STEP 1 — DESIGN & PLANNING

Before we started, we we're given a picture of the featured car — the Precious Metal Ford Wagon. Knowing our finished floor dimensions we're to be 20' x 20' overall, a design was developed that used our standard products in a way that accentuated the featured car. To create the desired affect, the UCoat It materials must be applied in seperate coats with a minimum of 4-6 hours drying time in between. Depending on the complexity of the design and layout, it may take several days to more than a week to complete a single floor.

STEP 2 — PREPARING THE MDF BOARD

For this floor we needed 400 sq.ft. of finished MDF board cut into 4' wide panels. Each panel is square cut, edged and scuffed on both sides with a 60-80 grit pole sander to assure proper bonding. Each panel is carefully cleaned, inspected and laid out according to the finished design (5 panels deep by 5 panels wide) leaving a 1/2" gap between panels to keep them from sticking together during the coating process. We coat the undersides of our showfloors with UCoat to help protect the MDF board as it travels from venue to venue. For this, we applied two coats of UCoat epoxy — each coat taking a minimum of 4-6 hours to dry. We then let the entire floor cure for 24 hours before turning over.

STEP 3 — APPLYING THE LIGHT GRAY BOND COAT

Just like any standard UCoat It floor coating application, our showfloors also start with two coats of UCoat epoxy. After we flipped the MDF boards over, the UCoat bond coat was applied directly to the uncoated side of the previously sanded MDF board to create a mechanical bond. This was allowed to dry for 24 hours.

STEP 4 — FINISHING THE LIGHT GRAY WITH WHITE FLAKE BASE

After our bond coat was dry, a second coat of UCoat light gray epoxy was applied over the entire floor with a light broadcast of UFlek white flakes. The entire floor was allowed to cure for 24 hours before being topcoated with UGloss-AF clear to seal the UFlek flakes.

At this point, we had what could be considered a "standard" UCoat Light Gray with UFlek-AF finish.

STEP 5 — MASKING & FLAKE APPLICATION (2 BROADCASTS)

To apply our UFlek orange flakes, we first needed to mask the areas to be coated. Since the flakes will only stick to the fresh material, UGloss-AF clear is applied to the outside areas of the mask with a medium-to-heavy broadcast of UFlek orange flakes. Flakes that fall outside the mask will not stick and can be vaccuumed or swept up later. After the first application is allowed to dry for about 12 hours, this step is repeated for a second broadcast of flakes — giving a very dense, solid flake finish to the outside boarder. This finish is allowed to cure another 12 hours before the next step.

STEP 6 — APPLYING THE VINYL GRAPHICS

For this floor, we incorporated a 1.75" wide simulated chrome vinyl stripe which is used as a divider between the light gray and orange areas. When using vinyl, it is always important to test the material first with UGloss-AF to ensure compatibility. We recommend using a high-quality, chemical-resistant outdoor vinyl. We also added the UCoat It logo which was a printed vinyl with a clear, chemical resistant laminate to protect the ink from smearing or bleeding when the UGloss-AF clear topcoat is added. If unsure about which vinyls to use, always consult with a local sign shop. Let them know what type of floor coating materials you area using and they can direct you to the best vinyl for your use.

TIP: When applying vinyl always press entire surface firm for proper adhesion and remove any air bubbles or pockets otherwise they will emphasized by the UGloss-AF clear topcoat.

STEP 7 — FINAL UGLOSS-AF CLEAR TOP COAT

The entire floor is finished in UGloss-AF clear to seal the vinyl into the floor and provide a uniform gloss finish. After applying the final UGloss-AF clear topcoat, the floor is allowed to sit for 72 hours before disassembly and packaging into shipping crates.

Our showfloors are a lot of hard work, but with a little effort and patience, virtually anything is possible using standard UCoat It materials and varying application techniques. We hope you will get a chance to see this floor currently on tour with Autorama / World of Wheels 2008!!!