If you have olders floors (or even new concrete that was not protected during construction), we typically recommend an overlay or "cap" of cementitious material before staining the concrete. NOTE: If you have structural damage, large cracks in your concrete, crumbly concrete or other major flaws, your slab may NOT be a candidate for stained concrete.
The process: Old floors must be removed first. Depending on its condition, the bare slab may next require sanding. Then, we "cap" or resurface the old concrete with three layers of cementitious material. (We use a material that takes the stain especially well.) This can take two or more days. Then we score (if desired), stain, seal and wax the floors. This option is NOT practical for every budget and essentially doubles the base price of staining. However, the results are good and the surface remains quite durable.
See samples of stained overlays above and on the next page .
Sumatra (by Colormaker) selected for this stained overlay (solid). Click image for larger view.
Distressed Look
If you have an older floor and want to achieve an Old World, distressed look, you can eliminate the overlay step (above), but the old floors still must be removed and the slab must either be sanded or stripped before staining. We can either patch old nail holes and other gouges or leave them, depending on the look you're after. If you look close enough, you may see ghost images of patterns from old tile. Clients of Facemaker Salon in downtown Huntsville love the look.
Distressed look achieved by grinding floors before staining (and not applying an overlay.)
Floors at left were stripped first and holes patched to achieve this distressed look. (Original floor at lower right will be carpeted later.) Click on picture for larger view.
