SUNDEK Salvages More Than 100 Balconies for Marriott

At a hotel in Lexington, KY, SUNDEK crews repaired failing balconies, protected them from future water damage, and gave them a chic look that will last for years to come.
Posted by admin on March 2, 2022 in Blog

SUNDEK resurfaced more than 100 balconies at the Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington, KY. The previously damaged balconies were repaired, protected with a waterproof coating, and then coated with a decorative layer in a basketweave design.

When MGAC, a project management consulting group, began inspecting their new property—the Lexington Marriott at Griffin Gate—they thought they had a lot of demolition and rebuilding projects ahead.

The property has 109 various balconies on numerous floors totaling in more than 15,000 square feet. An old waterproof membrane coating on the balcony floors had failed, and they were experiencing significant water damage.

Initially, MGAC thought they’d need to remove everything and start from scratch. That’s when Erica Killam reached out to SUNDEK’s Commercial Decorative Concrete Specialist, Jason Unruh, to ask if SUNDEK could come take a look.

SUNDEK assessed the surfaces and found that while there was indeed a noteworthy amount of failure, there was still a lot of viable material present. In fact, with the plan SUNDEK had in mind, none of the balconies would need to be demolished.

Unruh’s team proposed a solution that would salvage the materials that were sound and scrap that ones that needed to be removed. SUNDEK suggested that they remove all failing materials, float out surfaces as needed so the balconies would drain properly, and coat the entire balcony floor with an elastomeric waterproof coat.

SUNDEK has two waterproofing coatings, but the one they suggested using here was EPC35, a two-component cement-based overlay that is incredibly flexible and crack resistant. This abrasion-resistant coating doesn’t have a toxic odor and has a very thin profile. These qualities and more make it a popular coating for many types of surfaces.

Because it can be used in combination with other coatings, EPC35 can be customized to fit the design request of clients. In this case, SUNDEK recommended that after each balcony floor was prepped with the waterproof coating, they would coat the surface with SunSplash.

SUNDEK’s SunSplash is a decorative coating that can be sprayed on to create a textured surface. Its protection against weather, salts, and environmental pollutants—plus the fact that it’s maintenance friendly—make it a highly requested coating. A product commonly used around pool decks and other surfaces that get wet, SunSplash would make the perfect decorative flooring solution for the balconies at the hotel.

Related: SUNDEK Revives Condominium Balconies in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Happy with the plan, MGAC had SUNDEK proceed with creating mockups based on the design specified by Nehmer and HVS Design, an architecture, interior design, project management, and branding firm working on the project. The firm specified a basketweave design with SUNDEK’s signature color Pewter Grey for the field color. For the grout lines, SUNDEK did custom matching to get the color requested by the firm—SW 7674 Peppercorn by Sherwin-Williams.

When the mockups were approved and the removal of the failing material was complete, SUNDEK began their work. SUNDEK meticulously assessed the surface of each balcony to determine next steps on a case-by-case basis. Some balconies required “blending,” a step that served to modify the surface of the balcony to make sure water would run in the right direction, preventing future water damage.

To accomplish this step on the balconies that needed it, SUNDEK applied a cementitious coating to the surface, building it up higher at the threshold of the entryway to the rooms, then feathering it down as it reaches either the drain or the edge of the balcony—ultimately directing water to run away from the building rather than towards it. By mixing that cementitious coating with a liquid additive that polymerizes the material, SUNDEK created a material that has a stronger PSI than concrete.

The next step (or first step for balconies that didn’t need blending) was for SUNDEK to apply the elastomeric waterproof coating followed by a basecoat. After that was complete, the crews hand-taped the design then sprayed on the SunSplash coating. Everything was topped with SUNDEK’s Signature finish coat, a proprietary acrylic coating, to protect it from wear and tear and other damage. For a hotel property that sees a significant amount of foot traffic, this type of protection is necessary to prolong the beauty and durability of the decorative surface.

The finish coat was combined with SUNDEK’s antimicrobial protection. This extra safeguard works to inhibit the growth and reproduction of harmful bacteria, mold, and mildew, making it less likely that the surface will support the transfer of harmful microbes. The product's ability to ensure that the surface stays cleaner and fresher for long periods of time makes it a favorite product among commercial property owners whose properties accommodate lots of guests.

During the project, SUNDEK installers accessed each balcony via the corresponding hotel rooms. Some of the room interiors were already completely furnished, but even in rooms that were not complete, SUNDEK took extra care to protect the interior while construction was in progress.

The entire balcony project would need to be completed in about a month—from the time materials were mocked up to the time the last balcony installation would be complete. Because the timeline was condensed, SUNDEK pulled together a team of the best SUNDEK installers around the country to complete the job and successfully meet the requested timeline.

A pool area on the property was resurfaced in a design that corresponds with the look of the balcony surface.

In addition to the balconies, SUNDEK resurfaced 11,000 square feet or surface elsewhere at the hotel: an indoor pool deck and an outdoor pool area which includes a pool deck, bathroom, cabana deck, and hot tub area. For the surface in this part of the hotel, SUNDEK applied a design that coordinated with the balconies but in a simplified pattern to prevent the large space from having a busy appearance.

MGAC was not only happy with the aesthetic of the finished balconies—they were also pleased that SUNDEK was able to find a solution that didn’t require them to go down to the original substrate—allowing them to save time and money.

Looking for a contractor to repair your surfaces?

At SUNDEK, we have crews around the country trained to repair concrete surfaces.

Contact our National Accounts Team