Transit Station Gets an Upgrade with Brickform Refresh
Using Brickform’s color blending and correcting product, Athena Construction fixed concrete discoloration at a transit station in Atlanta.
When executives for MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) decided to upgrade the surface of the College Park transit station on Main Street in Atlanta, they hired Athena Construction Group for the renovation. After removing the old pavers and concrete and pouring new slabs, Gretchen Orrin, president of Athena, explained that they weren’t happy with the coloring. “The natural gray, broom-finished concrete was inconsistent from our separate pours,” Orrin says. When she reached out to Ross Urshan with Solomon Colors to get information on dealing with this type of problem, he pointed her to Brickform’s Refresh product.
Refresh is an exterior penetrating stain that contractors can use to color unsealed concrete or porous masonry. This solvent-based product is formulated for color correction, surface upgrades, and visually blending multiple pours of concrete—a perfect choice for this particular project with so much color inconsistency.
Orrin and her team thought the product sounded like a great match for their project and had heard of its successful application at theme parks, so they moved forward and created mockups. After getting the colors approved by the MARTA executives, Athena set out to apply Refresh to the surfaces at the station.
Like all concrete coloring products, Refresh requires proper surface preparation for best results. The day before applying Refresh, Athena contractors power washed the area thoroughly to remove all dirt and debris, taking care to not damage the broom finish. Next, they taped off all areas of exposed aggregate and other various features on the property to prevent overspray.
The following day, crews applied three separate coats of Refresh to the surfaces with a sprayer—each coat only a thin layer of product. Athena chose a Swissmex Acetone sprayer for the application process, as they found that it keeps a consistent spray pattern and doesn’t clog easily. To prevent inconsistencies in the final color of the surface, Athena purchased two large batches of refresh from Brickform and had them blend the color, Dover Blue, all at one time.
For areas of exposed aggregate, Athena applied Brickform Poly-Seal 650 to protect the surface from the heavy foot traffic it gets all year long. Sealer is absolutely essential in a busy location such as this. Although this sealer is specifically formulated for surfaces that are colored, stained, stamped, or exposed aggregate, it can be used on any exterior concrete surface.
When the project was complete, Athena Construction was happy with the result. MARTA executives were also pleased with how everything turned out and scheduled their ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new surface to the public. Brickform’s Refresh system helped create a beautiful surface for this MARTA station, and the Poly-Seal will ensure that it lasts for years to come.
