Flight School Hangar Gets a Professional Lift for Floor Installation

 

New White Shiny COncrete Floor Coating in Univerity School Hangar

Facility: Utah Valley University Flight School

Scope of Work: Install a new 7,000 square foot concrete floor coating system

Industry: Aviation

Installation Team: Rust-Oleum, University Prep & Install Team, Jones Paint & Glass, Sunbelt Rentals

Product Solutions: Epoxy-Shell 550 Water-Based Hard Surface Primer, Epoxy-Shell 1000 EPL, Poly-Shell 7000 Polyaspartic, Clear-Shell TX MCU, Krud Kutter PRO

 

 

THE SITUATION:

In February 2023, Rust-Oleum was approached by the Utah Valley University Facilities Services department to install a new, durable concrete floor coating system in their 7,000 square foot indoor hangar, protecting their fleet of 25 aircraft from inclement weather and direct sunlight while facilitating maintenance. A variety of challenges emerged ahead of the two-day installation.

 

THE CHALLENGES:

  1. Resource Constraints – The university team lacked flooring and painting expertise.
  2. Existing Concrete System – The older system with a “paint-like finish” contained stains in bare areas.
  3. Absence of Architect Support – The university was dependent upon the manufacturer and dealer to provide a system without architect involvement.
  4. Equipment – The university did not own concrete surface preparation equipment.
  5. Timeframe – A stringent two-day installation window, coupled with a week for preparation, left less than six hours allocated for actual installation over the two days.
  6. Weather – Utah in March presented the real concern of rain because some sections of the hangar are not completely airtight.
  7. Color and Abrasion – Ensuring color stability and resistance to abrasion was crucial in this environment. User-friendly products were essential to achieve the desired finish.

 

THE PROCESS:

The solution unfolded seamlessly:

  • Rust-Oleum Zone Representative, K.R. Montgomery, conducted an onsite visit and project condition survey, aligning the solution with the specific needs of the hangar.
  • Senior Technical Service Manager, David O’Bryan, crafted a system for professional performance and functional aesthetics, informed by the Project Condition Survey.
  • Industrial Flooring Specialist, Tony Swartz, recommended Sunbelt Rentals for surface preparation equipment based upon past successful Seal-Krete High Performance Industrial Coating Systems and Sunbelt shared installations with new installers and available equipment.

 

“If KR and Tony weren’t there to help train the techs it would’ve been a little daunting doing a hangar that size, but they were a huge help and the product they sold us was super easy to work with.” - Isaac Reaveley, Assistant Director – Facilities Services

 

With equipment in place and specifications defined, Rust-Oleum scheduled installation dates, actively monitoring and guiding the university prep and install team to ensure correct procedures. Recommendations included pre-cleaning with Krud Kutter PRO for stain remediation and advising against filling floor saw cuts to make installation easier while still providing appealing and functional results.

Adapting to unpredictable weather, the Rust-Oleum Team executed an aggressive installation plan, overcoming sporadic rainfalls and low temperatures. Rigorous precautions were taken to maintain optimal conditions, including monitoring with testing instruments such as a thermos-hygrometer and surface temperature gun.

 

“We did this during our spring break to take advantage of the available downtime and absence of students and faculty. The system that we used had a pretty good temperature range and that made the application easy too.” - Reaveley

 

Day One

  • The installation of Epoxy-Shell 550 Water-Based Hard Surface Primer was efficiently completed within 1.5 hours, ensuring ample dry time at a surface temperature of 59 degrees.
    • Why this product: Epoxy-Shell 550 has tenacious adhesion to marginally prepared surfaces, ability to mitigate potential outgassing and formulation in pre-packaged white.
  • To accommodate stable or descending temperatures, the thermostats were adjusted to 60 degrees before the subsequent installation.
  • Epoxy-Shell 1000 EPL applied with a Midwest Rake, achieved a thickness of 15-20 milliliters in three hours.
    • Why this product: Epoxy-Shell 1000 EPL is an unparalleled cyclo-aliphatic epoxy that features the highest grade of UV resistant resin combined with 60 minutes of working time & pot life with a 48-hour recoat window. The results are glass-like high reflective finishes that are simple to install.
  • Following installation, teams walked the surface, confirming the absence of outgassing or imperfections, with the added benefit of achieving full color opacity.

 

Day Two

  • The installation of Poly-Shell 7000 Polyaspartic was completed within one hour, involving 11 team members and employing ribbon rolling and a final cross-roll technique.
    • Why this product: Poly-Shell 7000 Polyaspartic works perfectly for large scale installations featuring low viscosity providing 40 minutes of pot life and enough working time to spread the material and back-roll. The result is a high gloss, consistent, full opacity, UV Stable and lap line free finish.
  • For the final coating, Clear-Shell TX MCU was installed after four hours, with careful attention to evenly distribute the Ultra-Durability Plus additive, which is pre-packaged in the kits and provides a surface texture like 220-grit sandpaper that intensifies the abrasion and scratch resistance.
      • Why this product: Clear-Shell TX is single component polyurethane that contains a stabilizer shot to begin the chemical reaction. Adding Clear-Shell TX to any system creates a “hardhat” of protection from abrasion and chemical resistance including common aviation fluids such as Skydrol.
  • After two hours, the floor was completed.

 

Rust-Oleum's strategic approach to the hangar project highlights the core benefits of its high-performance floor system, which are ensuring user-friendly application, quick return to service and delivering relentless durability.

 

THE RESULT:

The installation of the four-coat premium Seal Krete High Performance Industrial Coating System transformed the hangar into a clean, beautiful and functional space. The durability of the coating is unparalleled, making it ideal for the demands of a flight school environment. The ease of application, excellent adhesion, UV stability and phenomenal chemical resistance, coupled with the expertise of Rust-Oleum's flooring specialists, made the results of this project exceed beyond the University team's expectations.

Empty university hangar with rough concrete floor

“This hangar is a night and day difference compared to what it used to be, and it can now serve as a clean and comfortable environment to learn and teach in.” - Isaac Reaveley

 

“Our technicians have completed three additional floors since this hangar, with three more scheduled. Each time we apply this product, the department consistently expresses satisfaction with the final result.” - Isaac Reaveley

 

For seamless flooring solutions, visit Seal-Krete High Performance Coatings to learn how Rust-Oleum’s expertise guarantees a seamless experience and top-notch results.