Low Cost Concrete Floor Staining

This is not an article for those looking how to acid wash concrete. This is about getting the same look, for less than half the cost of acid staining!

lowes interior doors

First off you need to gather your supplies. You can find them at any local home improvement store such as Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc. You will need solid concrete stain; I recommend two colors that complement each other i.e. a tan and a dark brown. Concrete sealer which comes in different sheens so decide if you want a flat look to your floor or a slightly shiny look, and get enough to seal your floors 6-8 times. You will also need a cheap gallon sprayer, just make sure it has an adjustable nozzle. A long handled roller with a semi-smooth nap and paint tray. And of course you will need plastic and painters tape to protect your other surfaces. And a large piece of cardboard or test space that you won't mind messing up.

LOWES INTERIOR DOORS

Second, remove all furniture from the room and make sure you prep your surface and surrounding surfaces well. I recommend covering 4-6 feet up the wall so you avoid over-spray and having to touch up paint. Make sure you vacuum or sweep really well because whatever is on your floor will be on your floor forever once you start the process.

Now, you are ready to begin! Mix up concrete stain because just like paint, it separates and needs to be mixed. Carefully, off your surface, pour stain in your sprayer. Replace cap and if needed pump sprayer to prepare for spraying. Test your pattern on some cardboard or some other space you don't mind messing up; I tried it on my garage floor. Make sure to keep the sprayer a few feet away from the floor, otherwise you will get puddles of stain when you are looking for splatters of stain. When you are comfortable with the look you are creating, go to work on your prepped floor. Keep in mind, you are not trying to completely cover the floor, you are trying for a natural stone look. When doing the edges I recommend aiming a couple feet up off the floor to get all the way to the edge and not puddle, but still get the splatter look you are going for. Make sure you work yourself out the door instead of into a corner...you don't want to stand around waiting for it to dry for 4 or so hours! Pour any left over stain back into it's original container, and clean out the sprayer so it's ready for your next color! The whole process shouldn't take very long, my 130 square foot room only took me about 45 minutes to put one coat on.

Then, wait the recommended time before you start the second coat. After the first coat is dry, repeat the process from the first coat, filling in the areas you had less splatter in and covering the areas you had too much of the other color on. Again wait for the second coat to dry. If you are happy with the way your pattern turned out, continue on to sealing your floor. If you are not completely happy with your stain pattern, keep layering the different colors until you are happy with the pattern. The sealer will not change the look, unless you got a semi-shiny sealer, it will simply seal it so it doesn't scratch. I did three coats and for the third coat I used a hand sprayer so I could get a finer mist and a smaller area to worry about, because the bleach sprayer has a wider area it covers.

When you are ready, pour your sealer in a roller tray, get a good amount on your roller, just like you would paint, and start rolling the floor. Again, don't forget to roll yourself out of the room instead of into a corner! Then, wait the recommended time for the sealant to dry, then proceed with the rest of the coats waiting in between for each coat to dry.

You're done! Remove your plastic and coverings, move the furniture back into the room and enjoy your space!

Low Cost Concrete Floor Staining

http://womensdiyessentials.blogspot.com

LOWES INTERIOR DOORS

Clear Gloss Concrete Sealers

A clear gloss concrete sealer is an acrylic resin system with built-in water repellence. Clear gloss concrete sealers generally consist of low volatile organic compounds, which are non-inflammable and non-staining. They ensure outstanding adhesion and durability, by repelling moisture and resisting efflorescence, marring and stains.

lowes interior shutters

A clear gloss concrete sealer is chiefly used to provide a high gloss finish along with a wet look to concrete surfaces. It also helps to protect the concrete from chemicals such as brake fluid, transmission fluid, motor oil, salt water, bleach and gasoline. Clear gloss concrete sealers are most effective to treat concrete patios, driveways, exposed aggregate, garage and basement floors, porches, steps, and sidewalks. It is also applied over acid stones, untreated bricks, and unglazed tiles.

LOWES INTERIOR

Clear gloss concrete sealers are usually applied directly on bare concrete surfaces. Sometimes, these are used as a top coat to provide superior protection. Before applying clear gloss sealers, it is necessary to prepare the surface, which includes removal of dirt and oil. Some concrete surfaces may need acid-etching. In the case of previously painted concrete surfaces, all chalk and peeling paint must be removed. For concrete surfaces coated with high gloss items such as epoxy and urethane, the surface is required to be abraded to remove the gloss. A floor scrubber or an abrasive scrub pad will best serve the purpose.

It is also vital to test for product compatibility, prior to the usage of clear gloss concrete sealers. For best results, a minimum of two to three coats is required. To apply clear gloss concrete sealer on porous concrete, airless sprayer is the most recommended equipment. A stationary pull-along applicator or a brush can be used for applying clear gloss concrete sealer in smooth surfaces.

At present, a choice selection of clear gloss concrete sealers formulated from advanced technologies is available. Concrete sealers with non-toxic, bio-based penetrating systems are suitable for green buildings and structures with complaints regarding air quality.

Clear Gloss Concrete Sealers

Concrete Sealer provides detailed information on Concrete Sealer, Concrete Floor Sealer, Concrete Driveway Sealer, Stamped Concrete Sealer and more. Concrete Sealer is affiliated with Concrete Sealers.

LOWES INTERIOR

Concrete Crack Repair

A common cause of basement water coming through poured wall foundation is from water coming through a crack in the wall. Unfortunately, almost every wall in every basement has a crack in it...yes all four walls. The good news is not every crack will leak. If your basement is already finished and your carpet is getting wet first check to make sure your sump pump is operating properly.

lowes interior doors

If it is not water will enter the basement through the cove joint, which is where the wall and floor meet. If your pump is working properly then the next most common cause of basement water is the water seeping through a crack or cracks in the wall. The common places to find cracks are in the middle of long walls or underneath windows. If the basement is finished evidence of the crack can be found on the outside top of the foundation. Finding it outside will reduce how much drywall will have to be removed on the inside.

LOWES INTERIOR

The best way to fix concrete wall cracks is to inject them with polyurethane, epoxy works also but it is much harder to inject. Contrary to what you will read in some places on the internet crack injection works. A number of professional waterproofers will claim the only way to fix cracks is to dig them up on the outside or to place interior draintile all along the inside. Consider the source, any contractor who does not believe in crack injection is motivated bigger sales. Digging up cracks or placing draintile costs between 00-000.

A crack can be injected by a professional for 0 or done by the homeowner for 0. Always consider the source when looking at professional advice. I am not suggesting draintile is not necessary. On the contrary, many times it is but only when evidence suggests that water is coming in from numerous places in a basement not just a crack.

Concrete Crack Repair

For additional information on waterproofing contact us at (630) 771-0380 or to purchase DIY solutions see us at thebasementoasis.com.

Dan Ryan
Professional Waterproofer and Owner The Basement Oasis

LOWES INTERIOR

DIY Concrete Basement Crack Repair

Concrete Cracks in Basements

lowes interior shutters

Many homes that have concrete basements have foundation cracks.  This is a normal situation because as the concrete cures it shrinks in volume.  This shrinkage creates stresses in the concrete wall.  To relieve the stress, the concrete cracks. The most common areas for a "shrinkage crack" to occur are in the middle of a long wall, below a corner of a basement window or where the foundation wall changes height.

LOWES INTERIOR

A large number of homes built since 1990 have their walls coated with a waterproof membrane.  This waterproofing protects many cracks from leaks, but it can be defeated.  Whether your home is protected by waterproofing or not, there are several ways for water to get into the basement;

Soil above the waterproofing allows water to enter above the protective waterproofing.  When rains occur, water enters the crack above the waterproofing and leaks into the crack from the top.  The water runs down inside the crack until it is seen on the interior surface of the basement wall  as a leak. The corners of basement window openings are a common area for concrete to crack.  During rains water runs off of the window and then enters the crack at the window opening corner.  Again the water runs down the inside of the crack until the crack narrows and forces the water to the interior face of the basement wall. Some cracks are sufficiently wide to exceed the maximum width the waterproofing is designed to protect.  In this case the waterproofing tears and leaves a gap in protection against the water.  Water can enter directly into the crack and enter the basement. Foundation walls without waterproofing run a high risk of having cracks leak.  Water can enter unhindered through any shrinkage cracks and appear on the interior side of the basement.
Whatever the source of the leak, homeowners wish to stop it.

DIY Concrete Basement Crack Repair Kits

Urethane foam injection used to be a process only professional repair technicians could perform.  Kits with urethane foam are available for homeowners to stop water leaks in concrete basement cracks.  Urethane foam liquid is injected into the crack using a common caulk gun.  Once inside the crack the urethane begins to expand.  This expansion forces the urethane foam all the wall through the crack.  Once finished the crack will be sealed from top to bottom.  Now water will remain on the outside of the basement and not leak into the basement.

Urethane Foam Injection Advantages

No chiseling the foundation wall Entirely fills the crack top to bottom Fast repair performed in about 2 hours Little mess
  Limitations

Concrete basements only.  This repair will not work on block foundations. Surface must be dry.  The interior face of the basement wall must be dry for application.

DIY Concrete Basement Crack Repair

This article is written by Aaron Kuertz with Applied Technologies Aaron has been in the waterproofing industry since 1998. Applied Technologies is a manufacturer and supplier to professional waterproofing contractors and homeowners in the United States. To learn more about concrete crack repair visit Applied Technologies on the web.

LOWES INTERIOR