planning new construction in coastal NC, using slab floor, want to use color to avoid grey. anyone tried the etching stains? sure looks cool. how long to cure concrete before application? Scofield rep says two weeks, longer is better. don’t get pissy and sour on this idea just b/c you’ve never tried it. who has had interesting results?
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Check out http://www.acid-stain.com I have tried it....yet
sooner you get the stain on the deeper the colors and less chance of something spot'n up... if you want really good colors... i dust the wet concrete with white portland... thats opional... it's easy to do... easy to score & lay out... look at a few pics i just posted in the photos... that was a 30 cut job... maybe 2hrs on the stain but i was play'n alot... I skip the sealers and go to a commerical floor wax... & buff... guys who do it for a living will try to make you think there is voodoo involved... there isn't... anything you screw up is just "character" and you can restain if you don't like the look u get as long as u do it before you seal.... worste case you have a stained slab under your finished floor :)
p
I've acid stained two floors in my own house and gotten results that I love.
It's easy.
It's worth putting a LOT of effort into protecting the newly laid concrete to reduce the cleaning time and effort when the time comes to stain. Watch the electricians - they love to mark light locations on the floor. Watch the drywallers - they mark stud locations. Watch the plumbers - they spill adhesive and you'll never get that off concrete. Watch the tapers - maybe you should stain the floor before they get anywhere near it.
Ron
and keep the red chaulk away from it.. 2+3=7
It would be a lot more fun if yall finished your own drywall. That would be a pos job right there .
Dont spit on my concrete floor . Dont drop any mud . We cant have drinks in here . Dont be gettin mud in here and take your shoes off at the door .
Yup , I can see the night mare.
Tim
Edited 2/9/2006 9:27 am by Mooney
p - I'd love to look at the photos, but can't find them! help me out
cat
One of the things about my dusty home is that its dusty everywhere. Not sure if this is a continued bleed-through of poor post-drywall cleanup, a swiss-cheese air infiltration system letting dirt & dust from outside in, or something else, but the problem is also evident in the basement, too.
Anyway, with the exception of maybe 1/3 of my basement, I would like to acid-stain the remaining 2/3 of the basement floor. What are probably the most effective methods for prepping the concrete surfaces? I've still got quite a bit of dust, and I'd imagine the crete needs scraping in some areas (spilled liquid nails, etc.)?
After I finish drywalling the basement, I would want to pressure wash the concrete floor and let it dry, but that's ruled out in the hazzard of getting the DW wet, too. I wouldn't imagine a shopvac doing well have 1100 SqFt of sucking dust and dirt, which I presume would still leaving crap behind.
So, exactly how 'clean' does the surface need to be? Are you folks mopping the floor (and then letting it dry)?
What are probably the most effective methods for prepping the concrete surfaces? Dont do anything to it. 2+3=7
look in the photo section... scroll thru the pics i posted... u'll see em...
and yes i think the concrete should be stained and at least one coat of sealer put on before any trade gets in the building... u just have to watch the people who want to hammer on your concrete...
p
Ponytl,
Uuuuh. . . . There'e 24,000 threads in the photo gallary, with about a gazillion posts each.
Can you give us just a little clue as to which thread you're talking about?
Maybe it's title?
SamT
it's under a post i made maybe 5 down... "a few more loft pics" 2 are of a first floor i cut/scored a star into and stained and one i think is of a second floor (12000 sf) that poured and stained & sealed before it was framed...
p
hope that helps..
few more loft pics
Yowser! Some file sizes.
Ok. For you I'll do it.
SamT
Forgot, if this is new construction, we protect the floors with plastic then roofing felt, taping the seams. Contracters are hell on floors and this will protect your future finished floors.
Semper Fi
Note: the thirty day wait is for Kemiko's product. Others may not have that stipulation.
I used kemiko on mine too.. 2+3=7
Could be easy. The results will depend upon whether your cement guys used a power trowel on the surface. It's said that such a creature will cause problems with staining due to the over working of the surface,
Basement staining would best be described as, "BE VERY CAREFUL!" Fumes from the acid in the stain will knock you over. One needs excellent ventilation while doing this project.
Pay much attention to the right sealer over the stained area.
There are many, many different colors of stains.
Actually, the preparation of the surface for staining is nowhere near as critical as laying down an epoxy coating. Commonly sweeping is enough. But you don't wnat oils or such contaminating the surface.
Hey cat, we use Kemiko stain products and have gotten very good, no awesome results. You have to wait a min. of thirty days before staining on newly poured concrete. Do not clean concrete with acid prior to using Kemiko stains. TSP is a good cleaner and recommended prior to staining if needed. Check out their website kemikostain.com.
Semper Fi
I've used Lithochrome with great results. The acid stains are so easy to use, anyone could do it.
The two big things to watch for are;
1) as noted earlier, don't spill anything on the floor prior to staining or prior to sealing because that spill will be forever. No food, no drinks allowed in the house during construction.
Explain to the framers what is going on, don't let them snap lines through the doorways (no red chalk as Brownbagg said -- it's forever), use only water-based CA on the bottom plate (yes I have had framers glue the bottom plate through doorways -- the water-based comes off with a sharp chisel and patience), and make sure that they understand that they are working on a finished floor and will be backcharged for damage (include that in their contract).
After the framers are done, tape down two layers of rosin paper. Cover that with plastic and scrap plywood. Then the floor is at least somewhat protected from the following subtrades.
Expalin to all of the following subtrades that they are working on a finished floor. Damage will be backcharged.
2) No matter what your concrete sub tells you, do NOT let them use a curing compound on the slab. Some curing agents are advertised to go away after a period of time and not interfere with the stain. This is not true. A curing agent will prevent the stain from working properly. I learned this the hard way.
Otherwise, a pump srpayer or lambswool applicator, a squegee, and a wet/dry vac, and you are good to go.
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. -- Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)
some great information and tips from everyone, thank you all. I get it that the initial protection from messes is critical, I'll put down the plastic/ paper/ cardboard and be careful! of course, once I choose a product, I'll stay with their host of approved/ recommended finishing techniques, but it's sort of surprising that kemiko says just use water at end to clean up, but scofield/ lithochrome says buffing machine then neutralizing baking soda or ammonia. two coats seems to be recommended for better depth of color. I was hoping to use a large diagonal checkerboard pattern - can I snap orange chalk after the first spraying, tape squares of plastic, then spray with a darker shade? blue was the color I was most hoping to use, looks like I'll have to go for more of a green at best.
cat,
When I did my two floors - which is the full extent of my experience with acid stain - I picked up a few tips from these homeowners who seemed to enjoy the process and have some fun with it
http://www.ourcoolhouse.com/images/construction/acidetch.htm
This link was posted here on BT a year or so ago.
I used QC Patina stains, mainly because my supplier was changing brands and had just the amount I needed at a very good price. Good product. Perhaps they all are. The colour and texture of the floor finish make people think of Moroccan leather.
I used Sonneborn Cure-n-seal 25 on top. This sealer is very easy and forgiving to apply but the vapour from it is a lot more toxic that the vapour from the stain itself. New chemical cartridges and an open window will do the job, though. You don't need air supply gear. I have since read reviews of different sealers and, though the sonneborn rates pretty high, there are better sealers around.
I found the reviews through a Google search.
Ron
excellent website, Ron, very cool house indeed! one question though - didn't you already have some actual scoring from initial pour? isn't that needed to prevent wayward or random cracking of the concrete? did you incorporate those scorings into any of your taped faux-scoring design?
like this. 2+3=7
Brownbagg
beautiful!
Ron
Sweet! Do you buy this local? Where? I have always had this shipped-in but was told someone downtown has it in stock.......
Semper Fi
I, too had to get it ship. out of atlanta. somebody told me "Construction Material" had it and they are downtown across the street from the county jail. 2+3=7
Appreciate the tip! I'll check them out.
Semper Fi
I went to Miracote's 2 day training program last fall.
I understand their stuff is available thru WhiteCap.
http://www.miracote.com
I just did my first floor - turned out great. Bought a sample kit and masked out a fairly cool compass on the floor (ala the 'our cool house') All the local concrete supply houses in Duluth, mn had some type. Concrete Depot on line is where I got the sample kit.effect was obtained by brushing with stain.
Ted
Cat,
That website does not show my house or my job. In my own house, I scored nothing and stained everything the same. I'm not nearly as ambitious as those folks. I was in a hurry, too. With all the effort of cleaning the floor, then staining and sealing, this job closed the house to other work for five days.
Ron
2) No matter what your concrete sub tells you, do NOT let them use a curing compound on the slab. Some curing agents are advertised to go away after a period of time and not interfere with the stain. This is not true. A curing agent will prevent the stain from working properly. I learned this the hard way.
That practically eliminates all track-housing in my neck of the woods. The idea is to begin framing two-minutes prior to a pour. :) I guess this is probably the most significant piece of information one could ask for, since common sense would dictate that one test before a major investment attempt.