Staining Concrete Floors Can Provide A New Look

You Should Consider Staining Your Concrete Floors

Acid staining can make a common concrete floor into look like expensive natural stone flooring. Not only is it a fraction of the price, but for people allergic to carpeting materials it’s a godsend. Another great application is in houses with radiant floor heating. Radiant heating is at its most efficient when insulating floor coverings like tile or carpet are minimized.

The process of staining a concrete floor, while not overly complex, can be tough to get the results you want from. Most folks are probably better off hiring a professional contractor. It’s a risky project for the do-it-yourselfer.

If you’re not familiar with it, concrete stain isn’t a paint or finish coat. It involves a chemical reaction on cement materials. Typically a water-based solution of hydrochloric acid and inorganic salts, the stain reacts with minerals and lime in the concrete aggregate, and the result of the reaction is coloring. It works on new or old concrete, and is fairly durable if you maintain it with sealer or wax, since it won’t stain or chip. It can also be applied to both interiors and exterior floors. Walkways, bathrooms, entrances, driveways, living rooms and patios are all fair game.

When it’s finished, stained concrete looks a little like marble, but more dappled and less uniform. The concrete will mostly be earthy brown tones, with hints of red and green. It’s possible to make your own tint stain by mixing colors, or applying at dissimilar rates. When you stain a concrete floor, though, don’t expect the stain to be uniform or have an even tone. Plan your room décor and color scheme accordingly, because you’ll get dissimilar reactions from different areas of the concrete, and even a seasoned pro will be hard pressed to predict what the final result will be.

Surface prep for acid staining concrete depends on what condition your slab is in. Newly poured concrete only needs is be allowed time for curing- three weeks after pouring- then some rinsing and scrubbing. Older concrete is a different story. Thorough cleaning is required because any dirt, grease, paint, sealer or even curing agent will keep the stain from penetrating and reacting as it should. Do a little test area to make sure it’s ready.

Newer poured concrete will require less stain than older floors, but in general, a gallon of water added to one gallon of stain will cover around 400 square feet. Apply the stain with a non-metallic brush or broom, working in the cooler morning or evening hours, rather than in the heat of the day. Be careful to protect yourself from spillage, drips and fumes from the acid stain, and follow the manufacturer’s precautions.

After application, you need to cleanup by sweeping away any leftover stain and residue with a broom. When the floor is thoroughly dry, it is a good idea to apply a sealer agent and then wax it.

If you are in the market for natural stone flooring, a new look for your basement or patio, or just looking for new remodeling ideas, stained concrete is certainly something you should look into.

Patio Advice?

I want to cover up my concrete patio with some sort of stone work. What is the best way to go? I thought about outdoor tile, but I just can’t decide. Thanks
I know that I want some sort of stone, but how and what is the easiest way to do it?

i need some advice to help my younger brother……….?

i was out shopping with him and we were walking down some steps when my brother knelt down to fasten his sandals

he put his hand against a concrete post for balance but builders who had been repairing the post had done a bad job with the concrete adhesive and it got onto my brothers hand

does anyone have any advice? heres a pic if that helps…

http://www.jrwoodward.net/jrwoodward/images/boy.jpg

Do you like this story so far?

Thick gray clouds covered the sun and Rolena Bishop was sighing all over the car as she and her aunt Helena drove toward Helena’s enormous home of bricks and vines. Rolena was trying really hard not to cry and yell. Her parents had died in a car crash a few weeks before and her Aunt Helena was now taken her from her home in California to the green fields of Scotland. It was beautiful Rolena must had to admit but nothing would make her happy now. Helena had noticed her sighing and patted her back.

Rolena was sad all over again as Helena’s thick Scottish accent had belted out memories of her parents and that everything was going to be okay. Her dark brown hair covered half of her face and her hazel eyes were glinting with tears. She once again sighed as they pulled up into the fresh paved cement next to the gorgeous home.

“Rolena, honey?” Helena asked the girl, “Your stuff is in the truck. So please go get your room in order. Unpack…unpack, dear.” Rolena felt a groan coming up but she quickly brought it back down as Helena walked swiftly across the cement and into the stain glass doors. She had only brought a few of her clothes that were now stuffed into two boxes and her sixteen years of memorabilia were packed into four big brown cubes. She took the two boxes and headed into the unfamiliar house. As she walked in she saw that this door led to the kitchen and dining room.

She sniffed her slightly pink nose as she walked passed a big pot of spaghetti sauce. Rolena hummed at the delight of finally eating food. She turned left at the opening of the living room. Inside there were magnificent paintings and elegant furniture. To her it was like walking into a museum. The most that surprised her was the odd couple that was hanging over the fireplace. It wasn’t Helena or her deceased husband.

The ever-so pale man was holding the lady and she too was unreasonably pale. Rolena walked toward the white people and she realized that they were wearing maybe millions of dollars worth of clothing. She gasped at the red and black dress and the matching outfit the man wore. Suddenly, Rolena heard the clickity clack of Helena’s expensive heels and was on her way. To the left was a twirling staircase. She thought this house was more of a castle then a house.

At the top of the stairs there were nine doors. Five on the south side and two on the northwest and two on the northeast. Which one is mine? Rolena though intently until she she saw a sign on one of the doors on the east. Rolena’s Room! No housekeeping Until settled. Rolena walked toward it and read the sign over again. House Keeping? Rolena thought, She’s way to rich! Rolena lifted her hand to turn the golden knob. The creak of the door scared her at first but then she saw how lovely the room was and forgot about everything. There was a queen-sized bed with beautiful flower prints and matching pillowcases across from another fireplace. The bedposts were even more beautiful as they made a vine like structured design. By the bed was a round night table with a glass surface and an old-fashioned light. Directly across from the door was a huge window with white curtains and a cushion to sit on.

A six-drawer dresser lay at the foot of the bed where Rolena knelt with the boxes and sighed. Maybe this won’t be that bad after-all Rolena thought also remembering she forgot to grab a box-cutter from the kitchen. Her 5’ 6 body got up from the golden carpet and out into the hallway. She stopped dead silent at a conversation heard below.

“I do not believe in such nonsense! I lived here almost my whole life and you’re telling me blood-sucking animals are flying about this town? You sir, are a story money making scoundrel and should leave this house immediately!” Rolena heard her Aunt yell. There were a lot of footsteps until somebody spoke up again.

“Miss Helen,” A man said calmly, “I am only trying to protect you. You and you’re neice don’t want to be sucked by a bunch of flying leeches, do you?” there was a echoed slap and an ouch!

“ My name is Helena. Do not come around here again! You understand?” There was no ‘Yes, Ma’am’ so Rolena thought that he just nodded his head and left. She was right as there was a slam and a shake of the glass door. Rolena blew a sigh of relief and came running down the steps one by one with a silent thump of her Uggs boots.

As she reached the bottom, Helena stands there with a large grimace on her now-pale face. For the second time Rolena stopped with a dead-silence. Helena started. She walked toward the sixteen-year-old girl with flourish.

“Were you listening to that little conversation?” She spoke softly. Rolena was better then being treated like a child.

“Yes, was all that true, aunt Helena?” She spoke even softer, “ About the vampires and stuff?” Helena shook her head and told the teen-ager to leave to where she needed to go. But now all Rolena could t
Sorry the last sentence is supposed to say…

But all Rolena could think about was vampires.

Cheesy I know! But I really like this idea and stuff!

i want to build my own swimming pool?

ok, so i have a design in my head, im good on the construction side of things, i just want to know the struture of a swimming pool i quess, tell me if i am wrong but this is what i would do: dig a hole the size n shape i want, line the bottom with hardcore then sand, compact it, lay concrete blocks up the side, tile the floor (rather than plain concrete), plaster/tile the sides, thats the way i see it, tell me if i am wrongor missing anything, how do swimming pools filters/heaters work where do they go? if someone could give me some serious advice from experience, and/or links, id be ever so greatful!

Can someone make my story better?

I write stories all the time but this one sucks! Can anyone make it cooler? I don’t mind if you change things. This is not 4 school.\

 
Prologue
As the storm raged though the quiet town, havoc lie about. As I now believe what I saw that day was real, I shudder at the mere thought. I sat at my desk drawing demonic pictures in my notebook. Ryan stood next to me his had touching my cold shoulder. Could life be full of demons and monsters that invade your mind? I found that out two years ago, on a night just like this. Demons and monsters do exist with humans. I shut the book and looked up at him. He nodded expressionless. We walked out the door of my room. An eerie chill surrounded us. My breath shown in the air. We opened the sliding door and walked out to the bitter air. Shadows danced along the walls. Ryan slowly dug a hole in the moist grass and we buried the pictures and a journal.

Chapter 1
“Gah!” I cried as a huge tarantula lay dead on the stoop. My dog wagged its docked tail happily. A black and brown Rottweiler sat before it. “Good Celica, good girl!”
“Woof!”
“I can’t speak dog, but Woof! To you too,” I giggled. The doorbell rang loud and clear through the quiet house. “Coming Ryan!” Ryan had been my friend from the fifth grade, now in our first year of high school, we could take anything.
I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. Leaping two-three steps at a time. “No!” I cried as I could not stop in time and hit the stain glass door. “Uhhh,” I whimpered as I slowly slid down the door. Ryan laughed, practically rolling down on the pavement. “Oh shut up,” I whispered.
I opened the door with a scowl on my face. “Jerk.”
“Not my fault little speed demon went to fast! You need to stop! Ha! Where was the murderer?” Ryan giggled, “Oh, oh I still have more!”
“That’s enough! What did you want?” I tapped my foot impatiently. Ryan looked down. He was tall and skinny. He had brown hair that was always a mess.
“Oh? Right! I wanted to see if you wanted to see Crazy Monster of Doom 3, at my house.” He waved the movie in my face. It had a picture of a man with no eyes on the cover. Ryan and I had always been murder geeks.
“Fine, I’ll abide. Only this once. Holly!” I called. My little sister came bounding down the stairs. She had long brown hair and was six years old.
“ Ya?” She said stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
“ Can you feed Celica for me?” I asked dropping down to her size.
“Yes. She’s my dog too you know!” she giggled. “ Have fun with your boyfriend!” she called when I ran out the door with Ryan.
“ He’s not my boyfriend!” I yelled back angrily. My face became red. Ryan looked over and laughed.
“ Hey why don’t you go out with me?”
“ Well let me think. It would be way too weird.”
“ Hu? I don’t think so.”
“Well I do! So let’s be friends. Only that,” I pleaded.
“ Fine,” he turned his head away and walked away.
I pondered my thoughts for a moment. He had always been there for me. What am I doing?
“ Wait!” I called franticly running towards him. Graceful was something I wouldn’t describe myself as. I tripped over a rock and fell face first on the cold cement. I balled my fists and cussed.
“ Well what do you want now?” He asked helping me up.
I said nothing but stood up and kissed him. His eyes were open wide for a long while.
“ So you want to go out….”
“ I guess that is a yes!” He cried flinging his arms around me.
A loving sensation overwhelmed me. Every part of my body screamed yes! This is your chance! But my head said no, he can’t be the one.
We walked hand in hand to his house. It was an old Victorian, just like mine. The grass was home to at least twenty types of weeds and bugs.
His parents were never home and could not afford a gardener. The parents were Olympic winners, and for Ryan it was hard to live up to. He could not run, much less than run a marathon, his legs were too long and the rest of his body needed to do some catching up.
He opened the door with a creek. I walked inside kicking off my soggy shoes, they slammed against the wall loudly. I looked around to see if I had damaged anything.
“ Come on! The movie won’t wait forever!” He called walking up the stairs. I followed. Down the hallway we went, surrounded by pictures of Olympic wins. Finally the last two photos were different. It was of him and his family sitting on the couch laughing. The other was of Ryan and I, sitting on a bench, eating ice cream. This was four years ago.
I sighed, I saw these every time, but why did it bother me.
“ You coming’,” he asked.
“ Ya. Be in, in a sec,” I quietly turned and walked into the room. I looked over my shoulder at the picture one last time.
The room was very warm, almost immediately I began to sweat.
“ Sorry,” he said, “ before I left I forgot to turn off the heater.” He walked over to the little grey box on the left wall and hit ‘OFF’.
“ Now are you ready for Mayhem!” He yelled happily jumping in my face. He jumped over to his TV and p

Child injured by a school staff-what should I do?

In Octorber 2006, my son was injured on his head at elementary school accidnetly by a school staff member who dropped a store bought canned good on his head. The day of the accident I was notified and told what happened and they said my son seemed fine, although he did cry when it happened. Now he sometimes complains that the place hit hurts slightly. We did not take school insurance out and was told that the school would not pay if we took to the doctor for a head scan. I feel that the school’s incurance policy should pay for this medical expense because thier staff member cause the injury. I need some concrete legal advice because we dont know what the long term affoct of this injury may be. Please advise. I live in North Carolina and my son goes to a public school in NC.

I hope I’m posting this question in the correct category for the right advice.
The child is 6 years old.

Please help me interpret my dream…?

Last night i had a dream that my boyfriend and i were quietly sitting at our Campus, it was just like any other day, suddenly there was a terrorist attack. More then 50 men with guns came barging through the gates shooting everyone in site, and those lucky few they decided not to shoot were kicked to the ground with guns pointing to their heads. I was one of those lucky few, My boyfriend was not. He was shot and killed instantly.

I remember one of the terrorists took a particular interest in me, and told me that he would personally make sure i’ll get out of this alive, all i had to do was scrub the blood of my boyfriend from the cement.

Scared out of my mind, i did as i was told, no questions asked. I cried and cried whilst doing so.

When i got the stain out the terrorist gave me a ticket with the number 3 on it (i don’t know why but this number really stood out to me)

Then the terrorist snatched it away and ripped it up laughing in my face.
I realized that he showed me no kindness at all, to him, i was just a little creature he was sick enough to torment.

As soon as i got the opportunity, i bolted, i ran as i could (i noticed when i was running i was wearing a white dress which also stood out to me) then suddenly without warning that i was being chased, 3 bullets went through me and fired me off a cliff.

Before i hit the ground, i woke up immediately.

I have had some pretty weird dreams in my life, but this one was just awful. I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

Please help me find an interpretation for this…

Newly poured concrete slab floors?

I Just had a new 40×64 4 inch slab concrete floor poured in a newly constructed pole building. The contractor ran apolishing smoothing machine over the concrete, Washed it off with water and then applied a sealer. I am needing to know if the one coat of sealer he applied is enough r if I also need to put on other coats of this? Also need to know the best place to cut the joints in the concrete floor to help guard against cracking. Thank you for the advice, as this cost us alot of money and we want it to last and take proper care of it.

This is a really weird question about my basement wall made of concrete…with a big bulge?

I just find it really odd that this basement wall has this huge bulge sticking out of it. Since I moved here, I personally wanted to tear the house down and build a fish pond in it’s place. It has so many bugs inside of it too? The flies always jump on me even when I don’t think I smell. I just think this place is really weird. Three people years in a row have not actually stayed in this house. Well my friend said that in her old house that there is still a blood stain in the basement from someone that died. The bulge is disgusting. Should I come back online and put a picture of it online? The last 2 couples that decided to live here moved out seemly in a short time. Why don’t people stay in this house. This area I live in does not have street lights. People that live around here are too quiet for me…. The kids make a lot of noise.. That’s how I know like at least there is normalcy.. Some adults I saw maybe a few times. I get a lot of honks from cars.. I live on a high way, and hello I am pretty enough. So.. Should I think this is strange? How should I look at it. I really wish I had the money to tear this house down… I’m going to the casino tomorrow to win some money. My left hand itched. Then I can pray to nothing.. I am getting mixed up thoughts about this. I just find it extremely odd and uncomfortable. My dad has built his own house and i saw how the walls were made, I got a back tour when Weis King’s made their new addition.. I love the smell of fresh cement.. I never have seen a concrete wall with a huge bulge in it. Now seriously what could be hiding in there?
I’m clairvoyant… A LOT. great minds really don’t just think alike. I just get a bad feeling about this and I have not been sleeping too well… feeling that way about it makes me stay up all night.. I really have a bad feeling about it.
omg really? That would make so much sense.. All the pipes are just leaking.. the roofs are starting to crack and it’s fairly a new house. Such an odd place for a house… like 13 steps from the high way.
And yes there is a large tree on the other side of the house… on the other side….. It would though, have to have gone around the house and then it would have to curve all of a sudden and spiral backward. ? It would have completely avoided the other walls with the water systems and all the fun stuff to make the house work. Our house is for sale right now.
How does the cement keep it’s hold so without cracking?