PeterFell

Our History

Family Owned, Family Operated, and Proudly Kiwi.

To Peter and Mary it seems like only a blink of the eye, but it was actually in 1991 that Peter went out to his back shed in Point Chevalier and started playing around with a few messy bags of iron oxide. When they started the business, it was just the two of them, in a recession, packing, invoicing, accounting and selling - everything, and Mary had a second job keeping the household afloat as well! Their kids Shannon and Brennan grew up with colour and a school-boy Brennan famously served customers who showed up at the house while Peter was being rushed to Hospital with a heart attack in 1992.

In spite of three recessions and a triple bypass, from all Peter and Mary's hard work, we have now grown into a well known brand, seventeen staff, a purpose built showroom, and an ever expanding number of product lines.

Metallic Paint

Peter Fell Ltd import and sell the Sophisticated Finishes range of metallic surfacers and patinas from Triangle Coatings in the USA.

Even though the Metallic Surfacers look and apply just like any water-based acrylic paint, they are very different in that they contain real metal not pigment or the mica flakes commonly used in other "metallic paints". They are an ingenious blend of finely ground metal flakes (copper, bronze, iron, steel, aluminum) in an acrylic binder that creates the look and durability of a true metal surface. Once coated with our Iron Metallic Surfacer for example a magnet will stick to the "painted" surface. They are all suitable for both interior and exterior use. The Iron, Copper, Bronze and Gold Metallic Surfacers are reactive. That is they can be oxidized with one of Antiquing Solutions to develop a rust or patina finish.

Check out our range under product

C2 is a market leading densifier and microfilm system for ground, honed or polished floors that helps create an extremely durable and fantastic looking floor that will last for years. It is also suitable for exterior public spaces.

It has an enviable list of completed projects in NZ, such as Christchurch Airport, a number of supermarkets, as well as hundreds of homes.

C2 offers many advantages over competing systems:

Harder: The C2 densifier uses only Lithium Silicates to ensure the hardest and most dense surface. Lithium silicates are the most reactive densifiers available so provide the best long term performance.

Better Stain Resistanace: The C2 microfilm forms a hard 'shell' for better stain resistance and enhanced durability.

Better long term: Cost effective cleaning and maintenance products are available to ensure the floor keeps looking good for a longer time.

Systems and Application

There are a number of densifier and microfilm products available and these are used in different systems as below. To ensure the best outcome most systems can be applied by Trained Applicators only.

C2 Gloss The most commonly used system, suitable for home, commercial and industrial uses. Used in all pictures on this pageApplicator only

C2 Shield Where oil and grease are present, the C2 Shield system offers increased stain protection - for areas such as cafes or domestic kitchensApplicator only

C2 Base A cost effective solution that increases the durability of the floor, as well as gloss and stain resistanceDIY, and Applicator

C2 Public An exterior solution for public spaces that increases longevity and reduces staining risk - and cost effective as well. 
Applicator only

How does it work?

During the grinding and polishing process, lithium silicate based densifiers are used to harden and densify the floor. The lithium silicate chemically reacts with the weakest component in the cement matrix Calcium Hydroxide to form Calcium Silica Hydrate - one of the strongest components.

On completion of the polishing process, the microfilm products are applied and burnished. Burnishing melts the microfilm which provides for a 'shell'-like layer. Most other sytems do not melt in this way and so have microcracks, and do not have the same level of stain resistance.

Specification

When choosing a honed or polished concrete floor there are five choices to be made:

1. Aggregate type: Check with local concrete companies what stones are available. Stones can also be seeded into the surface
2. Concrete colour: use one of our colours to set the tone - the final colour is a mix of the stone and this colour, one influences the other
3. Stone exposure: How deep the grinder goes determines the stone exposure. Cream or Natural Polish; 1-2 mm 'Salt and Pepper' grind; 2-3mm light grind; 3-4mm medium grind; 5+mm heavy grind. Variation in stone exposure is normal.
4. Level of polish: 200 grit (smooth ) - 3000 grit (mirror finish)
5. Sealer system: C2, or a Coating (see below)

Sealer system - C2 Densifier/Microfilm or a Coating?

In broad terms, C2 is usually a little more expensive but is less prone to scratching, and will last much longer and can cope with heavier traffic. Floors with C2 Systems are very thin and can stain if spills are not cleaned up quickly.

Coating systems offer much better stain resistance, are usually cheaper, and can be done DIY, but can scratch and need recoating every 3-5 years. They are not suitable for light or heavy commercial

What is the background to the C2 products?

Peter Fell is the NZ Distributor for C2 products which are made by American company Prosoco, a very large research led construction chemical company. Their exported flooring products are marketed as C2 and distributed by Crete Colours International, whereas in the US they use the Consolidek brand. Consolideck is one of the most widely used products for ground and polished floors in the US and is highly respected, eg it is the product of choice on all new Walmart stores. Prosoco was one of the pioneers of Lithium Silicate flooring solutions in the early 2000s, and has continuously innovated and improved their products since then.

Internationally Crete Colours exports to over twenty different countries and has had great success.

Maintenance

C2 Floors are very durable but like any floor they require regular cleaning and it's important the right products are used. C2 Clean and C2 Maintain are purpose designed to provide the floor with exemplary cleaning without harming the system in any way.

Owners of new C2 floors should receive a Floor Care Pack from their installer, and if not just contact us and we'll send you one. 

Concrete Sealers

For the best products to seal your concrete, you've come to the right place - we have a something for every application, they are the best quality available, and have been developed in New Zealand for our unique and harsh conditions.

Why use a concrete sealer?

Sealers improve durability, reduce stain risk and make the concrete look great as well

After coating with a sealer the surface is transformed with a vibrant and smart finish. Because a barrier is formed the risk of staining is substantially reduced, plus organic matter is much less likely to grow.

All concrete should be sealed and while it will need some maintenance and re-coating over the years, the benefits in the appearance are well worth it.

Concrete Cleaners

Concrete is porous and so can stain easily - our range of concrete cleaners and concrete stain removers can help bring it back to it's original condition or close to it. These can remove grease and stains from concrete patios or clean and remove oil stains from concrete drives. For cleaning concrete floors the PFL Cleaner can bring it back to it's best.

Sealed concrete requires very little maintenance except cleaning from time to time. The surface can be cleaned by hosing or water blasting. Any spills or contaminants should be cleaned with PFL Cleaner using a mop or yard broom.

Our Colour Ranges

We have over 80 colours available and we have divided these into seven colour categories. 

For each Colour category we have two colour ranges, PFL Special Colours and PFL Premium Colours for especially rich and vibrant colour. The difference is that the PFL Premium Colours have double the pigment of the Special Colours and so have unmatched intensity. This step up in the quality of the colour will typically add only $15 per square metre on a typical patio, drive or floor project.

Please note that the colour swatches displayed below give an indication of colour only as every computer screen shows colour differently. So we recommend you view actual coloured concrete samples at our Auckland showroom, or at one of the 150 locations around the country prior to making any colour selection.

Because concrete is a natural material and is affected by many factors when it is made and placed, there will always be some difference in colour, texture and appearance between our sample colours and the final result. More details on the Things you should know page.

Colour is usually purchased through your ready mixed concrete company or contractor as this simplifies the whole process, and there is usually no advantage in buying direct from us

Check out our website for your Inspiration on Patios & Paths, Floors, Drives, Pool Surrounds, Walls, Commercial & Public Spaces!  

We have created a step-by-step toolbox of options for you to design with, and for your contractor to build with. It is a system using only the best materials to give you the longevity and quality you require.

We are not contractors ourselves but supply the materials you need to create a wonderful space. Plus we can share 20 years worth of experience with those involved in designing and building the project to ensure a good result.

Creating the perfect space for your lifestyle involves five choices. In each of the Inspiration sections Patios & Paths, Floors, Drives, Pools, Walls, Commercial & Public Spaces, you can see what your options are for each of the following steps.

Concrete is a natural and imperfect material and brings a very natural patina when it is used. There will always be variation in the colour and texture and possibly some cracking.

1. Choose your Design
   With concrete you can have any shape you want, and manipulate it however you choose
2. Choose your Colour
   Peter Fell Ltd offers over 80 unique concrete colours.
3. Choose your Texture
   The surface texture is created when the concrete is laid. It is this texture which defines the overall look and feel of the concrete floor.
4. Choose your Cuts & Grout
   Concrete shrinks when it dries so Construction Cuts are made to control where cracking occurs. In the PeterFell System these cuts can augmented with additional Decorative Cuts and coloured Grout to create a wide range of patterns and effects in the concrete.
5. Choose your Sealer
   Concrete Sealers protect the colour from staining and marking, resulting in long term durability and low maintenance surface.

Why PeterFell 

Quality. Quality. Quality. Without doubt our system is the best on the market, and here's why:

Best Colour

Our rich, deep colours are created right here in New Zealand using a blend of German-crafted Bayferrox® pigments in a concentrated liquid.

Our colours are richer and more intense as they contain more pigment than any other system on the market - up to three times more. The PeterFell System Special colours uses a liquid system typically dosed at 12kg of oxide per cubic metre (and our Premium range is double that). Most of our competitors typically dose at 5 - 10kg per metre, meaning they are cheaper but you get what you pay for - less colour and so a washed out and weaker appearance.

Bayferrox is the pigment brand of the German company Lanxess who invented the iron oxide pigment business and who have been market leader for the subsequent 70 years. We are the NZ Distributor of Lanxess pigments.

Lanxess are the only major pigment manufacturer who make everything they sell, ensuring unrivalled consistency and quality plus all their manufacturing sites are both ISO9001 and ISO14001 certified . All other suppliers in NZ use blended products from a variety of sources, and so have colour consistency issues.

Bayferrox iron oxides have a proven long term colour performance as you can see here in a twenty year colour fastness test.

Our liquid system ensures better colour distribution as powder pigments have a natural tendency to clump, like flour, so with all non-liquid systems there is a risk of colour variation due to insufficient mixing. Imported powder systems may be cheaper but they have been packed months ago and so come with more than a few risks - soluble bags that don't dissolve, lumps, lack of mixing, and colour variation batch to batch.

Plus, every order is custom made in our Auckland factory, with a sample of every order kept so we know exactly what was sent - quality assurance you can depend on. While the raw materials are supplied by the German company Bayferrox, all blending, processing and packaging is done here in NZ, keeping your country working.

Best System

The PeterFell System utilises products designed to market leading performance standards - such as our range of sealers designed for maximum durability in New Zealand's demanding conditions.

We have carefully assessed and chosen the best-in-class products that we can find, prefering NZ made products wherever possible. We are fiercely proud of our wonderful country and support local business wherever we can.

Our sealers are of the highest quality. Both the PFL Acrylic, Glaze, and Satin Sealers have the highest solids content possible, resulting in a thick and long lasting film. It is easy to make a cheap sealer by simply reducing the solids content and using an inferior quality resin - and they all look the same when they are down on the ground.

At Peter Fell Ltd we use only the best materials that we can source - so you can be assured of a long lasting solution

Best Service

We have been providing coloured concrete solutions since 1991 and are happy to share this experience to ensure the best possible result for your project.

Our staff know their concrete, are very experienced and can answer whatever question you may have. We field thousands of phone calls each month and talk through with customers, contractors, builders, architects, interior designers, landscapers and the public to ensure each and every project goes as well as can be. We will always take the time to listen and to answer whatever question you may have to ensure you absolutely understand everything about getting the best result you can.

So don't be swayed by cheaper options

In a typical project, to use our system may cost marginally more, but it's not much - ensure you contractor only uses genuine Peter Fell products.