For many decades options on interior flooring have been limited to only Carpet (Most common), Tile (either Natural stone or ceramic), and hardwood floors. Now new coloring systems for concrete are changing the way people see concrete, allowing contractors and DIY’s to replace old carpet, tile and hardwood with a new modern concrete floor.
When you replace any old flooring on your home or office you will find, the floor underneath is in really bad shape, most of the common problems you will find is that the floor has holes, cracks or adhesives left from previous applications. The solution to this problem without doing any concrete demolition, is a concrete overlay.
Concrete overlay is a mix of different elements like cement, aggregates and polymers to help the overlay bond to mostly any surface. The number one system to use for a smooth finish application like the one on the picture below is called a micro-topping overlay, Just like the name says, micro-topping is a thin application of one or many layers of polymer base cement.
The process to start applying an overlay starts by profiling the substrate, usually concrete, by grinding or acid etching; then the materials are mixed with water or polymer depending on the brand you are using. Mixing this material in the right proportion is essential, as this determines how well the micro top will bond to the surface. The application of this micro-topping can be accomplished by using a trowel or squeegee.
Now we come to the most interesting part of the process, the color to be applied to the overlay. There’s many ways you can color an overlay, either by integral coloring in the overlay or by using concrete stains. One of the best ways to color an overlay is by staining. You can achieve a unique finish using one or many colors at the same time or separate times. The one I like to use the most and I personally think is the best for interior floors is acid staining.
Acid stain or reactive stains are composed of metallic compounds that react with the lime or calcium hydroxide in concrete to produce metallic hydroxides; in human language, acid stain reacts with the content of concrete or concrete overlays to achieve rich earthly tones; once you start using acid stains you will find the possibilities are limitless.
The look of an acid-stained concrete or concrete overlay is only comparable to marble or granite. Every time I do a stain job I get surprised by the unique look of this floor; they are different each time, it looks like a big slab of stone was cut and placed on the floor.
Next time you think on replacing your old flooring, consider this as one of your options.
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