Fundata's Grădiștei Gorge is expanding with a spa and ice rink

Cheile Grădiștei complex expands its capacity with a new spa and a new ice rink, built on top of the mountain in Fundata

We arrived here after a discussion with Ilie Moga, from Deposib, who provided the solutions for the treatment and protection of the wood used in the construction of the spa and the ice rink.

We had been to Cheile Grădiștei before, but this time we wanted to see the new constructions. We chatted with Ovidiu Gârbacea, owner of the two complexes Cheile Grădiștei Moeciu and Cheile Grădiștei Fundata. From the new ice rink he is now building in Fundata we got to know the story of one of the largest tourist and leisure projects in Romania, visited by both tourists and professional athletes.

Casa Ovidiu - the first guesthouse in Moeciu Brasov

A former competitive athlete and coach of the Olympic biathlon team, he gave up his sporting life immediately after 1990 to devote himself to entrepreneurship and the dream of building a tourist and leisure resort in Moeciu, like those in the foreign resorts he visited during his travels as a sportsman. Born and raised in the Moeciu mountain area, his first step in business was logging. First with a tractor, then with a gater, the sawmill business grew and was the fulcrum for the development of the tourism project. In 1992 he opened the first tourist guesthouse "Casa Ovidiu", built by extending his parents' house. After its success, he went on to build several guesthouses, hotels and restaurants in the same area.

Sport at its best. Ovidiu Gârbacea is building a vast tourist complex and sports base with international-level facilities on the mountaintop at Fundata.

In 2006 he moved his investment up to Fundata, buying land and building the access road for the new complex he was going to build at Fundata, in an area that had never been exploited for tourism before. Here he developed another tourist complex with hotels, villas, restaurants and more. In keeping with his passion for sport, he gradually built a sports base for training and recreation, with football pitches, tennis courts, sports hall, biathlon track with cross-country skiing trails, ski slopes for beginners and advanced skiers, where training and sports competitions are hosted. Now, in 2021, construction is underway in Fundata on an ice rink of international Olympic standards and a spa centre with a professional swimming pool, swimming pool and various facilities, sauna, salt room, fitness rooms, and outside work is underway on a zip line, a summer sledge track, a chairlift, an athletics field and children's playgrounds. It is a very large complex with many facilities for both tourists coming to relax or sports enthusiasts and professional athletes.

Protective materials used for wood

Here at the top of the mountain, wood as a building material is a must. It is used over large areas in both the spa area and the ice rink. Bochemit products supplied by Deposib Expert. They made sure that the products chosen provided protection against fire, moisture, fungi, mould and insects.

Bochemit Antiflash is a 3-in-1 product that protects wood against fire, insects and fungi (tested according to EN 113, EN 73, EN 46). Boric acid, the active substance in the product, is highly concentrated, being the only fire retardant on the Romanian market that gives wood such a high resistance against both mould and decay. Unlike other fire retardants based on boron salts, Bochemit Antiflash does not require dilution with hot water. This eliminates the danger of recrystallisation and white spots on wood. Bochemit Antiflash is technically approved by the Romanian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration and approved by the ISU, and is recommended for industrial and professional treatment of wooden building materials and other wooden products inside buildings.

Bochemit Opti F+ provides preventive protection against all natural wood pests (fungi, insects, mould), both indoors for the lifetime of the wood and outdoors for up to 10 years. It is a liquid, concentrated product, very suitable for treating wood used in construction (floors, panelling, wainscoting), as well as wood used for exterior fittings. It is recommended for the treatment of class 1, 2 and 3 construction timber according to EN 335. The treatment can be used for both new and old wood. Treated wood is film-free and after drying can be finished with materials commonly used for interior or exterior wood protection. It is available in clear, brown or green, the clear version being yellowing resistant.

Estetik Bochemit is a range of oil-based lacquers for impregnating wood indoors or outdoors. The oils provide protection against UV radiation and prevent water penetration into the wood. The range comprises eight colours: pine, golden pine, mahogany, chestnut, walnut, rosewood, white and grey, which can be applied with a brush or trowel. For an evenly coloured surface the wood must be well sanded and prepared beforehand. On interior wood, apply 1 or 2 coats of oil, but for exterior wood, at least 2 coats are needed for effective protection.

Find out the whole story from Ovidiu Gârbacea, the owner of the Moeciu-Fundata mini-resort Cheile Grădiștei.