From Australia comes this seamless floor material and process for covering concrete floors. Impulse Surface owner Paolo (Paul) deSpagno Pisani, has been installing these floors in Melbourne, Victoria, and Adelaide in southern Australia for 10 years, after leaving a position as technical director for the performing arts at Deaken University in Melbourne.
Various unusual effects can be created with layers of the epoxy flooring material.
"The material I use is a non-toxic epoxy resin with mineral pigments that produces a variety of a pearl-like effects," says Pisani.
On most projects, Impulse Surfaces starts with a new concrete surface. "Concrete is the normal surface that we are approached to work on," said Pisani, "although we have worked on MDF and StructaFloor." (StructaFloor is an Australian engineered lumber sheeting material.) Impulse Surfaces has also been asked to cover over tiles. "Tiles present specific problems and the use of sufficient material to cover the grout lines becomes expensive. Removal is preferable and then a self leveling compound is normally used. We also have been working with an acoustic rubber sheeting that can be laid over damaged concrete and tiles to provide a new surface to apply our process."
Earth tones are used in many homes.
Impulse Surface creates light-colored floors in some rooms.
Floor preparation on new concrete is a simple as a light sanding to clean away any construction debris. "Sufficient bonding is achieved with the resin material we use," Psiani said. Cracks are typically repaired with a two-part builders putty or a mortar of resin and quartz sand.
"Depending on the process we sometimes use a water-based resin to effect permeation and to provide the first color," he said. "We blend the colors with the resin. Since we use a different resin formula at each stage one type can be colored to match the existing decorator paints in the building. The other resin formula requires the use of our mineral pigments."
Impulse Surface applies the material by pouring it and spreading it in 2-mm thick layers (about a tenth of an inch). They then add layers of contrasting colors to create Pisani's artistic vision for the floor. "The artwork is created as a fluid manipulation of the material across the surface," he said.
To keep the floors as shiny as when they are new, Impulse Surface uses a metalized polish that is lightly mopped across the floor and buffed. Restoration of a surface, even one that has had no maintenance for many years, can be achieved by lightly sanding and applying a clear coat of resin.
Mottled effects and random patterns add interest to a floor.
"I have many years involved in the area of space and design for the performing arts" Psiani said, "and I have translated some of that experience to interior design." His floors indeed reflect a keen artistic eye.
Impulse Surface
Paolo (Paul) deSpagno Pisani
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
impulsesurface@gmail.com
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