Overview: The largest indoor waterpark in New York state aswell as 324 rooms in an adjoining all-suite resort feature MAPEI tile/stone installation and waterproofing products throughout. That’s because one man followed his instincts and followed up a phone call with an in-person visit. The story of MAPEI’s intervention at the Kartrite Resort proves that persistence pays off.

In New York’s Catskill Mountains, an area known for resorts, the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark is unique. In fact, the Kartrite is unique in the world of resorts in general. Not only is it the largest indoor waterpark in the state of New York, it is one of the largest in the world. According to the resort’s Website, the 80,000-squarefoot (7 432 m²) waterpark features 11 water attractions that have 318,000 gallons (1 203 761 L) of water running through them. Even in the dead of winter, the waterpark is always a balmy 84°F (29°C) thanks to a transparent Texlon roof that allows sunlight to filter in and keeps comfortable heat in as well.

The fun at this state-of-the-art waterpark is included for guests of the Kartrite Resort, the luxury hotel/spa that is attached to the indoor waterpark. The all-suite hotel features 324 rooms with all of the expected high-tech conveniences. The hotel also features a spa, restaurants, shops and a fitness center designed to help fill a weekend or an entire vacation with adventure. And the resort and the waterpark both feature MAPEI products. The story behind MAPEI’s inclusion in the specification highlights the importance of perseverance and trusting your instincts.

MAPEI products on the jobsite
As MAPEI sales representative Darin Shocker relates, prior to coming to MAPEI, he used to install tile. “One day, I received a call about a large job asking if I was interested in installing some tile on a 100K-square-foot [9 290 m²] project,” he said. “I explained that I wasn’t installing anymore. And that was that. But the project still was on my mind. I thought that I should go and see if maybe it could be an opportunity for MAPEI. When I arrived at the jobsite trailer, it turned out that MAPEI wasn’t even on the specification. Since I was new to the company, I contacted my supervisor, Matt Hess, Sales Director – Northeast Area. We were able to get equal representation on the spec. From that point, BK Tile & Stone, the project’s installing contractor, began using MAPEI products on the project.”

Shocker continued, “They began by using MAPEI products in the hotel bathrooms and foyers. At this point, BK primarily used another manufacturer’s products in their installations. But, when they began to use our products on this job, we began to gain their trust. They proceeded to use MAPEI products in all areas of the hotel until eventually this job was 100% MAPEI systems throughout both the hotel and the waterpark.”

What were those “or equal” products that Shocker’s persistence got included on the spec? The specification called for large quantities of products to be used between the hotel and the waterpark: 430,000 sq. ft. (39 948 m²) of self-leveling and waterproofing to be installed in the interior floors and shower walls of the hotel and the waterpark (Novoplan 2, ECO Prim Grip, Mapesil T and Mapelastic AquaDefense). In addition, the spec required 100,000 sq. ft. (9 290 m²) of ceramic/porcelain/quarry installation products (Ultracolor Plus FA, Mapelastic AquaDefense, Ultraflex 2, MAPEI Ultralite Mortar, Ultraflex LFT, Kerapoxy CQ, ECO Prim Grip and Novoplan 2 Plus). “The hotel has 324 suites with restrooms and kitchens all using MAPEI systems. It also has a large lobby and other foyer areas,” Shocker said.

Located in a rural area of Sullivan County, NY, the large-scale commercial construction project required a 15-man crew and a year’s work to complete. Shocker explained that whether working on the hotel or the waterpark of this massive project, the BK Tile & Stone crew “trowel-applied the thin-set materials and used rollers and/or spray equipment to apply the waterproofing depending upon the application.”

The project ran from July 2018 to January 2019, with the resort and waterpark officially opening on May 10, 2019. “This project uses complete MAPEI systems,” Shocker said. “It is also a great example of providing customer service and product deliveries to a remote location. Both the contractor and the owners are happy with the MAPEI experience – people and products. And we have gained a lot of new business as the result of this project. Now, BK is giving our distributors more and more purchase orders since the completion of this job.”

But perhaps the main lesson of this project is to trust your instincts and to visit those jobsite trailers. Shocker concurred, “Boy, am I glad I took the ride to check up on the jobsite that day!” Talk about a gamble paying off!

TECHNICAL DATA
The Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark – Monticello, NY, USA
Year of construction: 2018-2019
Year of MAPEI involvement: 2018-2019
Where MAPEI products were used: 430,000 sq. ft. (39 948 m²) of self-leveling and waterproofing in the hotel and waterpark; and 100,000 sq. ft. (9 290 m²) of ceramic, porcelain and quarry tile installation in the hotel and waterpark
Project owner: Adelaar HWP, LLC
Distributors: Daltile Albany and ProTile
Contractor: Suffolk Construction
Installer: BK Tile & Stone Inc.
Project manager: Andrew Schoch
MAPEI coordinator: Darin Shocker
Challenges: Due to the project’s remote location, manning the crew and delivering product to the site posed difficulties that had to be considered when planning and managing the project