Archive for the ‘concrete stain’ Category
Related Posts:
Stained Concrete – Turn Plain Surfaces Into Artistic Masterpieces
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010Stained concrete can turn a garage floor into artistic masterpieces, and applying them can be cost effective whether you’re doing it yourself, or paying a professional. Choices and options are endless with stained concrete because texture, gloss, color, and detail appearances vary depending on whether you use spray stain, roll on stain, high gloss, low gloss, or styled concrete.
Even if you have your heart set on travertine tile or slate flooring, don’t cross stained concrete off of your list. It’s easy to style cement to look like tile flooring by using a cookie cutter effect while it is still wet. After staining and gloss is complete, the tile like grooves will have a beautiful stone effect that flows throughout your home at less than half the price of porcelain tile.
It is important to note the difference between painting concrete and staining it when choosing what type of flooring to install. With paint, you have a layer set on top of the concrete itself and dries as one solid color. Stained concrete changes the structure at a molecular level using an acid-base to mix with the compounded minerals. This is why, depending on the color of stain being used, stain has a varying rustic pattern as real stone or slate would.
Besides color patterns, you can also choose your texture gradient based on the thickness of the stain you’ve opted for, whether it be roll on or spray on. Several layers and tones will change the way it feels or lays. Match it to your kitchen theme, or stone fire place setting and furniture. Either way, your guests will be amazed to find that your unique flooring style is not imported from Spain or Italy, but is actually your own variation of stained flooring.
The quality of stained concrete is competitive. Wood flooring can easily warp or lose its luster, but a concrete stain is durable and holds its shape and shine for years. Tile flooring can crack, but once concrete is sealed, not even water or heavy furniture can damage it. Stained concrete is easy to clean and doesn’t stain or scratch like carpet or some woods will, yet it is just as beautiful as some of the most expensive stone floors.
When choosing a flooring for your home, office, or even outside porches and barns, be sure to take stained concrete into consideration. Whether you’re on a tight budget or have a few extra dollars to spend, want a stone texture or porcelain shine, stained concrete is an appealing variation over your standard flooring choices that can be molded to fit your exact expectations.
Other popular options are epoxy paint and concrete polishing, which are entirely different processes, yet still very durable and beautiful if done correctly. Sometimes cracks will occur down the road with polishing, but don’t let this scare you away. It is still easily fixable.
Related Posts:
Concrete Finishing For All Aspects Of Your Home
Monday, November 2nd, 2009Concrete is a durable and versatile element that works equally as well for a patio or porch flooring as it does for a garage floor or driveway. If you think that a concrete application in some area of your home might be too boring, then you need to consider concrete finishing for added flair and pizazz.
Concrete finishing refers to any of several processes that are applied to concrete to help increase its durability, or create a change in its texture or appearance. Using special tools, concrete surfaces can be leveled, troweled, edged or textured to resemble materials other than concrete. Concrete on a driveway, for instance, can be finished to give it the appearance of more expensive stone construction.
There are three methods of concrete finishing fast gaining in popularity with homeowners today. The first of these is concrete stamping, a finishing technique that creates a new texture on the surface of the concrete designed to have it look like other material, such as stone, tile or brick. Stamping can also create the texture of leather when used on concrete walls and counter tops. Concrete stamping is best applied for new concrete applications.
Another concrete finishing technique making concrete more versatile than ever is concrete staining.
This technique provides a new refreshed look for concrete applications that are free from discoloration and signs of aging and offers a less expensive option to achieve that new concrete appearance without actually ripping out the old installation and pouring new concrete.
The third aspect of concrete finishing is concrete painting. This is the least expensive concrete finishing technique, but the results achieved are endless, left only to the imagination. Applying a quality grade epoxy concrete paint on garage or porch flooring, for example, can help to make the flooring waterproof, add new color to the concrete, improve the safety of the area by providing a non-slip surface when wet, and extending the lifespan of the concrete surfaces which are painted. Although this method of concrete finishing wears the least well of the three, it is still a viable way to upgrade the concrete’s appearance and durability without spending a great deal of money.
Concrete finishing allows concrete, a versatile and durable yet relatively inexpensive substance, to masquerade as many more high quality materials in a variety of applications, ranging from flooring and driveways to walkways, counter tops and fences. For any concrete surface that needs a make-over, concrete finishing transforms the old and boring into the new and exciting.
Related Posts:
The Different Types Of Concrete Floor Coating
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Without a coating, concrete floors will become stained, and also chip and crack over time. There are different types of floor coating for protecting concrete.
Epoxy concrete floor coating can be applied to a new floor or used to fill in chips and cracks in an old one. Epoxy floor coating comes as a primer and a topcoat. The epoxy topcoat can be clear or pigment can be added to it; decorative flakes can also be added. It provides a smooth surface. There is also the option of adding an epoxy stipple coat over the topcoat, which provides a surface much like an orange peel. Epoxy floor coating is resistant to automotive fluids and chemicals. It takes about three days to set up. Epoxy floor coating is often used in hospitals, detention centers, factories, and warehouses.
A concrete floor urethane sealer can also be used. Urethane sealers are high-gloss. They also involve putting down a primer and a topcoat. The topcoat is clear, but pigment may be added. Urethane sealers are also resistant to automotive fluids and chemicals, and they take about three days to set up. Urethane sealers are often used in retail stores and showrooms.
Although epoxy floor coatings and urethane sealers are largely used in industry, you can purchase epoxy kits for your garage that include a degreaser, topcoat, and decorative nonskid flakes. Measure your square footage so you know how many to buy. The epoxy floor coating is fully set in seven days.
Another option for a concrete floor coating is oil-based enamel paint. It resists automotive fluids. It cleans up with soap and water. But moisture or heat from tires may lift it off the floor surface. Some experts advise that you never use oil-based paint on a concrete floor.
Stains can also be applied to concrete floors. Stains have the advantage of soaking into the concrete instead of sitting on the surface of the floor. However, they don’t stand up to snow and rock salt well. For that reason, they’re used more in the South than any other part of the country.
Whichever concrete floor coating is used, it’s important to prepare the floor before applying it. The floor needs to be as clean and dry as possible. Use a degreaser, and, if necessary, a pressure washer. Remove all peeling paint. Give the floor several days to dry out. That way, all your work will pay off.
Related Posts:
Concrete Sealer Improves Concrete’s Longevity, Appearance
Monday, October 12th, 2009If your goal is to keep your concrete surfaces as good looking as the day they were poured, investigate the benefits of concrete sealer.
Concrete tends to be used around areas of the home where there is continuous heavy traffic, including garage flooring, porches, driveways, patios, sidewalks and stairways. Although concrete is a workhorse and provides a durable surface, its porous nature makes it easily absorb all sorts of spills ranging from motor oil and de-icing salt to bleach and gasoline. A combination of chemicals mars the surface of the concrete and makes it look old and dirty.
Since concrete also absorbs water, when the air temperatures turn freezing, there is a tendency for concrete surfaces to expand and then crack or crumble due to the expansion of water. What had been a strong smooth surface is now pockmarked or cracked, looking less than well cared-for.
Concrete sealer can come to concrete’s rescue when it comes to staining as well as chipping and cracking issues. There are numerous benefits to applying concrete sealer onto various concrete surfaces prior to any stain damage occurring and before the weather and temperatures turn cold and wintry.
When a clear concrete sealer is applied directly to the surface of concrete, it serves to seal out any moisture that concrete might otherwise absorb. Concrete sealer also provides a barrier against the absorption of damaging chemical spills such as oil, brake fluid, salt water, and such staining liquids as grape juice and wine in outdoor dining areas. The application of concrete sealer also protects concrete from the UV rays of the sun. Even regular day to day foot traffic won’t appear as noticeable on concrete flooring that has been treated with concrete sealer.
For the best results in using concrete sealer to provide protection against staining and cracking in areas using concrete, it is best to apply the sealer at least once every one to four years. Concrete sealer is easy to apply as often as necessary especially in high usage or high traffic areas, although protective gear and gloves are recommended during the spraying process.
Concrete sealer is a smart investment for any area featuring concrete, helping concrete surfaces to look cleaner, newer and more durable for many years to come.
Related Posts:
Concrete Stain – Top 10 Tips To Consider When Selecting
Monday, October 12th, 2009Applying a concrete stain to garage floors and other concrete surfaces achieves a more attractive appearance is a rapidly growing design trend. Concrete stains are an affordable way to give your concrete floor or wall a decorative appearance using a procedure that isn’t all that complicated. But there are ten things you should consider beforehand when shopping for a concrete stain.
(1) Evaluate whether you want to work with an acid-based concrete stain or an acrylic stain. Acid-based concrete stains require more safeguards because they contain chemical compounds that can cause irritations along with strong smells and results can be more unpredictable. Acrylic stains, on the other hand, are more like water-based latex paints, with less corrosive elements and a much lower threshold of detectable odors. Acrylic stains are better if you want better coverage of existing flaws because acrylic seeps down into the concrete’s pours.
(2) Since concrete stain is usually applied with a sprayer, be sure you can cover and protect nearby areas and landscaping from inadvertently being stained.
(3) Realize that any stain you apply will magnify the concrete’s existing variations as well as blemishes, rather than hide it the way an application of paint would.
(4) Explore the full range of colors available in concrete stains.
(5) Recognize that you must test a patch of concrete once you select your color, especially is choosing an acid-based stain. Every stain application varies in color depending upon the stain’s reaction to the concrete surface, so test first and don’t expect an exact match to the samples you saw while exploring.
(6) It’s a good idea to practice the staining procedure in a small test area before tackling a very large job. Consider hiring a professional with staining experience because too little stain will leave the area devoid of color and too much stain will cause uneven colorations.
(7) Be sure that the concrete surface to be stained has been neutralized with all traces of residue removed.
(8) Expect to apply a sealant after the concrete stain application, and this, too, must be applied evenly and properly to eliminate any telltale application marks.
(9) Your results can only be as good as the canvas you start with, so don’t expect to transform extremely old or blemished concrete into a beautiful masterpiece of staining.
(10) Hiring a professional staining applicator just may prove to be the best investment of your money if you don’t have the patience to practice staining prior to undertaking a large project.