2023
Western Cape
Nestled in the aptly dubbed ‘Valley of Dreams’, Franschhoek Cellar is a stunning addition to the region’s breath-taking wine route. Less than a kilometer from the town hall this unique, elegant venue combines the charm of country life with ultimate luxury and is a must-see for anyone visiting the Western Cape.
Even paradise, however, is not without its flaws. Recently, issues arose around the wine cellar floor, which was deemed unbecoming of the world-class venue. Having crafted some of the world’s finest wines since 1990, DGB knows a thing or two about class. When it came to the complete refurbishment of the wine cellar floor, their instruction was clear: they wanted an elegant, high-quality, granite-grey finish - the perfect finishing touch to the otherwise pristine cellar. At this point specialist applicator, Botwei Projects, called upon Sika to assist.
Project Requirements
On initial inspection, it was found that the existing floor was curling, delaminating, and riddled with bad joint specifications. As these were all very undesirable conditions, the floor's poor state required a decision to be made whether to repair the existing flooring or redo it completely. After some deliberation, it was ultimately decided to strip 1700m2 of existing cementitious flooring completely. No easy task, but specialist applicator, Botwei Projects never shy away from a challenge. On top of that, the client wanted an additional 400m2 of flooring installed – a testament to the faith placed in the Sika brand.
Sika Solutions
Despite numerous obstacles and being tested under less-than-optimal conditions, Sika’s products rose to the challenge beautifully, thanks to the specialist team from Botwei Projects who ensured the perfect installation of all products. They began with the preparation of the existing floors using Sikadur®-52 ZA to seal all existing cracks, by means of gravity feed, a process by which a bead of sealant is used to create a reservoir around the crack, which is filled with the low viscosity resin, allowing it to slowly penetrate the crack, creating a robust permanent seal. Sika’s well known SikaGrout®-212 was used to fill all voids and defects quickly and easily. SikaGrout®-212 is a high strength cementitious grout with shrinkage compensation properties and is the go-to product on most projects, when repairs to high strength concrete is required. Additional repairs were undertaken using SikaQuick®-2500 which, true to its name, promotes very rapid hardening. This in turn allowed for early strength gain.
Sikafloor®-20 PurCem® was trowel applied at 6mm. Sikafloor®-20 PurCem® is a high strength Polyurethane cement hybrid screed, with amazing characteristics. The product is odourless, non-tainting when used in food processing areas and thermal shock-resistant, when used in Industrial freezers. The Sikafloor®-20 PurCem® polyurethane hybrid screed superseded the client’s expectations with its robust, yet elegant durable finish.
Finally, Sika® Primer-3N and Sikaflex® PRO-3® polyurethane joint sealant were used to prime and seal the joints, respectively.
Superior Flooring for Beverage Industry
Overall, the Sika products utilised during this installation proved themselves superior once again, and the client was thrilled with the quality finish. Knowing that time was of the essence, the team endeavoured to get the job done without delay, while still refusing to compromise on quality.
All in all, the project not only met and exceeded the customer’s brief, but it also provided an elegant and world-class floor to match the world-class winery in which it resides.
