|
View previous topic :: View next topic
|
| Author |
Message |
J.Sutherland
Joined: 28 Jul 2005
Posts: 1
Location: sw kansas
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:48 pm Post subject: Concrete staining |
    |
|
| Does anyone know of some good do it yourself sites for acid staining concrete . I'm working on a bar and grill and the customer wants the concrete stainined instead of installing carpet and such . The problem is that we live in the middle of the country where contractors for such jobs are in rather short supply . please send me any related sites . Thank you very much Jonathan Sutherland . |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
fish
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
Posts: 15
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
edit
Last edited by fish on Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ERWebb
Joined: 06 Aug 2005
Posts: 1
Location: West Coast
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
I did a commission that sort of stretches what you are interested in doing - but I learned oodles from the process.
It was a first project and I researched alot to get the end result.
There are three main suppliers of acid stains.
LM Scofield - almost everywhere in urbanized US. - They make a product line - [url]http://www.lmscofield.com/chemstain_cchart.html>LITHOCHROME® Chemstain™ Classic.<[/url] You can get a free sample kit of their basic stains UPS's to you.
Also there is [url]http://www.kemiko.com>Kemiko<[/url] & [url]http://www.rareearthlabs.com/Cart/info_color_chart.php?UID=2005080613440567.117.9.208>RareEarth Labs.<[/url] RareEarth is in the midwest - Missouri or Arkansas. Owner is a nice guy named Marv.
Commission that I did - very arty - with [url]http://www.ornamental-iron.com/publichtm/ornamental_iron_com_gallerya_8.htm>pictures of the process<[/url] [img]http://www.ornamental-iron.com/thumbnails/mos%20thumbs/fayswirl_155.jpg[/img]
Rules of thumb for a process that changes with each slab or concrete formulation:
[u]1) Read every page of the material safety data sheets.......................[/u] Some of the stuff is toxic and requires special disposal. I killed a shop vac in the process................ Wear nitrile rubber gloves - the blue ones. They are acid resistent & available in the same weight as surgical latex.
2) if the slab is large - you need a team to apply the stains. on the one pictured we had a 18+ x 20+ floor and had two people. at certain times - given the design & timing - we could have used more bodies.
The slab is optimally a new fresh smooth finish - about a month old and completely cured. Needs a power wash - and to be thoroughly dry.
Irregular areas can be polished out with a terrazzo polishing unit to a fine smooth surface. Also hand sanding for minor areas with a power unit. Avoid contracting silicosis. Wear a mask.
3) Stains work on the lime content in the slab. The more lime - the better the stains react. Think watercolors over time...........They are metallic salts in acid - usually muriatic or sulphuric or phosphoric. They need to be scrubbed in the moment they hit the surface going from wet to dry areas, blending as you proceed. They develop over hours or days. Afterwards they need to be neutralized completely using baking soda & water - also scrubbed in evenly. If that is not done - the floor will be splotchy. Brushes can be anything from an acid resistent large brush used for roof tar (great for scrubbing large areas) to a tooth brush for tiny details. The floor I did had both needs.
4) To get some control over the end result - you need to use a part of the floor that will not be seen. You must do samples of the stains on the exact slab you will be staining. Make up formulas that you think will get the color(s) you want. Keep track of the formulas and the time to develop. When you get the density of color you want - neutralize. The person who does the staining - should be the same warm body who does the samples.
5) When applying stains - always [u]always[/u] have a neutralising solution on hand - if you drip or spill anything - it will be obvious later. You need to scrub it in, and then go back and clean it thoroughly with fresh water - let it dry. Drips happen!!
6) The local tech rep in my area for LM Scofield suggests that a final top coat of wax be applied - its a Johnson paste wax that they sell. Many people like a two part epoxy top coat. There are problems. I ended up using a Decotex (in Rancho Domingues area of LA) Mirathane epoxy. It is typically used in airplane hangers and is resistent to gasoline. Its pretty durable - almost too durable. The top coat becomes stronger than the concrete slab itself. My client dropped something on the floor after it was completed and it chipped away both the mirathane & a piece of the floor itself. You have to use a short nap mohair roller to apply it, carefully following all the application directions (which in my experience were not really on the money). If it is a micron too thick in any area - it can create tiny bubbles that are rock hard. It can also leave a milky discoloration. Temperature & humidity are crucial. They are stinky, alot of timing and when applying you could use a team shoulder to shoulder rolling the floor simultaneously to eliminate any visual seams or wet/dry overlaps. I suggest the wax..............
7) If there are cracks in the slab. I made up a custom matching patch from a 3M dap crack fill (only available in grey). I had concrete dust from sanding parts of the slab. I stained these to match the floor stains. Neutralized & washed & dried............... and blended them into the goop. Masked off the crack with masking tape and filled it. The [img]http://www.ornamental-iron.com/images/mos/stained%20concrete%20crack%20rep155.jpg>cracks absolutely went away<[/img] unless you looked for them.
 if a dilution is appropriate to get a lighter shade - add a drop or two of dish detergent to the mix. It helps the stains penetrate more deeply & evenly into the slab. Marv at RareEarth Labs told me that because his stains are based on a concentrate formula - between 1 to 29 parts water.
9) to make specific areas of color that are distinct - there are a couple of ways to approach it. For straight lines - people use a floor saw - about 1/8" or more. If there is a design - there is a product called 'stain mule'. I have not used it - only heard of it. There is also a technique of using a hot glue gun to build up a dam that will keep the acid in an area. I came up with another approach - a mask that is out for patent. For mine - I used a CAD design and a small opaque projector on a stand - with the design details exactly translated to the height of my stand. I gridded the floor with a heavy nylon thread to allow for exact design registration over a 12 foot repeat. Apply design - trimming the nylon out of the way as you go along and retape the remaining registration lines. Did the joining design centers and then had large paper templates of for the connecting swirling arcs.
10) the green & gold colors of stains that have copper in them - if they are exposed to wet areas (outside rain or a leaky kitchen floor) they will continue to darken over time. Consider that in colors that you chose........
Have fun!!
e-)
[/code] |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
blogger
del.icio.us
digg
slashdot
