Posted by admin on November 3, 2023 in Blog

At the Specialty Shops at SouthPark in Charlotte, NC, SUNDEK National Accounts and SUNDEK of Charlotte resurfaced failing concrete at two entrances to the shopping center, creating an eye-catching focal point for visitors.

At the Specialty Shops SouthPark in Charlotte, North Carolina, visitors can shop retailers such as Williams Sonoma, Ivy & Leo, and several upscale boutiques. After that, hungry shoppers can wander over for American cuisine at Bricktop’s, Northern Italian dishes at Toscana Ristorante, or other fine dining locations. With such sophisticated establishments for guests to enjoy, it’s no wonder the owners at Specialty Shops were unhappy with the entrances to the shopping center: The existing surface was failing and needed repair.

John Fletcher, owner of Carolina Bomanite Corp., reached out to Byron Klemaske, SUNDEK’s Decorative Concrete Consultant, to see if SUNDEK could take on the project. “We have been doing repair and installation work for this client for close to 15 years. Being a high-visibility property in the Southpark area of Charlotte demands that this property looks its best,” says John Fletcher of Carolina Bomanite Corporation. “After changing the entrance ourselves at least two other times, we called on SUNDEK and their Charlotte team to do a revamp and recolor.”

After connecting with John, Rae Cerasoli, SUNDEK’s Commercial Decorative Concrete Specialist got him in touch with Aaron Lindley and Justin O’Lear of SUNDEK of Charlotte, and the collaboration began.

Fixing the failing texture on two entrance areas, which had been applied by another contractor years before, is a task SUNDEK is no stranger to. The scope of the project included fully removing the existing texture, applying a coating of Classic Texture, and then sealing everything with colors approved by the designer. This part would be straightforward for SUNDEK, as it included the type of work they’ve completed hundreds of times before. There was one major hurdle, though: During the resurfacing project, the Specialty Shops would not be able to completely close either entrance, and handicap accessibility needed to remain fully functional and safe for visitors.

SUNDEK crews created a checkerboard pattern using two colors—Balanced Beige and Moth Wing—to provide an elegant surface for this high-end shopping center.

With hundreds of people visiting the Specialty Shops every day of the week, this presented an interesting challenge. How to keep the entrance open while concurrently resurfacing it? Crews could work after hours, but temperatures were beginning to drop into the 30s at night, presenting an issue for temperature-sensitive parts of the job. So, as they do with every job, SUNDEK crews got creative. They would do the removal of the existing, failing coating at night, and complete the temperature-sensitive stages of the project during the day, strategically blocking off only the portions of the surface they were working on while keeping the shops accessible to everyone.

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The project began at 10pm on a crisp evening in October. That night, crews began removing the failing texture with grinders attached to HEPA vacuums to mitigate dust and negative environmental impact. The next day, crews completed a more detailed grind to fully prepare the surface. When the surface was ready, they applied the base coat. By applying the coat in sections and roping off those sections with caution tape while they cured, SUNDEK was able to keep portions of the entrance open as requested by the client. Once a section completely cured, SUNDEK maneuvered everything so that they could begin working on the base coat of another section.

Just two days after SUNDEK began their work on the project, they applied Classic Texture to the 1,685 square-foot area, roping off sections as they worked. And the following day, as if to remind crews of her presence in North Carolina, Mother Nature rained on the jobsite, requiring SUNDEK to scrape the work area and recut all control joints that had already been placed.

The surface design is a perfect balance of chic and fun, and complements the style of the buildings, light features, potted plants, and fountains perfectly.

Crews pressed on, and when the Classic Texture coating was ready for it, SUNDEK applied the colored sealers. During design stages, Rae and Michael Mercado, National Production Manager, coordinated with designers to finalize the two colors that would be used for the checkerboard pattern. First, crews applied Balanced Beige to the entire surface. Next, they added the second color, Moth Wing, to create the checkerboard pattern. For the second sealer color (Moth Wing) the team inserted four paint shields on all sides of each square to make the process efficient and prevent blurring. When all colored sealers were completed and had time to set, a final clear sealer was applied to the surface. During this entire process, SUNDEK continued to provide pathways for clientele at the shopping center.

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Despite the rain delay and tricky jobsite parameters, SUNDEK crews received numerous compliments about their professionalism and craftsmanship throughout the project. “We could not have been happier with the results and the cooperation with Aaron Lindley and his Charlotte team who worked long nights in order to not interrupt the experience of the clients visiting Specialty Shops in the Park,” says John. The client was thrilled that SUNDEK was not only able to keep the shops open during their regular business hours, but that the jobsite remained clean and safe.

“Our teams worked together to meet the designer's vision through patterns and colors to complete this project within their timeline,” says Rae. “As always, it was a pleasure to work with John Fletcher at Carolina Bomanite Corporation. We are excited to collaborate on future projects with them.” Finishing two days earlier than their expected deadline, SUNDEK of Charlotte and SUNDEK National Accounts crews successfully installed a stunning and memorable entrance for the Specialty Shops of SouthPark.

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