Elmwood is a modern American restaurant founded by, Adam Altnether and Chris Kelling, inspired by their respective St. Louis and California roots, with influences from abroad. The restaurant boasts an open-yet-closed kitchen, a charcoal-burning grill, and the only charcoal-fueled oven in the United States. The menu highlights classic midwestern dishes inflected with global flavors and is complemented by a wine program proudly focused on California vintners, with a selection of offerings from international winemakers.
When Adam and Chris collaborated and decided that their new “live fire” restaurant in Maplewood would have some unusual aesthetic touches, they knew they both wanted to be in the mix of the design and construction phases. They contacted Architect Kyle Nottmeier to help fuel their vision and create an environment that looked like nothing else; exposed beams, artisanal pieces, neon signs, soft concrete floors, metal, brick and tiled walls.
The architect contacted Bomanite Licensee, Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC about flooring options for the restaurant space, given the challenges it presented they needed a contractor with full expertise in commercial renovations. The space had both wood framed floors as well as concrete decking with everything covering it from terrazzo to tile underlayment. After reviewing product samples and colors presented by Musselman & Hall Contractors, it was determined the best option would be the Bomanite Toppings Systems Micro-Top.
Bomanite Micro-Top uses cutting edge technology, that tenaciously bonds to virtually any substrate. It can be applied with a squeegee or troweled onto the surface at a thickness of approximately 20 mils. With the condition of the Elmwood Restaurant floor, Bomanite Micro-Top was perfect for renovating the multiple floor surfaces. Once awarded the project, Musselman & Hall Contractors began working directly with the owners as they were self-performing some of the construction and serving as the construction managers during the renovations.
Knowing that the floor demanded a substantial amount of preparation before the Bomanite Micro-Top could be placed, Musselman & Hall Contractors chose to place a layer of wire lathe over the areas of wood framed flooring, then covered the lathe with Bomanite Repair Mortar. They also used the Bomanite Repair Mortar to level and patch over the remaining area after grinding the surface with 25 grit diamonds. The floor was in such poor condition, the owners were excited just to see the prepped and primed floor without even one coat of Bomanite Micro-Top placed.
Once the surface prep was finally completed, the first base coat of Bomanite Micro-Top (white base) with a Bomanite Shale Gray tint was placed. The surface was primed with Bomanite XP Primer for the first base coat and primed using Bomanite Micro-Top liquid diluted for each following coat. Each base coat was sanded and then thoroughly cleaned. The finish coat was applied with steel trowels to provide some character in the floor. The idea was to emulate the look of a hard-troweled concrete floor. The effect turned out perfectly, pleasing the owners and architect.
The Bomanite Micro-Top floor along with the vertical areas at the entry ramp and stairs were given a final seal with two coats of Bomanite XP Primer FC and then two coats of Bomanite Natural Beauty floor finish. The transition of the floor astounded the other contractors and the owners. Musselman & Hall Contractors helped transition this neighborhood restaurant with Bomanite Decorative Concrete, providing a place for private conversation, relaxation and authentically creative food.
With Bomanite Micro-Top, a wide range of colors can be applied to create uniformity or blended to create variegation in the finish. Bomanite Micro-Top can reduce costly forming and coloring in outdoor treatments. Limitless color combinations and graphic designs can be used to transform damaged existing concrete or other materials into cementitious art forms, without affecting surrounding materials and fixtures. Musselman & Hall Contractors, LLC won the 2018 Best Bomanite Toppings Systems Project Bronze Award for their thoroughness and expertise with renovations of commercial interior flooring.
