Nuyard Garden Centre – 1,300m²

Nuyard Garden Centre (previously Flitvale Garden Centre), based in Westoning, Bedfordshire, comprises a garden centre, farm shop, bakery and florist. Polycote was commissioned to prepare and coat a newly cemented 1,300 m² floor area to transform it into a durable and visually appealing surface suitable for retail and operational use.

The existing concrete base consisted of 600 × 600 mm slabs in varying states of repair – uneven, worn, and lacking in aesthetic appeal. The new cement floor had extensive cracking, high porosity, and an irregular, soft texture that made conventional surface preparation challenging.

Given the condition of the substrate, Polycote proposed a thorough mechanical preparation followed by a robust three-coat epoxy coating system to ensure durability, performance and a clean finished appearance.

• Floor mechanically prepared via vacuum-assisted diamond grinding and STR floor scarifying to provide a full mechanical key.
• Localised crack-repair using Easi-Fil to address the high number of fissures and irregularities.
• Full vacuum-clean to remove dust and debris from the textured cement surface.
• Application of three coats of Flortex SG to prime, seal, and protect the floor.
• Re-cutting of all expansion joints (total 174 linear metres) to approximately 8–10 mm depth and filling them using Jointex XFH.

Floor Preparation – Diamond Grinding
To overcome the poor surface finish and softness of the screed, preparation was carried out in two stages:

1. First pass (heavy): A four-head heavy Terraco machine was used to remove 3–4 mm of surface, eliminating the worst of the uneven concrete and preparing a relatively flat base, though with coarse grinding marks.
2. Second pass (fine): A lighter STR machine with smaller grinding wheels gently removed the grinding marks left by the first pass, resulting in a much smoother, more uniform floor ready for coating.

The double-pass grinding method considerably improved floor flatness and texture, creating a proper mechanical key for the coatings.

Coating Specification – 3 Coats Polycote Flortex SG

The three-coat system using Flortex SG was selected to deliver the following benefits:

1. Brighten the area to improve the customer experience.
2. Seal the soft, porous concrete to stop dusting and further degradation.
3. Provide an easy-clean, totally impervious, and hard-wearing finish.

Flortex SG is a non-toxic, two-part water-dispersed epoxy floor coating with a high solid content. It cures to a matt-to-semi-gloss surface suitable for high foot traffic and handling of pallet trucks and trolleys.

The poor quality of the new cement floor created multiple difficulties:

• The softness and porosity of the surface made diamond grinding less effective than usual, requiring two distinct passes (heavy grinding followed by lighter finishing).
• The irregular texture and widespread cracking necessitated extensive local repairs.
• The condition of the substrate meant an extra (third) coating was required to achieve the performance and finish expected.
• These additional works extended the project scope, increasing time on site and overall cost.

The project was completed successfully, despite the poor condition of the original substrate. The finished floor delivered a clean, hard-wearing, visually improved surface that met the garden centre’s needs for foot traffic, pallet / trolley use, and long-term durability.

The client was very pleased with the result — a well-prepared, high-quality floor with excellent attention to detail. The extra care taken during preparation and the decision to apply a third coat ensured a finish that will perform and last.