Typical FAQ's about stained decorative concrete floors
Additional Information
Typical FAQ's about stained decorative concrete floors
What does it cost?
Here's a good link to give you an overview of costs: https://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/interiorfloors/cost.html
Cost depends on:
1. Condition of the concrete (cracks, patching, etc.)
2. Square footage.
3. Is there a tear-out/demolition involved. For example, does tile/thinset needs to be removed or carpet, etc.
4. Was there a previous stain, coating, sealer, wax, etc. on the surface? If so, it usually has to be removed.
That's a job in itself. Some slabs need a slight grind and re-staining while others may require a re-sealing and/or a re-waxing. Every project is different.
Send us photos (up close and at a perspective) via text (714) 927-6608 or via email so that we can quickly give you a ballpark estimate before we drive out there for a fast consultation.
5. Logistics. Is there 110V, 220V, water outlets, lighting, parking, is it a one story on or a top floor, is there other work being done, are there noise issues, is protective masking required over walls, countertops, etc?
6. What kind of operation do you run? There are different types of concrete floors for different requirements.
7. What kind of look are you going for? Send us photo examples of your design objectives.
8. Is the concrete indoor or outdoor?
9. Are there various slab pours and is the slab texture stamped, rock salt texture, broom finished, previously polished?
10. Is scoring required/desired? (Scoring is lingo for lines that we cut in the concrete for patterns, for control joints, etc.)
2. How long does it take?
Most decorative concrete floor / artistic concrete stain projects take less than a week if under 7000 square feet and if shifts, and hours, are not limited (sometimes we do 2 shifts).
Here are typical recent projects done right:
1. A 2,000 square foot loft requiring coating removal and new stain, sealer, wax---5 days.
2. A 7,000 square foot dancee club, new slab. Stain iterations, seal iterations---7 days.
3. A 1200 square foot concrete pool deck. Bare concrete, rock salt texture, needs patching, needs tear-out and replacement of expansion coping joint compound followed by surface prep (lite grinding), staining iterations, and two uv-resistant sealer iterations---4 days.
4. A 1,000 square foot patio (outdoors), had a previous semi-transparent stain that was peeling with some sealer remaining. We removed the stain and sealer, re-stained it with permanent ACID STAIN, re-sealed it twice with uv-resistant sealer---4 days.
5. A 1,000 square foot patio, new concrete that cured 40 days. Gently surface prep/grind the slab, clean the pores, then stain it with acid stain iterations followed by (after acid stain neutralization) with semi-transparent penetrating acrylic stain iterations and two sealer iterations---2 days.
Typical FAQ's about decorative concrete floors / concrete stain
These are the basic concrete floors:
1. True polished concrete. The concrete is diamond-grinded typically to 3000 grit and densifiers are used. The slab can be stained (and sealed and waxed, if stained). but most are left natural. Polished concrete is very glossy, can be a bit slippery, reflects glare, is noisy (echos) and the flaws in the concrete are obvious and visible. Staining helps hide the flaws, but the polishing process brings out the flaws. Go to concretenetwork.com and search "concrete polishing". Future maintenance often requires maintenance procedures such as burnishing.
2. What we call a hybrid grind/smooth/stain/seal/hard waxed concrete. These are the most popular floors, the most cost-effective floors, and the best options, in our experience, for small business and residential homes. The matte or gloss is a function of the surface texture we perform and of the sealer (and subsequent hard wax). These are ideal for most residences, indoor/outdoor slabs, offices, etc.
3. Epoxy floors. These are slabs that have been surface-prepped and possibly stained. Then the slab is coated with an epoxy sealer. Epoxy sealers are impermeable to moisture. So if the slab transmits moisture, the epoxy will peel/delaminate. All slabs are basically rigid sponges. Often we have to use a moisture barrier first. Epoxy tends to scuff. No matter what they say. Sometimes we put a polyurethane sealer over the epoxy to reduce scuffing. Epoxies are tough overall, but we have yet to see a single epoxy project that didn't look like hell in a few years. And they are very expensive to remove. Economical repairing is next to impossible. For this reason, we are phasing out epoxy sealers in favor of polished concrete. Exception: restaurant food prep areas require epoxy coatings by Code. And Some
opaque-coating epoxies are appropriate in some situations. For example we have one coating that is anti-bacterial---ideal for medical rooms. Another note: epoxy coatings COVER the slab as a laminar coating. We prefer to expose the natural beauty of concrete slabs.
4. Elite Crete Reflector floors. These are amazing floors that we are certified in. Go to Google images and look up Elite Crete Reflector floors.
We also do garage floors, artistic concrete countertop staining, faux concrete walls and staining (and sealing) of cementitious surfaces.
New!: We can take any countertop material (Corian, tile, stone. mdf wood---any surface) and create remarkable surfaces that are tougher than any stone and spectacularly gorgeous. They save big bucks too over stone like granite. Google "artistic epoxy countertops over existing countertops".
There are other concrete floor types, but we won't get into them here.
4. Is it slippery?
Slipperiness is a function of the surface texture and/or the sealer used. The finer the grind the shinier and more slippery it could be. We grind the surface texture to prevent excessive slipperiness. Also, by integrating anti-skid nanoparticles into the sealer or wax we can remove slipperiness without affecting gloss. The exception is unsealed floors such as concrete floors polished to 3000 grit because we can't integrate the anti-skid nanoparticles unless there is a sealer or a wax. This is why hybrid grind/stain/seal/wax floors are often recommended. Another problem with highly polished concrete floors is that it is a nightmare for dogs and cats to walk on. Therefore, hybrid floors are the best of all worlds.
5. Does it reduce allergies and the "sick house syndrome"?
One of the huge advantages of concrete floors is that they definitely reduce the sick house syndrome. Wall to wall carpet, the pads, the glues, the tack strips underneath are petri dishes of mildew, mold, fine dust insect eggs, insect nests, and are also slow, constant chemical venting mechanisms from synthetic chemicals in the carpet/pad/glue, etc. You would be shocked.
Unsealed concrete is a rigid sponge that exacerbates things because it vents moisture underneath the carpet pad.
We recommend decorative area rugs on concrete floors for warmth and decorative purposes. Wall-to-wall carpet is out!
Check out this videos that shows a fraction of what is likely underneath your carpet?
CLICK HERE - monsters in & under your carpet!
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A "hybrid" decorative concrete floor. Tough, artistic, cost-effective.