Distance was never going to stop this team.
Located 205km from base, the Dunedin Outpatients project required careful coordination, adaptability and a serious team effort from the very beginning. What started as a seemingly straightforward installation quickly became a much larger challenge, and one the Flooring Xtra Invercargill & Winton team took in their stride.
That commitment has now been recognised nationally, with Dunedin Outpatients winning Commercial Hard Flooring 1st Place at the FloorNZ Excellence Awards.
A Bigger Challenge Than Expected
The original plan was for a light skim grind of the concrete floor before installation began. But once work started, it became clear the floor was not in the condition expected.
The preparation process quickly grew.
Chris and Kirk spent countless hours lasering floor heights to ensure accurate, consistent levels throughout the project. This helped the team apply self-levelling compounds to the correct depths and align finished floor heights across different areas and flooring types.
The floor preparation included:
- Grinding the surface
- Applying moisture fix
- Re-grinding
- Applying primer
- Installing self-levelling compound
- Completing a final light skim grind before installation
It was detailed, technical work, and essential to achieving the right finish.
A True Team Effort
Despite the extra preparation required, the project kept moving thanks to the combined effort of Flooring Xtra labourers, installers and contractors from across New Zealand.
Together, the team installed a wide range of materials throughout the facility, including:
- Sheet vinyl
- Rubber sheet
- Rubber tiles
- Wall vinyl
- Carpet tiles
Each product had its own requirements, making planning and precision key at every stage.
Logistics Behind the Scenes
With the project located far from home, a significant support operation was needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Three houses were rented to accommodate the crew, along with two caravans for additional space. A full-time husband and wife team organised groceries and prepared meals, with dinner ready each night by 6.30pm for anywhere from six to twenty-three people.
Cleaners maintained the living spaces, flights were organised for contractors from Auckland and Napier, and weekly Proforma invoices helped keep payments on track.
Behind every finished floor was a huge amount of coordination.
Award-Winning Work, Delivered Through Teamwork
Winning Commercial Hard Flooring 1st Place is a proud achievement for everyone involved in the Dunedin Outpatients project.
This job was never just about installing flooring. It was about travelling the distance, adapting when conditions changed, solving problems as a team and delivering a high-quality result under challenging circumstances.
Because when the right people come together, distance is just another detail.
