Michael Holigan: If you or someone you know is decorating a new home or maybe even an existing home, you've probably been floored with decisions. Decisions like which floor should I use - hardwoods, carpets, vinyls, tiles are all standard choices. You count on concrete to give your home a rock solid foundation. But you probably don't think it's very attractive. Today, Graveland Concrete is coming out from under the carpet, thanks to colorful concrete stains.
Sandy Shires: Most people who are interested in staining their concrete floor, whether it's interior or exterior, are doing it either to blend with the décor or they're trying to match a look. It can give you the Old World look all the way up to being wonderful with Art Deco look or even a very strong contemporary look.
MH: Not only is concrete a design chameleon, it is much less expensive than other flooring. This ordinary slab will be transformed into a beautiful floor for just two and a half to three dollars per square foot. First, a large grid is chalked onto the slab. Using a handsaw, the grid pattern has been scored into the concrete. Later, the floor is cleaned and a permanent concrete stain is sprayed onto the floor. Stained concrete is also a great option if you want to replace the flooring in your current home.
SS: The average person when looking at this particular concrete floor would think that it is not a candidate for being stained simply because it has gouges here, it has cut marks, it has some fine cracked areas. It even has some flat markings, but in actuality this becomes the character or the patternization of the concrete.
MH: Of course, the floor must be carefully prepped. First the concrete is inspected for problem areas.
SS: We want to get as much of that debris out as we possibly can and then we're going to put some patch material in there so that we can bond and hold the existing pieces in there so that it won't continue to erode and crack away. This is actually a noncementous material. It bonds and sets up to be harder than regular concrete. Normal concrete hardens out at about 3,000 p.s.i. and this will harden out to about 6,000 p.s.i..
MH: Screen sanding is the final step in the floor prep. Now it's time to apply the stain.
SS: This is a black stain that is a concrete sealer used as the base and we tint that to whatever color we want using a universal pigment in a stain preparation.
MH: The stain penetrates about an eighth of an inch into the concrete and bonds to the minerals in the cement. The excess is blotted with a clean cloth. Stains are available in a variety of custom colors.
SS: We have individuals give us a piece of wallpaper and say, "I want that small color to be the color," and we can mix that color and stain the concrete floor.
MH: Each color is translucent.
SS: You actually see the concrete through the stain and that's what we want to see. We don't want a painted look. We want a different intensity of the color. We want to see all of the imperfections in the concrete floor.
MH: A sealer and wax buff finish give the floor a soft glow. Best of all, a broom and a damp mop will keep this low maintenance interior floor looking beautiful for years to come. Stained concrete can also enhance a garage or porch.
SS: The client in this particular case wanted to have an entryway that would emphasize the brick in their home. We've used a two-color process here. We first used a black acid based stain and then came over it with an English Red acid based stain - goes down in the color desired, but the range depends on the lime content of the concrete. It actually what activates the color. Therefore, you get a more marbleized effect.
MH: A sealer keeps moisture from seeping into the concrete. Again, the elegant finished look shows why concrete is a great option next time you're considering new floor treatments.
Contacts:
Sherwin-Williams: 1-800-4-SHERWIN
Lasting Products: 972-579-7814
Episode 52 1997 - 98 Season
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