When the barrel room floor at Chappellet Winery in Napa Valley needed a major aesthetic makeover, the coating contractor in charge of the project selected a wine-colored StrataShield coating system from Tnemec with a urethane topcoat that offered an outstanding finish. “At Chappellet, long-term durability and aesthetics are paramount,” reported Tnemec coating consultant Sherry Amos. “They researched coating systems and installers to ensure excellence in both areas. Polytech Industrial Coatings was selected as the applicator based on their impeccable record of installing seamless industrial flooring. With a history of nearly 100 completed winery projects, Tnemec was selected as the material manufacturer.”
Prior to coating, the concrete floor in the winery’s barrel room was thoroughly cleaned and blasted in accordance with SSPC-SP13/NACE No. 6 Surface Preparation of Concrete. A basecoat of Series 237 PowerTread, a modified polyamine epoxy, was trowel-applied at 1/4” to protect the floor against impact, abrasion and mild chemicals. Next, a grout coat of Series 280 Tneme-Glaze, a modified polyamine epoxy tinted to match a Cabernet wine color, was roller-applied to seal the epoxy mortar.
After curing, Series 280 was thoroughly sanded and cleaned prior to being topcoated with Series 247 EverThane, a two-component, aliphatic, moisture-cured urethane which exhibits excellent color and gloss retention and resistance to wet conditions, chemical contact, abrasion and staining.
The outstanding abrasion resistance of Series 247 allows the floor to maintain its new appearance longer than many other urethane finishes offered in the marketplace, many of which also produce odor issues when applied in occupied areas. With less than 100 grams per liter volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Series 247 is compliant with VOC requirements in California and throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Low VOC and low odor was very important,” Amos acknowledged. “The winery was concerned about having anything with a smell that might contaminate the wood barrels or other furnishings in the area. People were also working in the same building, so they didn’t want any odor affecting the occupied areas.”
Chappellet is one of Napa Valley’s oldest family owned wineries. The family estate has been making wine since 1967 and includes 110 acres where sustainable farming is practiced.