The luxurious basement of Carlton Premiership hero Fraser Brown holds the unofficial world record for glossiest polished concrete floor.
Thanks to a luxurious renovation of his Mt Eliza mansion, Carlton Premiership hero Fraser Brown may well be the owner of the world’s glossiest polished concrete floor.
Having purchased the historic “Ranelagh house” from property magnate AV Jennings, Brown recently undertook an extensive facelift, including a three story extension and a 360m2 polished concrete basement to accommodate his collection of luxury cars and 1000 bottle wine cellar.
The largest and most expensive renovation that Warwick Constructions has worked on, the bespoke builders called on the expertise of Geocrete polished concrete artisan Paul Warner to create a polished slab of the highest calibre.
Achieving a world class floor requires a team of highly skilled and experienced technicians, so Paul chose Marcus at Rapid Slabs to lay the concrete and Vic Mix Concrete to supply the standard grey base and aggregate mix of quartzite and basalt. Grinding the central pits designed to prevent water pooling in the basement called for all of Paul’s skill and expertise, as polishing a gradient into a floor is extremely challenging.
The resulting floor has an ultra high-gloss finish that surprised even Paul.
Gloss values express the degree of reflection when light hits a concrete floor. Officially, U.S. polished concrete company Werkmaster holds the world record for highest gloss meter reading of a polished slab, achieving a Distinction of Image (DOI) reading of 94.6 on the gloss meter at the annual Las Vegas trade event World of Concrete. Paul Warner has unofficially claimed that distinction, with a DOI reading of 102 in Fraser Brown’s deluxe basement.
While most concrete polishers are happy with a gloss reading of 60-65, Paul has spent more than twenty years honing and perfecting his craft, striving to provide his clients with the highest quality floor of any company in the world.
“Early in my career I aimed for readings in the 70s, but my gloss meter readings have been steadily increasing over the years to be in the mid 80s and low 90s. However, I was amazed to find readings in the mid 90s and low 100s across Fraser’s basement floor, and used two separate gloss meters to confirm the readings.”
Brown, known for his fierce and fearless attack on the football, was ecstatic with the results of his new floor, which literally sparkles under the basement’s specialised lighting and unusual black ceiling. “He absolutely loved it, and wasn’t expecting such shine and clarity,” Paul said. “During the final inspection, Fraser was lying on the floor commenting on how beautiful it was.”
Construction Manager at Warwick Constructions, Andy Hay praised Paul for “his professionalism and a finished product that exceeded all expectations. The pride and dedication Paul shows in his work is the pinnacle of the industry and the clients were wrapped with the final result.”
