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Hi everyone, I am building a new, daylight basement apartment in my duplex here in Seattle. Recently (one year) poured the floor, as I guess it wasn’t customary back in 1908 – the forms were simply laid down and layered with more wood – and that was the floor.
Ok, I am thinking of trying a concrete stain for the kitchen and dining areas instead of going to the trouble of tiling the floor. Want something that is durable,therefore I originally thought of tile.
Anybody have any input on the concrete stain and how it has worked out for them? Also, as I was going to do tile I didn’t cover the floor while painting latex. Quite a few paint splotches now!
Any advice would be appreciated!
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Bob,
I dont know of any that will not have to be redone in a couplw of years. If you do not want to tile you could try a laminate floor like Pergo. If you are a DIY kind of guy it is fairly easy. Be sure to use one of the better grades. It will cost a little more up front but will last a lot longer. These floors are also a lot nicer to walk on than concrete and tile.
Rick Tuk
*The best concrete stains are the acid stains which permanently stain the top layer of the concrete and are then sealed with a concrete sealer. Check out the links below. The acid stains are somewhat toxic (caution needed) and are somewhat variable in terms of how they stain different concrete slabs. They require some experimentation on individual slabs but can produce some stunning patterns which are permanent.www.thestampstore.com (under acid stains, you can order some sample bottles with instructions for $25 for experimentation)www.decorative-concrete.net
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Bob, I am a DIYer, so if you get more posts from the pros, then take my advice with a grain of salt. However, I just did some large acid staining projects this summer and did my damnedest to pump the guys at White Cap for the spec sheets and any personal experience they had before I started. I have to say that although the concrete did turn out well in the final run, the various slabs were a pain in the ass and are not, repeat not, as durable as the manufacturer would have you believe. Some particulars: Stains were Lithochrome by Scofield. Surfaces done varied in age (the oldest being slabs from 1922, youngest 6 months), exposure (both interior & exterior), and "surface garbage" (pristine to latex spatters).
Every single slab took the stain in its own way. Best: the old pristine interior concrete (to my surprise). It took the stain in small increments (requiring multiple coats) but when done, was the most beautiful, resembling slate. Worst: the new exterior concrete with latex spatters. It sucked in the stain like an alcoholic whore in a gin factory, and showed every brush stroke/swirl in glaring detail. the latex spatters did not take the stain and stood out like a sore thumb. Even the latex spatters I had burnished out with a wire brush "ghosted" through becuase the concrete had a chemical "memory" of where they'd been. I had to sweat & swear & use multiple iterations of stain and acid cleaner to get a decent result.
As for durability, I have coated these slabs with 3 coats of exterior-grade sealant. While I have a feeling they will hold up to foot traffic, imagine my surprise when I put down a strip of blue painter's tape to mask a section of baseboard that needed repainting, only to find it LIFT OFF granules of stained concrete showing the lighter stuff underneath. This with only a light touch to keep the tape in place.
I admit I have seen photos of beautiful installations, and as I say, mine looks very well right now, but if I had to do it over again I would very seriously consider tile. Hope you get other feedback to balance mine -- good luck whatever you decide! Buck
*Hey Rick,Jim and buck, thanks for the advice about the basement flooring. My biggest concern is durability, so it sounds like the stain won't cut it. I thought of 'Pergo' in the first place, but was concerned about wear and tear over the long run. Therefore I ended up with tile. I know it isn't the most comfortable,but I figured a tenant could put down throw rugs. I am a remodeling contractor, so be it tile, or Pergo, either would be fine for me to install. I think I will give the Pergo a second thought, it certainly seems like it'd be 'warmer' than tile. I would imagine some 6-mil layed down before the foam would be essential over concrete.What do you all think of the laminate flooring in this application?Thanks again for the input!BobFinishing Touch Construction in the land of tear gas.....
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Hi everyone, I am building a new, daylight basement apartment in my duplex here in Seattle. Recently (one year) poured the floor, as I guess it wasn't customary back in 1908 - the forms were simply laid down and layered with more wood - and that was the floor.
Ok, I am thinking of trying a concrete stain for the kitchen and dining areas instead of going to the trouble of tiling the floor. Want something that is durable,therefore I originally thought of tile.
Anybody have any input on the concrete stain and how it has worked out for them? Also, as I was going to do tile I didn't cover the floor while painting latex. Quite a few paint splotches now!
Any advice would be appreciated!