Installing Holiday Lights on Your House

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Remodeling Trends: Wrought Iron Elegance

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The Decorative Concrete Overlay Process

Here's a Before and After account of a Concrete Overlay project from our friends at Stained By Design, the concrete specialists down in Louisiana:

"Recently, Stained By Design was contacted by a homeowner to stain three bedrooms and a hallway in an existing home. The rooms all were previously covered with carpet. One of the bedrooms had a very rough finish on the concrete and a low spot of 1/4 inch about the size of a Stop Sign. This room would not look very good if stained in that condition. Plus, the 10 year old Princess who lived in the room wanted a castle floor in Purple and Coral - Princesses can be demanding that way. Since those colors are out of the range of traditional Acid Stains, a Concrete Overlay was the way to go.

The concrete was cleaned and a Skim coat (seen as White in the picture) was applied to bond to the existing surface. The next day a wet bond coat was applied in advance of 1/4" of Texture Pave which was used to re-level the surface. A screed was used over the low spot so the floor would end up flat and even.

Very little of this re-level coat will be seen in the finished product. It was mixed in gray so when the grout lines are scored, they will be dark. This coat had to dry overnight.

The next two days were spent doing the color coats, scoring the pattern and sanding for a smooth surface. As a final touch, Pink, Purple and Silver glitter was sprinkled on the floor before the sealer was applied. While not seen in the completed picture, the glitter sparkles quite a bit as you walk over the area.

The Princess was very happy."

Joe Welch
(337) 316-4505
www.stainedbydesign.com
Art you can walk on

If you don't live in Louisiana and would like to find a concrete overlay pro in your area, you can post your request on the ConstructionDeal.com site. It's a free way to find a professional in your area -- they contact you so it also saves you time!

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Travertine Tiles

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Decorative Concrete Overlays

Our friends at Stained by Design have sent along some more great information on concrete. We've have several quality posts on acid stained concrete and this one covers information on decorative concrete overlays.

Overlays are a way to cover up a current interior or exterior concrete application. If you are a Do-It-Yourselfer, here are some application guidelines. If you prefer to have a concrete company do the work, use this info as a guide to make sure they're doing it right. Joe's the expert in our book and anything he says goes:

"Decorative Concrete, or Architectural Concrete, as it is also called, is a way to put a new face on existing concrete. The existing concrete may be pitted, aggregate-exposed or have a mix of both a smooth and rough finish. Several new thin layers of a specially modified concrete mixture are applied to the existing concrete to create a new surface. As the name implies, the finishes are decorative enhancements that add to the architectural beauty of existing concrete, but they are not structural in nature.

Concrete Overlays fall into different categories but share steps in the evolution of the final product. The installation time runs from 3 - 7 days depending on the size of the area, the selected style and complexity of the pattern. There are many manufactures of overlay systems. Some require primers, some call the steps or mix a different name. This is intended to be generic in nature, but I have to call the steps/mix by the name that I use.

The typical steps are as follows:

1. Preparation. This step is common to all applications.

a. The surface is pressure washed or cleaned with a floor prep machine depending on if Exterior or Interior.

b. A mild Acid bath is done and then neutralized. This opens the pores of the concrete and prepares it to bond with the next application. (An Acid Bath is NOT done for staining a Concrete Slab). For those interested in staining concrete slabs, please see the archives sections for previous posts about acid stained concrete.

The following steps only apply to concrete overlays.

2. A Skim Coat (also called a Base, Bond or Scratch coat.) This step is common to all overlay applications:

a. Cracks in the surface are treated if needed.

b. A Skim or Scratch/Base coat is applied to the surface and allowed to dry.

*** The steps below are by style. Depending on the complexity of your desired surface, modifications may be made.

3. Texture Applications: There are several styles that fit this category (a Knock-Down finish is in this category.)

a. Basic Spray Texture would have an additional Base Coat added before the Top Coat is Sprayed on. I feel the additional base coat is needed to give strength to the final product. After the second Base Coat, the Top Coat is sprayed over a Stencil, Tape or a Seamless pattern.

b. Flagstone coatings also receive two Base Coats for the same reason above. The next step is to apply a 1/2" Nylon Tape to the surface to mark off the "rocks/stones."

c. The Flagstone pattern is then coated with the Top Coat and after a dry time, misted with additional colors.

d. The tape is then pulled off to reveal the pattern and the surface is then sealed.

4. Faux Slate/Tile Applications:

a. The Top Coat material is mixed and applied with a pool trowel to achieve a look that resembles a light Slate Texture or a swirl-type texture found on some tiles.

b. After drying overnight, the desired pattern is marked and scored.

c. Stain is applied to the surface in several coats to achieve the desired color, tint and tone.

d. After an overnight dry, the surface is sealed.

e. NOTE: This texture may also be referred to as a "Knock-Down" when it is done to resemble Cool Deck.

f. There are other variations of this style that can create a personalized tile unique to your home.

5. Micro-Finish Overlay:

a. The most common use of Micro-Finish is to overlay a slab that would not react well to acid stain. The final result is a surface that actually achieves a higher degree of mottling and tone than concrete.

b. A Micro-Finish job will get a second Base Coat.

c. Two applications of Micro-Finish are applied with a pool trowel. This process fills in the small voids in the surface and results in a smooth even surface.

d. The floor is machine-sanded to further smooth the surface and remove any trowel marks.

e. The pattern is scored and the surface is stained in the desired color. After the stain works for about 4 hours, it is neutralized and rinsed.

f. Once the surface is dry it is sealed.

6. Thin-Stamped Overlay:

a. Texture Pave is the ultimate top-coat that is applied to the surface and accepts the stamp pattern.

b. A "Wet Bond" coat is put down in advance of the Texture Pave.

c. The Texture Pave is spread out with a Gauge Rake to ensure a consistent application.

d. After the surface has set up enough, it is stamped with the Texture Skin.

e. The Texture Skin makes the Slate pattern in the surface.

f. After the Stamp, the material will dry over night.

g. The pattern is then scored and stained in the desired color.

h. Once the surface is dry it is sealed.

7. Sealer Options:

There are several sealers available and the choice of sealer should be determined by environment and use. Some of the overlay styles/staining required longer dry times than others. Most surfaces can be sealed the day after staining.

a. CSS. This is the Primary sealer for Exterior applications. CSS is a 53% solids, UV inhibiting sealer. It penetrates the surface and prevents mold and mildew from getting a foot-hold on the surface.

b. AUS-G: This is a Aliphatic Urethane sealer. It is UV stable and offers higher abrasion resistance. It requires a longer cure time.

c. Clear Epoxy: This is the best sealer for Industrial use. It cures up to over 14,000 PSI and is odorless. However, it requires the longest cure time and does scratch easily. It is often selected to support forklift traffic. I can be used in a residential application, but should be top coated with AUS-G for better wear.

d. Colored Epoxy: Colored Epoxy comes in 10 colors and is the best coating for areas such as loading docks where high wear and heavy weight is the primary concern.

e. Wax: All interior applications should receive coats of a commercial quality liquid wax. This wax is applied with a looped-end Rayon mop. The purpose of the wax is to provide a sacrificial coat to absorb the scuff marks and prolong the sealers life. An analogy for wax is to think about a car. The car color (the stain on the concrete) is covered with Clear Coat (the sealer) and car wax protects the clear coat. So long as you keep up with the wax, you won't have to have your car painted or your floor resealed."

To find out more about Architectural and Decorative Concrete Overlays, visit Joe's site. You can also call Joe if you're near Louisiana at (337) 316 - 4505. If you need to find a decorative concrete specialist in your area, you can post your project for free with ConstructionDeal.com.

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Bamboo Countertops? Yes, Bamboo Countertops...

Bamboo has been huge in flooring lately. Well, now there is a bamboo option for countertops.

Can't imagine using wood on your kitchen counters? There's a company in North Hollywood, California, called Totally Bamboo that carries many bamboo products -- but they've also developed a bamboo counter application.

According to their site, "Ready for contractor installation, Totally Bamboo brand countertop sheets are constructed with cross-band laminates that we call Multilam(TM) (patent pending). In early testing, we discovered that this is the ideal way to glue bamboo. This method keeps the sheet both flat and true, as well as lessens the tendency to twist or warp."

The other great reason to use this for your next countertop, besides the fact that bamboo is a more renewable resource than wood -- it uses a Formaldehyde Free Adhesive. In 2004, the World Health Organization re-designated formaldehyde-based glue as a proven human carcinogen. The company has several styles and several sizes as well as a choice in thickness.

If you're going for a totally unique look for your countertops and kitchen islands, bamboo is an amazing choice to make your new kitchen the talk of the neighborhood.

And if you decide to order your bamboo countertop from the company, you'll need to find a countertop contractor to install it for you. ConstructionDeal.com has a full network of countertop contractors and we'll find someone in your area to install this beautiful and unique product!

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Home Theater Installations

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Housing Bubble Humor - Real Estate Dictionary

From the folks at Washington State University, in the Department of Mathematics of all places, has a listing of real estate terminology. I thought with the current state of the housing market, it might be time to inject a little humor into the situation:

"It took me a considerable amount of time to learn the true meaning of phrases used in real estate ads. I offer the following dictionary for the benefit of those who search for a house and want to save their precious time.

• Old charmer - an old and ugly house
• Stunning house - the house is not ugly
• Tudor - two bedrooms are in the attic which is not insulated; very hot in summer and very cold in winter
• Cape Cod - styled after Third World slum dwellings
• Sunny corner lot - noisy intersection of two busy streets
• Easy freeway access - noisy arterial street close to freeway
• Low maintenance lot - no yard; the kids will have to play in the street
• Meticulously maintained in the original condition - the appliances are 50 years old
• Ready to remodel - the house is about to collapse; you will have to invest twice the asking price in remodel before you can move in
• Newly remodeled kitchen - 50-year old cabinetry and faucets have been replaced with cheap modern equivalents
• Ready to move in - the interior has been painted with one coat of cheap paint
• Desirable neighborhood - this little house is extravagantly overpriced because the neighborhood has a snobbish reputation
• 1 car garage - you can drive your Ford Escort into the garage but there is no room to open the door
• In-city living - it is not safe to walk in this neighborhood after dark
• Recreation room with wet bar - basement has been painted and has a faucet
• Large family room - large basement
• Bedroom in basement - basement has a 1' by 2' window
• Lots of storage space - basement too small to be called a family room
• Partial mountain view - you can see the tip of Mt. Olympus if you climb the roof
• Territorial view - good view of your neighbor's bedroom window
• Build sweat equity - the house is not inhabitable
• Storybook - the house is old and the roof is not flat
• Efficiently designed kitchen - the kitchen is too small to fit two people at the same time"

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Home Decoration: a Portable Fireplace?

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