Eighty percent of all households in the Chicago metropolitan area are in a Jewel-Osco store at least once a month, so making a good impression was a key reason for using Tnemec’s Conformal products on exterior precast concrete panels for a new location. According to Tnemec coating consultant Chris Wascher, “Wherever you have cast-in-place or tilt-up concrete, stain is a popular option for architects to use instead of paint. This was a situation where they wanted the stain look on their building, something that penetrated the surface and did not lay on top of it, which a paint product obviously would do.”
After pressure washing the surface, two coats of Series 607 Conformal Stain were applied by airless spray equipment. A solvent-based acrylic, Conformal Stain repels water from dense surfaces such as precast panels. The treatment does not alter the natural texture of the surface, nor does it significantly affect the vapor transmission properties of the substrate. Its inorganic oxide pigments make Conformal Stain fade resistant for enhanced color visibility, and it provides a semi-transparent finish when blended with Series 625 Conformal Clear.
Conformal Stain can be applied in temperatures from 40 to 90 degrees F, Wascher noted. “It is user-friendly because it can be applied at lower temperatures than water-based materials,” he explained. “It allows you to push the temperature threshold so you can apply it earlier or later in the season if your schedule requires it.”
Today, Jewel-Osco operates 204 food and drug combination stores and 77 freestanding drug stores in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin. The company originated in Chicago back in 1899 when Jewel was founded by Frank Vernon Skiff as a door-to-door delivery service for coffee. Jewel-Osco is the Midwest Division of Albertsons, Inc., which is located in Boise, Idaho.