Stokeford Studios

Project details

In 2023, broadcaster and property show presenter, Sarah Beeny, embarked on a project to renovate a large barn on her property in Somerset. The goal was to transform it into a multi-purpose studio for art, music, film and television. Now operational, the studio supports creative endeavours in the South West, and has created a variety of jobs for the local community. 

Towards the end of 2023, a new 680m² concrete floor was poured and power floated in the barn. Sarah and her team then began searching for solutions to protect the floor and provide an attractive finish, ready to be used as a studio. A company that could offer industrial floor solutions and expert advice was key, and Sarah’s team quickly identified Watco for its high-performance industrial strength products and experienced technical experts. 

The studio's requirements

During the course of discussions between Sarah and Watco’s technical team, a number of additional considerations were highlighted to ensure the best finish for the floor. 

Firstly, the power floated floor would need to be mechanically abraded before any coatings were applied to create a key and give the paint something to bond to for a long-lasting finish. Secondly, as the studio floor would be subject to heavy wear from filming and music crews once operational, the coating would need to be hard wearing to withstand impact from equipment. Thirdly, the glossy, attractive floor finish would need to last, as scratches and any damage would be visible on camera, making it unusable - also, requiring frequent re-painting of the floor. Finally, the studio would host lots of new visitors and a wide range of creative activities, so slip resistance was a consideration to make the space as safe as possible. 

The Watco solution

After discussing the requirements, Watco advised on the best products and tools for the project, and explained the approach. Watco also introduced Sarah’s team to Hampshire-based industrial flooring specialist, AEDean Flooring, whose team were booked to complete the work in June 2024. 

The team from AEDean Flooring began by using a large planetary diamond floor grinder to lightly grind the entire power floated concrete floor. This created a larger surface area for the Watco Epoxicote High Build to bond to when applied. Once completed, the floor was inspected for damage and then vacuumed to remove surface debris ready for the coating to be applied the following day.

With the surface now abraded and cleaned, in order to prevent any bubbles forming in the new paint coating and to increase adhesion for a longer lasting finish, the team applied a coat of Watco Epoxicote High Build Primer. Once dried, the first coat of Watco Epoxicote High Build in Mid Grey was applied to the concrete floor. The 100% solids epoxy resin coating was chosen for this project because of its thick, glossy finish, and its ability to provide heavy duty protection to concrete floors with excellent scratch and impact resistance. Furthermore, the coating would provide a high level of slip resistance, even in wet conditions, helping to keep people in the studio safe even when liquids are spilled or used on the floor. 

On day three, the team completed the second application of the Watco Epoxicote High Build to ensure a lasting, glossy finish for the concrete floor. 

Since completion of the project, Stokeford Studios has already been hired for its first project - a music video for a UK band.