Melbourne’s Docklands area is home to a buzzing new executive lifestyle and is fast becoming one of the most desirable addresses in the city.
The project
The Array Apartments, created by Mirvac, sit proudly in the heart of the precinct on the north-facing banks of the Yarra River. Providing prospective buyers with incredible views, easy access to the Melbourne CBD, off-the scale standards in customisation, generous living spaces and marina berths, the Finish requirements of this premium project are, understandably, exceptional.
The tower contains 210 residential apartments over 39 levels, crowned by two luxurious penthouses and is one of Mirvac’s premium offerings.
Kevin Zaknic of City Projects, along with his team, were given the job of creating a Level 5 Finish on the interior walls and ceilings.
“In addition to providing a superior finish to the interior surfaces, Mirvac were mindful of the property facing the river and wanted to minimise the effects of glancing light from reflections off the water,” says Kevin.
Following some intensive research into the application options for the final finish on the interior walls surfaces, Kevin discovered an airless, piston pumped spray machine, which is able to spray highly viscous materials, such as plastering compounds, without much dilution.
“When you apply by traditional spray methods you need to water down the product too much and it loses the carefully balanced components created by the manufacturer,” Kevin states.
“Using this equipment meant that the product we used for the final finish didn’t require as much adjustment and, therefore, retained much of its designed qualities. This meant that we achieved, what I feel, is a superior and true Level 5 Finish.” – Kevin Zaknic, Contractor
The products
Kevin has worked with Siniat products for years and, when researching the specification of products for this project, he contacted the Siniat technical team who offered advice and support in his choice. Kevin decided to use a complete system from Siniat for the interior walls for integrity of warranty, product use and application.
“Because MastaTape Universal is a pre-mix base coat, this was an advantage in application. And, the combination of the MastaTape Universal and MastaGlide products provided us with a more durable surface,” says Kevin. “When it came to the sanding of the surfaces, we were able to utilise our standard equipment for a superior finish without the need to hand sand the areas.”
The result
With the project completed in February 2015, the future owners of the Mirvac Array Apartments will enjoy the results of innovative product application and a high quality interior wall and ceiling system.
“I was very happy with the final result on this project,” states Kevin. “It was a learning curve to finally arrive at the desired result, but I would definitely employ the procedures developed on this project again to achieve a superior Level 5 Finish.”
A Level 5 Finish is the highest level of Finish defined in the Australian Standard. Installation of the frame and plasterboard, finishing compounds and the correct application of paint all contribute to a Level 5 Finish.
For further information on achieving a Level 5 Finish, please refer to Siniat Technical Literature.
How City Projects achieved the Finish at Array Apartments:
Achieving a Level 5 Finish starts from the framing all the way through to the final layers of paint. The framer, plasterer and painter all need to cooperate and contribute to providing a Level 5 Finish.
Kevin and his team at City Projects started with a clean, well jointed and lightly sanded surface.
MastaTape Universal was diluted with approx. 1L of water. When diluting, always start with less water, adding more if required and always mix thoroughly. Do not exceed 2L
Using an airless, piston pumped spray machine, City Projects sprayed MastaTape Universal onto surfaces as a first layer. This first layer was allowed to dry.
For their second layer, City Projects added approx. 0.5 – 1L of water to MastaGlide and mixed thoroughly.
This was sprayed over the MastaTape Universal layer and allowed to dry.
Before setting, the team troweled up this final layer with a float to ensure a smooth, even surface.
Once dry, the team at City Projects lightly sanded the surfaces with an electric sander. The required 3 layers of paint was then applied to achieve the desired level of finish.
