HVAC Services? Winter Has Come Early

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Acid Stained Concrete Flooring 101: Preparing the Slab

Still more valuable info from our acid stained concrete pro Joe Welsh, at Stained By Design!

We recently covered Interior and Exterior Care of your Acid Stained Concrete Flooring. But it's probably a good idea to let you know how to put stained concrete floors down in the first place! So, let's cover the necessary steps to prepare your slab for stained concrete. Now, this can information for the do-it-yourselfer but if you're going to have a decorative concrete professional handle the job, it would be good to know the correct procedure. That way, if may be able to spot a problem before it arises. Joe pointed out this problem he saw on the Home Improvement Ideas site with info on stained flooring, where it says, "Basically it's when the concrete is colored as part of the mixing process (as opposed to being painted after it's laid and dried.)" According to Joe, "If you tried to add acid stain to the mix, you'd have concrete that would crumble like stale bread after a year." So, study his prep guide and show it to your concrete installer if you see something being done incorrectly:

Preparing a Slab for Stained Concrete

1) A quality batch of concrete should consist of at least a 5-sack mix with minimal fly-ash, no retarder, curing compounds or chloride accelerators. Do not pour below 40°F. Do not use fly-ash below 80°F. Use no more than 15% fly-ash above 80°F. The slab should be hard troweled by machine to a smooth finish. It is NOT necessary to burnish the surface to a slick, mirror finish. "Burning" the slab to an ultra smooth surface will close off the pours of the slab and cause the stain to sit on top of the concrete and not penetrate. A bit smoother than a garage floor is optimum. Make sure the Finishers don’t get "burrs", rocks, or debris caught under the blades which can cut swirl marks into the slab.

2) It is important that the concrete be thoroughly finished with hand tools, where needed, around the plumbing, risers, floor outlets, or any other element which is not accessible by the machine. Special care should be taken to blend in the areas at the exterior edges of the slab. If the finish is smooth in the center and rough-finished at the edges, there will be a noticeable difference of color and tone between these areas.

3) Silicone chalks should NOT be used, if at all possible. The red and yellow chalks are PERMANENT DYES. Red chalk should NOT be used for framing. White or blue chalks are okay. Do NOT use silicone sprays to "Hold" the lines. The sprays repel the stain and leaves harsh, permanent scars on the floor.

4) It is important that wood, sheet goods, sections of framing and the like not laid on the slab for extended periods of time. They can transfer resins and tannins into the slab. This will alter the moisture content in the slab which leaves a pattern in the finished floor. Cardboard should be placed between the slab and the stacked material to minimize any unwanted transfers.

5) The floor should be protected from the following: plumbers glue, foam insulation, bond release agents, flux, oils, grease, polyurethane, paint, markers (framers often write dimensions of doorways in marker on the slab - ask them to make that note on the wood framing the doorway), grease sticks, spray paints, crayons, muratic acid, and other chemicals both before and after staining. Also ask that locations of electrical and other outlets be marked on the studs and not on the floor.

6) The framers should brace the walls to the outside and not to the slab. Door plates should be cut away immediately.

7) The floors should be clean and the rooms empty, with absolutely nothing on the floors prior to the arrival of the stain crew. The best time to stain the floors is when you are Blacked-In with a roof on. The slab is at it’s cleanest at this point in time. After the Stain and Sealer, the floor should be covered with "Builder’s Paper" to protect it from the drywall mud and paint.

8) At the “Pre-Trim” stage, a refresher coat of sealer will bring the floors back to life.

9) It is extremely important that you do not tape the floor! When covering the floor, overlap sheets of builder’s paper (Roofing paper is a great covering item, too.) Tape the first sheet to the wall then overlap the second sheet to the first and tape it to the paper. DO NOT PUT TAPE ON THE FLOOR. Use no tape! Duct tape, masking tape, packing tape, strap tape, blue tape, green tape, stucco tape and electrical tape – there are NO exceptions. It alters the natural curing process and transfers chemicals to and from the slab. This will show in the finished product.

10) When covering the floor, you may use sheets of masonite or single-faced cardboard on top of the builder’s paper. however, do not cover the floor with plastic at any time! It prevents the slab from breathing, which inhibits proper curing. It can result in efflorescence."

If you're in Louisiana, contact Joe about getting your interior floors resurfaced with decorative concrete overlays at (337) 316-4505 or you can email him. If you'd like to talk to a decorative concrete specialist in your area, you can find at ConstructionDeal.com.

technorati tags: acid stained, stained concrete, acid stained concrete, concrete floors, slab prep,decorative concrete, concrete overlays, acid staining, acid stained cement, cement floors

Housing Bubble Humor

Here's a bit of housing bubble humor for anyone who might be having trouble selling their house (courtesy of The Onion):

"For the third straight month, sales on preexisting homes dropped, leading realtors to call it a 'buyer's market.' Here are some strategies sellers are using to entice buyers:

* Dropping price by 50 bucks
* Carrying around wad of money; acting like owning this house got them that money
* Pointing out dishwasher several times
* Explaining to potential buyers how fulfilling it is to make mortgage payment on time
* Telling long, touching story about how grandmother needs $312,500 for kidney operation
* Letting third blouse button go
* Drowning out sound of noisy furnace with soulful vocals of Michael McDonald
* Reassuring buyers that people purchase things they can't afford all the time"

Related Posts:
How NOT to Beat the Housing Bubble
How to Beat the Bursting Housing Bubble
Real Estate Dictionary
Housing Bubble Humor

technorati tags: the onion, housing bubble, humor, housing bubble humor, real estate humor

Kitchen Remodeling: Form AND Function

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Sometimes... You Have to Share

Just to pat our own backs, I wanted to post this comment from one of the homeowners who recently used our site, ConstructionDeal.com, to find a contractor:

"I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with the number of contractors your Website brought in to bid my job! I'm certain that one or another will work out just fine. The process was a lot more convenient than my usual tactic of calling everyone in the Yellow Pages. I'll use you again next opportunity-- and will share your URL with everyone I know who is interested in a construction project.

Thank you very much.

Elliot L"

Thank you, Elliot -- not everyone takes time out of their busy day to let you know you're doing something right and I appreciate and value your time and effort!

Our blog and our website is a valuable tool to help homeowners get their projects done. We want to make sure you've got the knowledge and the contacts to make it all happen. That email was a really great way to start my morning and I had to share. It's great to know you're helping people get what they want.

Do you need to find an architect? A Landscaper? Or a general contractor? We can help. ConstructionDeal.com is designed to give you access to local service professionals. There's no cost and no obligation to use our site. It's a fast, free and easy way to get your home improvement projects done.

Remodel Your Homeowner's Insurance

So, you found a Home Addition Contractor on ConstructionDeal.com and you added a master bedroom and new master bath to your house.

The question is --

Did You Notify your Insurance Company?

The folks over at the INSWEB.com recommend that you reevaluate your insurance coverage -- just after you have remodeled or upgraded your home -- before disaster strikes.

"Home remodeling quickly adds to a houses value, but many homeowners fail to increase their homeowners insurance coverage accordingly. It is not until a disaster strikes that many homeowners realize that they haven't reevaluated their coverage to include any work done on the house. After already undergoing the tragedy of losing your home, you don't want to also find out that your insurance policy only covers what your house used to be rather than what you have made it into. Imagine that you renovated a small one bedroom fixer-upper into a modern 3 bedroom home with a new yard or deck - the difference in replacement value would be considerable."

And it's not just if you've remodeled. If you have upgraded any safety functions in your home since you started your policy, let your insurer know because it may mean additional discounts for you. If you have a fire sprinkler system installed, smoke detectors, CO2 detectors, fire extinguishers, or even home automation or home security features, you could save a lot of money on your homeowners insurance policy.

They have some other great tips on insurance for homeowners, so check it out -- and tell them ConstructionDeal.com sent you!

If you need to find a home improvement contractor, we can help. It's a fast, free and easy service that connects you with remodeling and home repair pros. Simply submit a request and get 4 quotes - sometimes in a matter of minutes.

At no cost.

technorati tags: fire alarms, fire extinguisher, homeowners insurance, fire sprinklers, insurance discounts, home addition, master bath, master bedroom, insurance coverage, home improvement, remodeling, renovation