No Gambling With Casino Kitchen Coatings
By Jen Kramer   

Photos courtesy of The Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce

Once just places to grab a quick meal while not gambling, casino buffets are now pushing the envelope in terms of dining choices and popularity. In fact, they’ve become important sources of revenue for the casinos in their own right -- which is why when the flooring in the commercial kitchen of the buffet at a popular casino in Oklahoma started to develop problems, the owners quickly reacted.

“The epoxy quartz system was severely failing in the dish washing room, the serving areas, and the cook line,” says John Davis, Regional Sales Manager with Dur-A-Flex, Inc. “And there was some concern that the failure was due to moisture vapor transmission from the concrete substrate itself.”

Since the Riverwind Casino is the largest in Oklahoma, and the buffet is one of its main attractions, the owners – The Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce – did not want to take any chances with a job not done right. Davis and the flooring crew from Industrial Flooring Services, Inc. met with tribal elders to discuss the options.

“Although only 3,000 square feet (278.71m²) of flooring was in trouble, they decided to recoat the entire floor – all 9,000 square feet (836.13m²). The feeling was they wanted to fix any problems and to use the best materials available.”

Salts? Lactic Acid? Moisture?

Moisture vapor transmission may have been the suspected cause for the failure, but no one was willing to take that gamble. “Dur-A-Flex features the Nautilus floor failure prevention program,” Davis explains. “Under the program, random core samples of the substrate are taken and sent to Dur-A-Flex for moisture readings as well as for analysis of ionic components because salts and chlorides can cause failure too.” Based on the test results, a specific Dur-A-Flex system is recommended for each individual floor.

“The coatings crew took eight 1 1/2" x 2" (3.81cm x 5.08cm) random cores from the buffet slab. The analysis revealed high levels of ionic compounds, including lactic acid, in the upper levels of the concrete,” says Davis. As a result, Dur-A-Flex recommended the use of a PolyCrete system – specifically a PolyCrete MDQ base coat with a PolyCrete CF top coat. “We also recommended that the coatings crew perform a heavy shot blast to bring the concrete slab to CSP 3-4.” Further, this specification included Dur-A-Flex’s “Life-Time Material and Labor Warranty against failure due to osmotic blistering,” Davis continues.

The owners agreed, adding their own stipulation – all work had to be completed in eight days. “Not only is the buffet a popular draw for the casino,” says Davis, “It also is part of their community. Wednesdays are Senior Citizens’ Days and the owners were adamant that the restaurant only be closed for one Wednesday. They didn’t want to inconvenience their senior patrons.”

This meant that all existing equipment had to be removed. All of the existing flooring had to be removed. The new flooring had to be installed and the equipment had to be replaced exactly as before – all within eight days. But Davis and the Industrial Flooring Services crew were more than ready for the gamble.

Going All In

As much as the casino didn’t want to displace their senior patrons, they didn’t want to disturb their everyday guests, either. Even though the buffet would be closed, casino guests would still be inconvenienced if dust or odors escaped from the job site. So before any work began, the Industrial Flooring crew set up dust collectors and installed plastic sheeting along the serving line to prevent any errant dust or fumes from wafting onto the casino floor.

Using a VIC International Shave Master 320 equipped with a VIC DC 5800 dust collector, the crew first removed the existing epoxy quartz floor system. “The dust collector really helped minimize the dust,” Davis says. “Once the floor had been sliced to the concrete substrate, they used a SASE 780 Diametic Grinder equipped with a SASE Bull Vacuum to grind away any remaining coating and create a clean, profiled concrete substrate.”

Then it was time to deal in on the floor and start coating. Using cam rakes, the crew screed-applied Dur-A-Flex’s PolyCrete MDQ base coat at a thickness of 3/16" (0.48cm) wet. A 100% solids, aromatic, cementitious, urethane system, PolyCrete features high chemical-, abrasion-, and moisture-resistance. It also meets USDA, FDA, and CFIA standards – an important factor in a commercial kitchen setting.

Once the PolyCrete MDQ had been applied, it was “leveled with a loop roller until smooth and spike rolled to remove air bubbles,” Davis describes. “After 10 minutes, the floor was then hand-broadcast with Q28 quartz to the point of rejection.” The base coat was allowed to dry and “six hours later, the excess aggregate was removed.”

Following the aggregate removal, the crew used rubber squeegees to apply a 12 mil (0.30mm) DFT top coat of Dur-A-Flex’s PolyCrete CF, a 100% solids, three-component aliphatic cementitious urethane top coat. PolyCrete is color-stable and resistant to stains and chemicals. The fast drying, low-odor top coat meets USDA, FDA, and OSHA standards. “Once the CF had been applied, the crew backrolled it to create a uniform texture,” says Davis. “The floor was then allowed to cure for 24 hours.”

An inspection by a NACE Level III coatings inspector completed, the equipment was re-installed – six days after the project began. With two days still on the clock, it was time for the crew to show their hand.

“The owners were very pleased with their new floor,” Davis states. “In fact, the Chickasaw tribe owns several other casinos and Industrial Flooring Services and Dur-A-Flex have been tapped for those jobs.” It’s not a gamble to say that hard work and attention to detail gave this crew a coatings jackpot.

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