Beaulieu Vineyard

The Challenge: Restoring Historic Floors

The renovation of Beaulieu Vineyard, an iconic winery established in the 1800s, aimed to honor its long history while ensuring the building could accommodate future needs. The primary challenge lay in the existing subfloor, which was extremely irregular due to its age and past construction methods. Floor depths required leveling of up to 8 inches, making traditional leveling methods or the use of heavy materials unfeasible due to the sensitive nature of the historic building and structural weight constraints. The floor's highly inconsistent surface also eliminated the possibility of using traditional EPS board for fill.

The Maxxon Solution: Ultra-Lightweight Historic Preservation

Maxxon's unique two-part system, installed by Insul-Flow, was selected to provide a durable, structurally-sound, and most importantly, ultra-lightweight solution that minimized the impact on the existing historic structure.

The solution involved:

1. Mass Fill With Ultra-Lightweight Concrete: To address the severe 8-inch depth variations without adding excessive weight, Maxxon Commercial  Low Density Fill™ (LDF) was used. LDF was chosen specifically because it offers a significant reduction in dead load compared to conventional concrete, making it the only viable material for deep fill on the century-old subfloor.
2. High-Performance Cap: The LDF base was then capped with Maxxon Gyp-Crete® High Performance. This high strength underlayment provided the hard, smooth, and flat finish required for the final flooring system, ensuring modern standards of flatness and durability were met within the historic shell.

The successful implementation of the LDF and Gyp-Crete® system allowed the project to move forward with the goal of preserving the winery's historic integrity while accommodating contemporary design and use requirements.

Unique Project Obstacles

Successfully executing the deep-fill leveling relied heavily on the close partnership with the General Contractor. Wright Contracting, and particularly their superintendent, Mitch Hamilton, provided phenomenal support, specifically in coordinating elevations, preparing the job site, and maintaining open communication with the installation crews. This cooperative effort was essential for navigating the complexities of an irregular, centuries-old structure and ensuring the precise application of the specialized leveling system.

Project Outcome

The renovation achieved its goal of seamlessly blending historic preservation with modern functionality. The Maxxon system provided a specialized, lightweight flooring solution that minimized structural risk and allowed the historic Beaulieu Vineyard floors to be restored to a state of beauty, honoring its essential role in Napa Valley history.