Whether we are talking about the floor of a basement, an airport lounge, a posh restaurant or the renovated floor of a town hall, or even driveways and industrial and commercial floors, the conversation must inevitably revolve around stained concrete. Why? Well for starters, a perfectly installed stained concrete floor is totally captivating. It moreover excites the senses with its colouring; it is so strong of texture it bespeaks of something unbreakable, so shiny is its appearance it reminds one of something precious. It truly excites the mind and it always invites one to have an acid stained floor installed in or around the home premises!

Installing stained concrete

No doubt you are now convinced like so many other home owners that stained concrete is something to have and to hold. However the process of installing one is highly technical and the services of a qualified contractor is definitely required. We at Smarter Flooring are ready to offer you our expertise to assist you in realizing your dream.   Here are the main cleaning methods before stained concrete is installed:

• The surface must be thoroughly cleansed before installing a stained concrete surface – all types of dirt lie below the carpet or tile. These include carpet glue, tile mastics, urine and water stains, chalk marks, caulk, grease stains, paint drips, and rust spots. These have to be totally erased from the floor surface.
• If the cleansing is not completed properly, the end finish will be tarnished and not reach its peak shine.
• Other materials present in the floor such as grease, oil and curing membranes will prevent the penetration of concrete stain and will also nullify the ultimate finish of the floor.
• One of the most difficult surface smudges to erase are the curing membranes. This is caused by the ability of the membranes to travel deeper down the pores of the concrete, causing minimal reaction of the stain.
• Another problem is the carrying out of acid etching by some people before the actual staining is done. People do this because they think that the etching will make the stain adhere more readily to the floor. The fact is that washing by acid rids the concrete of limestone which the acid needs to react with in producing the desired finish.
• While strong mixtures of chemical strippers are sometimes used, it is recommended that when stripping the concrete of all undesirable objects, environmentally safe products should be used. For example, some have tried a remover made from soy beans that successfully emulsifies very old mastic residue. Inflammable removers must be used with extreme caution.
• After using degreasers, chemical strippers or other cleaning compounds, it is necessary to revisit to cleansed areas once again before applying the staining process.
• When all methods of removal have failed, it is recommended that grinding should be used as a last resort.

 

Contact us

You are now aware that the installation of stained concrete is a highly technical process and you definitely need an expert contractor like us. Ring us now on email and we will assist you