Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah offers over 830,000 square feet of shopping, dining, and entertainment with over 120 retail stores and delicious dining options to explore. In 2012, Bomanite Licensee Architectural Concrete & Design Inc. undertook a 70,000 square foot concrete makeover within Valley Fair Mall, retrofitting the concourse with a stampable topping system. This system was to be installed over the existing ceramic tile to save time, money, and eliminate the mess of ripping up the tile.
Family owned and one of the first Bomanite Licensees in the nation, Architectural Concrete & Design has installed a wide variety of hardscapes for commercial, residential, and municipal projects. This interior mall project was a new venture for Devin Johnson, the company’s Vice President, who collaborated with Bomanite’s Technical Services Division to develop the application procedures that would ensure that this Bomanite Toppings System could be placed directly over the existing tile.
Bomanite Systems
Bomanite Thin-Set is a specially formulated polymer-modified topping mix that can be imprinted and will bond to any stable, structurally sound substrate. It is typically installed at 3/8-inch thick and can be feathered to almost a zero edge. Bomanite Thin-Set is as an extremely effective alternative to demolishing an existing substrate and can be exposed to traffic quickly, which was a priority for this job as the work performed on the expansive 70,000 plus square-foot concourse could not be completed during normal working hours or block daily access to any store in the mall.
The process selected used aggressive surface preparation followed by a 100% solids epoxy primer broadcasted to rejection with silica sand to create a mechanical bond for the overlay. After this process, the crew would on the next night apply a scratch coat of Thin-Set II followed by a screeded 3/8-inch thick layer of Thin-Set II, that was then imprinted with one of four Bomanite imprint patterns used throughout the mall.
After this part of the process was complete each morning, the crew would lay down a section of breathable landscape fabric over the affected entrances and rope off everything they had stamped. The timing had to be precise so that the stamped area had time to dry and could withstand foot traffic. After large sections of flooring were textured, secondary coloring and sealing were undertaken prior to turning over the fully finished floors to the mall.
Design Upgrade
Featured throughout the concourse is Bomanite Basketweave Used Brick that was integrally colored with Bomanite Brick Red as well as Bomacron Random Slate in Shale Gray. To create visual breaks, an 8-inch English Slate Texture border in Sand was created with some areas featuring straight lines while other areas feature a free-flowing design. To create even more variety, the Bomanite 12-inch Boardwalk pattern with Sonora Tan Color Hardener was used to enhance the mall’s roundabout and accent other selected areas.
Then and Now
The Valley Fair Mall makeover was perfectly suited to use an overlay, allowing the mall owners to avoid a messy and more costly demolition route. Architectural Concrete & Design expertly installed Bomanite Thin-Set II in combination with Bomanite Imprint Systems to renovate and recreate the mall’s design aesthetic. The “proof is in the pudding” when we say Bomanite Architectural Concrete Systems are top notch; Bomanite Licensed Installers provide the expertise and proficiency to create long-lasting, durable, and beautifully decorative flooring options.
A decade has passed since Architectural Concrete & Design successfully installed the Bomanite Toppings System and imprint patterns. While their decorative concrete prowess provided a stunning decorative concrete layout that impressed patrons and exceeded the mall owner’s expectations, the long-lasting results still stand out as a feature piece inside the mall. Not only did Architectural Concrete & Design produce a product with durability and longevity, but they added distinct decorative detail that showcases quality of work and superior design that has and will continue to stand the test of time.
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