Bona Traffic HD Coats 2000sqm at the National Art Gallery

Bona Certified Contractor Iacullo Flooring have given the National Gallery of Australia in the ACT a refresh, re-coating over 2,000sqm of Block Parquetry Hardwood flooring with the best non-toxic coating around, Bona Australia Traffic HD Satin! It was a huge task, completed over a HUGE couple of weeks by the Iacullo team. Iacullo had previously refreshed a small section of the gallery floor a few mths back and had the privilege of being asked back to @nationalgalleryaus to refresh the additional 2,000sqm.

Gerardo from Iacullo explains they had their work cut out for them, with remedial work prior to coating including 72 metal bolts sticking out of floor which had to be routered out and then refitted after, or replugged with dowel. It’s fair to say Iacullo may have underestimated the magnitude of this job. Check out images showing the size of this floor and just how big it is!

The floors were lightly cut back with 220 grit screen, then 3x refresh coats of Bona Traffic HD satin were applied over the top, with a light 220grit screen in between each coat. The coatings were applied with a T-Bar Applicator, and the total job was completed over a period of two weeks. Floor prep was undertaken in the 1st week, with all the coatings applied in the second week. The whole Level 2 of the gallery had to be shut down, so turn around time was an absolute priority with an immovable deadline.

Using Bona 100% Water-Based finishes with low VOC content was critical to the project, as it allowed the gallery to reopen immediately after application. Stringent Air Quality tests were conducted to show no fumes were emitted which would harm the artwork, or pose a health risk to visitors. If Solvent based finishes had been used the whole gallery would have had to be evacuated during application, contractors would have had to wear full PPE, and no-one would have been allowed back in the building for at least a week!

Some long hours were required into the early hours of the morning to get the job done but the end result was totally worth it. The vast expanses of timber flooring now provide visitors the perfect environment to admire the prized artwork collections as they wander through the halls and corridors of the gallery. A Bona masterpiece? We think so! The Director of the Gallery, Nick Mitzevich personally inspected the floors and was delighted with the result, which far exceeded benchmark expectations and the initial results achieved years ago by other contractors. As a result Iacullo will also be undertaking a further 1,000sqm later this year.

Gerardo and the Iacullo team would like to thank Monaro Timber for supplying the large amounts of Bona coatings on short notice, and also extend thanks to Phil's Timber Floors who travelled from the Yass region to lend a hand.

Contractors: Iacullo Timber Flooring
Client: National Gallery Of Australia