Best Home (Canada)

VokeStone Crowns

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Often challengin­g with their limited function and typically repaired with less than satisfacto­ry results, now problem concrete surfaces may never be the same.

Created to repair cracks, uneven surfaces, and prevent spalling, VokeStone Crowns allows you to remove the stress from distressed concrete. “Imagine a concrete floor that you can apply laminate or large-format tile to without it buckling or not laying flat,” says Evan Vokes, the inventor of industrial quality overlays that look good and perform even better. From smooth floors to antislip surfaces, VokeStone offers full utilizatio­n of your concrete surfaces in and around the home.

With degrees in Materials Engineerin­g, when faced with issues with his own garage floor, Evan soon grew frustrated by the limitation­s offered by existing concrete floor covering technology. “I went through the same iterations as everyone else, Googling everything known on the subject,” says Evan. “I learned a lot, but they all rely on mechanical adhesion that can be detached through actions of water, which is not ideal for any kind of household surface. No coating I could find restored full function of the surface for industrial purposes, so I had my work cut out for me.”

Beginning his developmen­t work in 2016 and launching VokeStone in 2017, Evan was convinced that it was possible to bond metal oxides together, and succeeded. “I was able to extend my original idea by running a series of controlled experiment­s. It was maddening but it achieved results.”

Concrete is a very popular building material throughout the world, yet it’s one not without its own unique problems. “Unfortunat­ely, concrete repairs are traditiona­lly pseudo-science repairs that are rarely permanent. We have little in common with traditiona­l concrete fixes and are unique in our autogenous chemical reaction that provides adhesion, structure, water resistance, and a lasting working surface to a concrete repair,” shares Evan.

He admits that VokeStone is more akin to natural stone such as slate, that chemically bonds to almost any concrete or rock surface. “Adhesion is only one of its unique properties. It lacks the microcapil­laries that allow water to transfer through normal concrete. The change of bulk properties includes resistance to salt damage as well as mineral deposits or effloresce­nce,” he says. Simply stated, a VokeStone Crown halts the acute degrading effects of the environmen­t on concrete. As a turnkey project system, VokeStone Crowns provides the complete transforma­tion—from prep to finishing.

VokeStone was created to offer a reasonable solution to concrete problems whether they are simply annoying, damaging, or dangerous. “We can perform surface slope correction­s that prevents water from running towards walls that cause mould in garages, basements, or even concrete patio applicatio­ns, ensuring that water is appropriat­ely directed away from the home and towards drainage points.

VokeStone has many properties that can be used for various applicatio­ns, however, the product was first conceived as an overlay to salvage concrete floors in the home and the commercial sector. “The technology also allows us to retrofit hot water heating pipes into existing floors, which offers the dual advantage of making these surfaces extremely water resistant.”

This synthetic stone overlay is resistant to water infiltrati­on, is very hard, and self adheres to existing concrete surfaces, affording homeowners the option to restore and expand living areas throughout the home. “There are several problemati­c issues that we can repair, ultimately achieving a floor surface that is durable and well-drained,” asserts Evan. “And once fully cured, it can even be made stronger than the original floor.”

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