Use of Polished Concrete Flooring Aligns with Ijams Environmental Mission
Norris, TN: The Ijams Nature Center in East Tennessee has been a landmark of environmental conservation and education in Knoxville for almost a century. The park was originally the 20 acre residence of Harry and Alice Ijams, and has since grown to become over 160 acres of wildlife sanctuary that is shared and explored by the community.
Recently, the Center recognized a need for rejuvenation of their Visitors Center, an eco-friendly building that houses the Parks main exhibits, offices, and features several classrooms for educational programs. With a large emphasis on using recycled materials that minimize environmental impact, the Center turned to polished concrete flooring.
“Ijams Nature Center had been searching for the right floor treatment for its visitor center for many years – one that would be affordable, practical, improve the aesthetics and be easy to clean,” describes Paul James, Executive Director of Ijams Nature Center. “The new [polished concrete] floors have dramatically improved the quality and feel of the visitor center, particularly the exhibit hall which provides a new inspirational foundation on which to build a new series of exhibits and enhancements.”
Polished concrete flooring recycles existing concrete slabs to transform them into attractive finished surfaces. It also provides numerous environmental benefits, such as improved ambient lighting, no VOCs, and reduced waste since polished concrete eliminates the need to bring in additional coverings or coatings that end up in land-fills upon their eventual replacement.
“The Perfect Polish sales and work crew were a delight to work with and their professionalism matched the quality of the product,” states James. “Ijams Nature Center has been proud to work with Perfect Polish and thoroughly recommends them.”
To see the new Ijams Nature Visitor Center’s polished concrete floors, visit them at 2915 Island Home Avenue, or call 865.577.4717 for more information.
About Perfect Polish:
Perfect Polish is the leading concrete polisher in the nation, offering turn-key, quality services from polished concrete and terrazzo installation, to decorative designs. Utilizing dry-polish technology, Perfect Polish installation provides concrete flooring solutions that reduce waste, minimize and eliminate VOCs, and contribute to sustainable design.
Perfect Polish has completed numerous LEED and environmental projects, including the California Academy of Sciences (Platinum), the JRC Synagogue (Gold) and the San Francisco Federal Building (Silver). Perfect Polish is a supporting member of the USGBC. For more information on how Perfect Polish can help to dematerialize your project, contact them at 1-877-91-SHINE.
