Deso Dyes application

Floor after application epoxy primer

Application of Polyaspartic coating

The last weekend was a busy weekend. We helped finishing an application of stained concrete floor at flagship restaurant of Bill’s Bar and Burger at Rockefeller Center. Last Wednesday we received a call from Tom Zilian of Madstone Concrete from Rhode Island requesting for specifications to finish a 4300 square feet of stained concrete floor in two days!  The restaurant was split in two levels…some of it was patched and some of  it had a self leveling concrete. We had to create rustic…aged…retro-look for the floor. 

Lümiere Flooring, Satrun Cafe, Berkeley, CA

Harold Works LLC of Oakland, CA recently completed a flooring project for Satrun Café in Berkeley, CA using Param 5500 and Lumiere, metallic epoxy flooring system over existing ceramic tiles. Few months ago Jason Phares of Harold Works called me an inquired about installing Lumiere flooring in Satrun Café. Like many other contractors, Jason was stressed about removing the ceramic tiles and installing Lumiere flooring. We suggested him going over the tiles with self leveling cocnrete, Param 5500. Obviosuly, he was not very sure because the costs involved in installing a self leveling concrete at 3/8inch thickness over 3000 sq.ft.! 

Jason sat down with the owner of the Saturn Cafe, Ms. Tristan Nathe to discuss the options and they also did some number crunching. They realised that it is economical and faster to cover the ceramic tiles with self leveling concrete, Param 5500  rather remove them and grind the substrate so that it is able to accept the Lumiere flooring system. 

Steps: 

1. Prepare the ceramic tile to accept self leveling concrete. It usually means – removing any sealers/wax/oil etc. and creating a profile of  CSP3-4.
2.  Pour the self leveling concrete, Param 5500 at 3/8″ thickness.
3. After allowing the self leveling concrete to cure for 24 hours, prime with a 100% solids epoxy primer, Perdure E02.
4. Then, apply the Lumiere metallic epoxy system. To create the marbelised effects, Bright Silver and Antique Silver colors were used.
5. Finally, top coat it with polyaspartic topcoat, Perdure P70.

About Satrun Cafe - They offer traditional American diner food with all the salty, sweet yumminess you love, but prepared in a health-conscious manner. I believe the food is all Vegeterian!

 How to avoid them –

a. Do not overwork the roller – If you over work the roller, the roller lines are bound show up.  A light touch and light thin coats are the best approach.

Spray application is the best, as it eliminates the ‘overworking’ aspect and pretty much guarantees a uniform application with roller marks.

b. Do not overload the roller – Overloading the roller with the material will cause roller marks and if using a push-pull applicator, pour the sealer directly onto the substrate and push and pull until a thin film has been achieved.

c. Porosity of the surface – If the surface that is being sealed is porous, it is best to spray the sealer. A roller or push-pull applicator is bound to leave a roller line or lap mark.

d. Maintain wet edge – Each subsequent pass of a roller or applicator should cover 2 or 3 inches in the previous pass. This assures that any sealer build up on the previous edge is knocked down, eliminating a lap line.  

 Using the right applicator and good application control are keys to eliminating roller marks or lap lines for future sealer projects. A light touch slow and easy on the roller or applicator, and not overworking the sealer or coating leaves a uniformly sealed surface.

Bagel Shop, Pennington, NJ

Novatech Surfaces, a decorative concrete and resinous flooring installation company based in NJ in alliance with Artisan FX, recently completed installation of self leveling concrete, Param 5500 in a bagel shop in Pricneton, NJ. The floor was previously covered with VCT. Since many of the tiles were loose and they were removed. The glue below the tiles was removed using a dustless grinder. After the floor was primed, the entire surface was covered with self leveling cement, Param 5500 was poured at a thickness of 3/8″. The total area to be covered was 1100 square feet. The self leveling concrete was  then allowed to cure for 16 – 20 hours and then it was colored with DESO Dye, Burlywood and Rosy Brown. Muliple layers of these dyes at different dilution levels was used to create an acid stained look. The dyes need to be locked in with a sealer that can sprayed…ususally a solvent based acryclic sealer is used for this purpose. The acrylic sealer was allowed to cure for 4-5 hours and then one coat of water based epoxy primer, Perdure E32 was applied and then another coat of water based polyurethane, Perdure U46 top coat was applied for long term durability.

Before the application of water based stain

Floor after the application of water based stain

RS Concrete Solutions accepted a project from a home owner in London, ON.  In the fall of last year, the had a flooded basement.  Turns out there was some plumbing issues under the concrete.  So it all had to be broken up, taken  out, plumbing fixed, and concrete replaced.  All completed by other companies.  RS Concrete Solutions received a call in March to look at the floor and provide pricing for a simple acid stain treatment, w/ concrete sealer and wax to finish.  It was agreed that the contractor would prepare the surface, score decorative tile cuts at 30 inches apart on a 45º angle(as well as a small border at the base of the stairs, stain the entire floor with Brickform ‘Walnut’ acid stain, seal the floor, then wax it.

The project went under way:

1. the decorative cuts were chalked out
2. saw-cuts made in the floor
3. preparation of surface, mild sanding and cleaning by wet scrub
4. application of walnut at a dilution of 3water:1acid

From here is where RS Concrete Solutions ran into a problem.  Due to the circumstances and timing the customer and the contractor were unable to have an onsite meeting to look at the colors and confirm that it was good to seal the surface.  They spoke with the customer over the phone, and based on the things they had discussed the homeowners told the contractor to use their own judgement to go ahead.  So the floor was sealed with an acrylic concrete sealer that was meant for decorative stained surfaces, from a local construction supply company.  Well I am not sure what happened, but when the contractor came back next day, neither the home owner nor the contractor were happy with the color on the floor.  They both felt that the floor was lacking any sort of depth and was very light in appearance.

Jordan Ridsdale of RS Concrete Solutions  called us to discuss the situation. We recommended Aqua Color – Mocha diluted with acrylic polymer and/or water. We suggested them to do site trials to ascertain the dilution. The contractor started out by using a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part acrylic polymer with a very small amount of Aqua Color – Mocha and tried it out on a clear piece of plastic.  The water was greatly slowing down the cure time so they went with a mixture of straight acrylic polymer and mocha.  After playing around with the color for a bit they ended up going with the following ratio: 1000ml  acrylic polymer to 10ml Aquacolor – Mocha.  A couple of  thin layers of this solution was sprayed on the sealed surface to get the depth in the color. Then to add just a little more accent a mixture of 1000ml acrylic polymer to 15ml Aquacolor was sprayed in a few lighter areas.

After the Aquacolor dried, the enitre floor received two coats of acrylic sealer and 2 coats of acrylic wax. Once dry the floor was ready to go.  We applied 2 further coats of sealer, using the same product as before and then 2 coats of wax. The homeowner was thrilled to see a stunning finished product. Needless to say RS Concrete Solutions was pleased with the results from using water based stain, Aquacolor

Another great fan of our water based stain, Aquacolor is one of the leading decorative concrete contractor in North Carolina, Jeroen H.F. Kaijser Bolts of EURO Floors.

For self leveling cements usually acrylic / styrene acrylic based primers are used. Sometimes epoxy based primers are also recommended.  If you are using a acrylic / styrene acryclic based primer (Param Super Primer), please follow the application instructions given below -

a. Shake well to ensure primer is thoroughly mixed and there is no sediment in the container bottom. Add 1 part primer to 1 part water in a clean container.

b. Apply primer to substrateand work into the concrete surface with a stiff bristle push broom. Spread evenly to throroughly coat surface and avoid any puddling. Maintain material, surface and ambient temperatures above 50F.

c.  For excessively porous and aborbent concrete surfaces like gypcrete, double prime the surface with an initial application of primer diluted 3 parts water to 1 part pimer, wait 3 hours, then prime normally.

d. Let the primed surface dry to tacky, transparent thin film (min 3 hours to 24 hours max.). Lower tempearatures and/or higher humidity will extend required minimum dry times. When the primer dries completely, it is time to pour the self leveling cement.

Stained concrete floor in basement

The loss of electricity during the recent heavy rainfall in New York and New Jersey have damaged the existing flooring in many basements. We have received many calls from homeowners and property managers looking for flooring solutions. Choosing appropriate flooring is difficult enough without the problems that come with finding floors for a basement complicating things even further. The biggest issue in almost any basement is, of course, unwanted moisture.

Problem with traditional flooring options

1. Tiles –  Moisture seeps in from below through the concrete and has the power to weaken the bond of the adhesive used for tiles
2. Hardwood or Laminate – warp and buckle due to moisture. Possibility of damaging in case the basement gets flooded
3. Carpet – Acquire that elusive smell caused by mold growing below the soft veneer
4. Painting – May delaminate or come off due to the presence of moisture

The easiest alternative to more traditional flooring options is stained concrete flooring. You have a lot of flexibility with color schemes and designs.

 Benefits of Concrete floors in basements –

1. Unlimited color and design options: Stained concrete flooring has a unique beauty that’s bought to life by different finishing and coloring techniques. There is no predetermined color palette to limit designs.
2. Longevity – Few floor covering products have the longevity fo concrete. Carpet, tile and wood floors eventually need replacement, which uses up resources and creates disposal problems.
3. Stained concrete flooring is a great alternative to carpeting for people wh are allergic to animal dander and dust mites. Concrete does not support the growth of toxic mold.

Stained concrete flooring consists of application of a reactive stain (acid stain) over the existing concrete surface. The stain reacts with the lime in the concrete thereby developing a natural, organic and variegated earth tone colors. If the existing substrate is covered with glue, paint or cure & seal, a thin layer of concrete called ‘micro-topping’ is applied and subsequently it is stained. After the staining process is completed, the floor is sealed with a epoxy and polyurethane sealer.

Polyaspartic coating over hand made concrete tiles

Yesterday Mr. Hoon Kim of Studio Hoon Kim, invited us to see his work in progress in a New York City Restaurant.

Mr. Kim applied polyaspartic coating (Perdure P70) over the hand-made concrete tiles. The reason for using the polyaspartic coating is its superior gloss and easy to clean surface. The concrete tiles were made Mr. Kim’s workshop in Pallisades Park, NJ. Studio Hoon Kim is a very high-end surface design and installation company mostly working in New York City, providing superior wall finishes, concrete floors and concrete countertops.

Many concrete countertop contractors are shifting to Calcium Sulphoaluminate Cements (CSA) because the time savings offset the higher cost of CSA versus Portland cement. CSA cements exhibit higher flexural and tensile stength , and it’s harder. Calcium aluminate cements are resistant to high temperatures, sulphates, weak acids, and seawater.

I found that as an Artist, Raghava’s work is great, as a human being the sense of spreading happiness is touching. Now living in Brooklyn, NY, Raghava says he has found some of his most rewarding work in teaching yound childen to draw. Like we say in our Bob Harris led decorative concrete workshops, he says “I teach them to enjoy the process and try not to create anything perfect”.

Please feel free to live your comments.