ConstructionDeal.com Update

Here's a Before and After account of a Concrete Overlay project from our friends at Stained By Design, the concrete specialists down in Louisiana:

"Recently, Stained By Design was contacted by a homeowner to stain three bedrooms and a hallway in an existing home. The rooms all were previously covered with carpet. One of the bedrooms had a very rough finish on the concrete and a low spot of 1/4 inch about the size of a Stop Sign. This room would not look very good if stained in that condition. Plus, the 10 year old Princess who lived in the room wanted a castle floor in Purple and Coral - Princesses can be demanding that way. Since those colors are out of the range of traditional Acid Stains, a Concrete Overlay was the way to go.

The concrete was cleaned and a Skim coat (seen as White in the picture) was applied to bond to the existing surface. The next day a wet bond coat was applied in advance of 1/4" of Texture Pave which was used to re-level the surface. A screed was used over the low spot so the floor would end up flat and even.

Very little of this re-level coat will be seen in the finished product. It was mixed in gray so when the grout lines are scored, they will be dark. This coat had to dry overnight.

The next two days were spent doing the color coats, scoring the pattern and sanding for a smooth surface. As a final touch, Pink, Purple and Silver glitter was sprinkled on the floor before the sealer was applied. While not seen in the completed picture, the glitter sparkles quite a bit as you walk over the area.

The Princess was very happy."

Joe Welch
(337) 316-4505
www.stainedbydesign.com
Art you can walk on

If you don't live in Louisiana and would like to find a concrete overlay pro in your area, you can post your request on the ConstructionDeal.com site. It's a free way to find a professional in your area -- they contact you so it also saves you time!

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Labels: Concrete Overlays, Decorative Concrete, Stained Concrete

Our friends at Stained by Design have sent along some more great information on concrete. We've have several quality posts on acid stained concrete and this one covers information on decorative concrete overlays.

Overlays are a way to cover up a current interior or exterior concrete application. If you are a Do-It-Yourselfer, here are some application guidelines. If you prefer to have a concrete company do the work, use this info as a guide to make sure they're doing it right. Joe's the expert in our book and anything he says goes:

"Decorative Concrete, or Architectural Concrete, as it is also called, is a way to put a new face on existing concrete. The existing concrete may be pitted, aggregate-exposed or have a mix of both a smooth and rough finish. Several new thin layers of a specially modified concrete mixture are applied to the existing concrete to create a new surface. As the name implies, the finishes are decorative enhancements that add to the architectural beauty of existing concrete, but they are not structural in nature.

Concrete Overlays fall into different categories but share steps in the evolution of the final product. The installation time runs from 3 - 7 days depending on the size of the area, the selected style and complexity of the pattern. There are many manufactures of overlay systems. Some require primers, some call the steps or mix a different name. This is intended to be generic in nature, but I have to call the steps/mix by the name that I use.

The typical steps are as follows:

1. Preparation. This step is common to all applications.

a. The surface is pressure washed or cleaned with a floor prep machine depending on if Exterior or Interior.

b. A mild Acid bath is done and then neutralized. This opens the pores of the concrete and prepares it to bond with the next application. (An Acid Bath is NOT done for staining a Concrete Slab). For those interested in staining concrete slabs, please see the archives sections for previous posts about acid stained concrete.

The following steps only apply to concrete overlays.

2. A Skim Coat (also called a Base, Bond or Scratch coat.) This step is common to all overlay applications:

a. Cracks in the surface are treated if needed.

b. A Skim or Scratch/Base coat is applied to the surface and allowed to dry.

*** The steps below are by style. Depending on the complexity of your desired surface, modifications may be made.

3. Texture Applications: There are several styles that fit this category (a Knock-Down finish is in this category.)

a. Basic Spray Texture would have an additional Base Coat added before the Top Coat is Sprayed on. I feel the additional base coat is needed to give strength to the final product. After the second Base Coat, the Top Coat is sprayed over a Stencil, Tape or a Seamless pattern.

b. Flagstone coatings also receive two Base Coats for the same reason above. The next step is to apply a 1/2" Nylon Tape to the surface to mark off the "rocks/stones."

c. The Flagstone pattern is then coated with the Top Coat and after a dry time, misted with additional colors.

d. The tape is then pulled off to reveal the pattern and the surface is then sealed.

4. Faux Slate/Tile Applications:

a. The Top Coat material is mixed and applied with a pool trowel to achieve a look that resembles a light Slate Texture or a swirl-type texture found on some tiles.

b. After drying overnight, the desired pattern is marked and scored.

c. Stain is applied to the surface in several coats to achieve the desired color, tint and tone.

d. After an overnight dry, the surface is sealed.

e. NOTE: This texture may also be referred to as a "Knock-Down" when it is done to resemble Cool Deck.

f. There are other variations of this style that can create a personalized tile unique to your home.

5. Micro-Finish Overlay:

a. The most common use of Micro-Finish is to overlay a slab that would not react well to acid stain. The final result is a surface that actually achieves a higher degree of mottling and tone than concrete.

b. A Micro-Finish job will get a second Base Coat.

c. Two applications of Micro-Finish are applied with a pool trowel. This process fills in the small voids in the surface and results in a smooth even surface.

d. The floor is machine-sanded to further smooth the surface and remove any trowel marks.

e. The pattern is scored and the surface is stained in the desired color. After the stain works for about 4 hours, it is neutralized and rinsed.

f. Once the surface is dry it is sealed.

6. Thin-Stamped Overlay:

a. Texture Pave is the ultimate top-coat that is applied to the surface and accepts the stamp pattern.

b. A "Wet Bond" coat is put down in advance of the Texture Pave.

c. The Texture Pave is spread out with a Gauge Rake to ensure a consistent application.

d. After the surface has set up enough, it is stamped with the Texture Skin.

e. The Texture Skin makes the Slate pattern in the surface.

f. After the Stamp, the material will dry over night.

g. The pattern is then scored and stained in the desired color.

h. Once the surface is dry it is sealed.

7. Sealer Options:

There are several sealers available and the choice of sealer should be determined by environment and use. Some of the overlay styles/staining required longer dry times than others. Most surfaces can be sealed the day after staining.

a. CSS. This is the Primary sealer for Exterior applications. CSS is a 53% solids, UV inhibiting sealer. It penetrates the surface and prevents mold and mildew from getting a foot-hold on the surface.

b. AUS-G: This is a Aliphatic Urethane sealer. It is UV stable and offers higher abrasion resistance. It requires a longer cure time.

c. Clear Epoxy: This is the best sealer for Industrial use. It cures up to over 14,000 PSI and is odorless. However, it requires the longest cure time and does scratch easily. It is often selected to support forklift traffic. I can be used in a residential application, but should be top coated with AUS-G for better wear.

d. Colored Epoxy: Colored Epoxy comes in 10 colors and is the best coating for areas such as loading docks where high wear and heavy weight is the primary concern.

e. Wax: All interior applications should receive coats of a commercial quality liquid wax. This wax is applied with a looped-end Rayon mop. The purpose of the wax is to provide a sacrificial coat to absorb the scuff marks and prolong the sealers life. An analogy for wax is to think about a car. The car color (the stain on the concrete) is covered with Clear Coat (the sealer) and car wax protects the clear coat. So long as you keep up with the wax, you won't have to have your car painted or your floor resealed."

To find out more about Architectural and Decorative Concrete Overlays, visit Joe's site. You can also call Joe if you're near Louisiana at (337) 316 - 4505. If you need to find a decorative concrete specialist in your area, you can post your project for free with ConstructionDeal.com.

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Labels: Acid Stained Concrete, Decorative Concrete, Stained Concrete

Still more valuable info from our acid stained concrete pro Joe Welsh, at Stained By Design!

We recently covered Interior and Exterior Care of your Acid Stained Concrete Flooring. But it's probably a good idea to let you know how to put stained concrete floors down in the first place! So, let's cover the necessary steps to prepare your slab for stained concrete. Now, this can information for the do-it-yourselfer but if you're going to have a decorative concrete professional handle the job, it would be good to know the correct procedure. That way, if may be able to spot a problem before it arises. Joe pointed out this problem he saw on the Home Improvement Ideas site with info on stained flooring, where it says, "Basically it's when the concrete is colored as part of the mixing process (as opposed to being painted after it's laid and dried.)" According to Joe, "If you tried to add acid stain to the mix, you'd have concrete that would crumble like stale bread after a year." So, study his prep guide and show it to your concrete installer if you see something being done incorrectly:

Preparing a Slab for Stained Concrete

1) A quality batch of concrete should consist of at least a 5-sack mix with minimal fly-ash, no retarder, curing compounds or chloride accelerators. Do not pour below 40°F. Do not use fly-ash below 80°F. Use no more than 15% fly-ash above 80°F. The slab should be hard troweled by machine to a smooth finish. It is NOT necessary to burnish the surface to a slick, mirror finish. "Burning" the slab to an ultra smooth surface will close off the pours of the slab and cause the stain to sit on top of the concrete and not penetrate. A bit smoother than a garage floor is optimum. Make sure the Finishers don’t get "burrs", rocks, or debris caught under the blades which can cut swirl marks into the slab.

2) It is important that the concrete be thoroughly finished with hand tools, where needed, around the plumbing, risers, floor outlets, or any other element which is not accessible by the machine. Special care should be taken to blend in the areas at the exterior edges of the slab. If the finish is smooth in the center and rough-finished at the edges, there will be a noticeable difference of color and tone between these areas.

3) Silicone chalks should NOT be used, if at all possible. The red and yellow chalks are PERMANENT DYES. Red chalk should NOT be used for framing. White or blue chalks are okay. Do NOT use silicone sprays to "Hold" the lines. The sprays repel the stain and leaves harsh, permanent scars on the floor.

4) It is important that wood, sheet goods, sections of framing and the like not laid on the slab for extended periods of time. They can transfer resins and tannins into the slab. This will alter the moisture content in the slab which leaves a pattern in the finished floor. Cardboard should be placed between the slab and the stacked material to minimize any unwanted transfers.

5) The floor should be protected from the following: plumbers glue, foam insulation, bond release agents, flux, oils, grease, polyurethane, paint, markers (framers often write dimensions of doorways in marker on the slab - ask them to make that note on the wood framing the doorway), grease sticks, spray paints, crayons, muratic acid, and other chemicals both before and after staining. Also ask that locations of electrical and other outlets be marked on the studs and not on the floor.

6) The framers should brace the walls to the outside and not to the slab. Door plates should be cut away immediately.

7) The floors should be clean and the rooms empty, with absolutely nothing on the floors prior to the arrival of the stain crew. The best time to stain the floors is when you are Blacked-In with a roof on. The slab is at it’s cleanest at this point in time. After the Stain and Sealer, the floor should be covered with "Builder’s Paper" to protect it from the drywall mud and paint.

8) At the “Pre-Trim” stage, a refresher coat of sealer will bring the floors back to life.

9) It is extremely important that you do not tape the floor! When covering the floor, overlap sheets of builder’s paper (Roofing paper is a great covering item, too.) Tape the first sheet to the wall then overlap the second sheet to the first and tape it to the paper. DO NOT PUT TAPE ON THE FLOOR. Use no tape! Duct tape, masking tape, packing tape, strap tape, blue tape, green tape, stucco tape and electrical tape – there are NO exceptions. It alters the natural curing process and transfers chemicals to and from the slab. This will show in the finished product.

10) When covering the floor, you may use sheets of masonite or single-faced cardboard on top of the builder’s paper. however, do not cover the floor with plastic at any time! It prevents the slab from breathing, which inhibits proper curing. It can result in efflorescence."

If you're in Louisiana, contact Joe about getting your interior floors resurfaced with decorative concrete overlays at (337) 316-4505 or you can email him. If you'd like to talk to a decorative concrete specialist in your area, you can find at ConstructionDeal.com.

Labels: Acid Stained Concrete, Stained Concrete

In our continuing coverage of the latest trend in re-surfacing, we've got more information from Joe Welch, at Stained By Design. This time, Joe's got some information about maintaining your exterior acid stained concrete floor covering:

"Your Exterior surface should be sealed with multiple coats of a high-solids, UV-inhibiting, penetrating solvent-based sealer. This sealer will repel dirt, dust and other substances that can get a foot-hold on concrete surfaces and promote the growth of mold and mildew. Basic care is as shown below:

1. If you notice a powdery white or splotchy appearance; especially after a rain, the sealer is doing its job. This is the dirt/dust mentioned above. A rinse with a garden hose followed by a squeegee pull or leaf blower blow-dry will remove the excess water and dust.

2. Pressure washing is generally not needed. A rinse or a blow dry will remove most things on the surface.

3. If there was a spill of a soft drink or something you didn’t see right away, use a mild soap like Ivory liquid in some warm water to loosen the material. Rinse and blow and you are back to a clean surface.

4. Plastic glides or Magic Movers should be affixed to heavy furnishings or those which will move frequently.

5. Potted plants should have a dish placed under them to catch excess water; this is especially true if you use a lot of fertilizer on the plants. White powdery spots are caused by fertilizer run-ff and can be remove with CLR cleaning solution.

6. The surface should be resealed from time-to-time. The manufacturers of the sealant usually recommends resealing every 1 to 2 years. How often your surface needs to be resealed depends on the amount of rain and sunlight it receives plus how much abuse is place on the surface by people or pet animals. When you start to notice that water doesn't bead up on or seems to absorb into the surface, it is time to reseal."

If you're in Louisiana, contact Joe about getting your driveway, patio, or interior floors resurfaced with decorative concrete overlays at (337) 316-4505 or you can email him.

If you'd like to talk to a decorative concrete or acid stained concrete specialist in your area, consider ConstructionDeal.com.

We have a network of concrete companies ready to help with your project. We'll match you to one in your neighborhood - at no cost.

It's the smart way to find a concrete contractor. Simply submit a request or a project and get 4 quotes - sometimes in a matter of minutes. There's no obligation and there's no charge.

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Labels: Acid Stained Concrete, Decorative Concrete, Stained Concrete