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Learn How to
Boost Your Profits
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Don't miss your chance to attend the Rocky Geans Business School for Concrete Contractors, to be held February 26-27, 2010, in Dallas. Geans will share his management expertise and show you the business tools and systems he's developed for running
a successful concrete company.
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CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
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We're looking for intriguing
stories about decorative concrete projects around the globe. Have you recently installed a unique concrete
floor in Europe, Australia,
Canada
or other international spot? Tell us all about it! |
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Secrets of the Trade: Five Contractors Reveal
Their Special Staining Techniques
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Greetings!
Although applying stain to concrete may appear to be a routine task, getting
the right look can be a challenge. It's not often that contractors will share
their trade secrets, but these five staining pros revealed to The Concrete
Network some of their unique techniques for achieving one-of-a-kind decorative
stained floors. We hope these projects will
give you ideas for coming up with your own creative ways to apply concrete stain.
Jim Peterson,
The Concrete Network
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Turquoise
with a Twist
 For this floor in a beach-themed store, Matt Hine of Progressive Concrete Coatings
skillfully spray applied one color of turquoise acid stain to create a variety of aqua tones.
"To get the mottled look, I spray a little heavier than normal, creating a
wet layer of stain. The stain will naturally puddle, giving the floor a richer
color in certain areas," he explains.
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Color-Enhanced Faux Finish
 Glen Roman of Staintec used stain in a Sierra color for the base of this
retail floor, then enhanced it with
accents of stain in Spanish Clay, Buffalo Brown, and Terra Cotta. "When
you use the enhancers on a smooth floor, it's like faux finishing," he
says. His trick is to apply the accent stains in random splatters then use
water to blend and fade the different colors together.
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Going for the Shine
 Kerry Calvert of Artistic Surfaces recently used
a new application procedure for acid staining a fire station floor. His technique
eliminated the etching effect that acid stains leave on most concrete surfaces,
which can make a floor look dingy when viewed in highly reflective
lighting. The trick, he says, is to slightly dilute the stain, and then spray the solution on the floor and immediately
spread it with a microfiber mop.
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Blending Stain and Dye
 To create this elegant two-toned effect, Shane Ober of Solid Rock Concrete Services started
with a brick-red stain and enhanced it with a dye in a caramel color. He also
used a black stain for parts of the floor design. "To get the variegated
look, we use construction paper on the floor to create a vein, then come back
in with a sprayer to put down another color," he explains.
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Getting
Concrete to Look Like Marble
 Canadian craftsman Doug
Armitage of General Concrete Finishers in Saskatchewan has developed a technique for
staining polymer-modified overlays to achieve the look of
natural marble. "I've tried to create the same marble-like effect with
regular staining, but I've only been able to achieve the look
with the polymer-modified overlay," he explains. On this residential project,
he revamped the entire main floor of the home, using mottled colors that add
depth and warmth.
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