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Concrete Decor - Index

Concrete Decor - CDNLSeptember08 - Index

pattern. So how’d Chief Concrete do?
“They were phenomenal,” reports
Somyak. “Their project management was
great and Monte is very knowledgeable.”
According to Somyak, the Walkers
worked on the first Lithocrete installation
in the city. But that’s no surprise. “We were
one of the original architectural contractors,
and we were local pioneers in concrete
stamping,” states the younger Walker.
Jackhammer University
One more noteworthy recent project
involved installing the distinctive sunburst
logo on the floor of Allegiant Air’s Las Vegas
headquarters.
“We had to start by pre-leveling the
floor with Ardex SD-T self-leveling cement
because it was recessed two inches,” says
Matt Walker. “We used 1 1/2 inches of fill
and then capped it with a coat of smooth
Ardex SD-T.”
After hand-sawing the two 20-by-15
sunburst patterns, they applied pigmented
epoxy urethane for a base color, then handsprayed
airplane paint. The final step was to
grout and seal their showcase creation with
a number of coats of clear epoxy urethane
and wax.
“It was painstaking, but we’re very proud
of it,” says Matt.
To this day, most of what father and son
have learned about the business — from
stamping to Lithocrete installation — has
been self-taught. Picked up along the way.
“The price of education comes hard,”
says Monte Walker. “Sometimes you learn
with a jackhammer.”
Sometimes there’s just no better
way.
˛ www.chiefconcrete.com
SEPTEMBER 2008 · ALL ACCESS · 9