GLC3 Concrete, which recently handled all the decorative concrete work for The Lofts and The Lofts 2 in Miami, used what it calls a chrome tent to create the appearance of the metal inlay in The Lofts 2 project.
“We came up with a way not to insert the metal, but to make it look like it with a chrome tend, which is kind of a cross between an epoxy and a model airplane paint,” said GLC3’s Cathy Rankin.
GLC3 developed the method as an alternative to expensive metals that are normally used, although Rankin acknowledges that the work is labor-intensive, and the materials used to create the chrome tent are also not cheap.
“I think the combination we came up with for the chrome was about $500 for eight ounces of paint,” Rankin said. “I’m not sure whether it was actually way less expensive, but it’s very cool looking, and unless you get right down on it, you’d never know it’s not metal.”
GLC3 also worked on wall elements and countertops as part of the two Lofts phases.