Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A few questions about concrete staining and scoring my patio.

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Q. - Our home was new construction just under 4 yrs ago so my assumption is that the concrete is sealed. 

A. - Why do you believe your concrete is sealed? It is usually only sealed if it has been colored in some way. Here's a good test: pour some water on it. If the water beads up or just sits there a while then it is likely sealed. If it soaks right in then it is likely not sealed. 

Q. - If it is sealed, Our patio slab is 10'x10', can you please let me know how much of the product I need to buy to strip the sealer as well as the tsp? 

A. - If you do need to strip it then probably about 2 gallons of stripper is what you would need. Only 1 small box of TSP will be needed.

Q. - Everything else needed is in the Concrete Camouflage project kit, correct?  Also, how long is typical delivery?  Thank you, Val

A. - Yes. You will get the stain and sealer in the kit. If you want to purchase the tools that you will need then you will need to add a 1 gallon sprayer, an applicator brush if you want to also use the brush(just spraying only is what most people do), a paint roller, a roller cover and a paint pan.

   Delivery takes one business day to process the order and KS takes about 2 business days to ship. Which means you would have your order in just a few days(not including weekends or holidays)

 

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Q. - Thanks so much!  Looking forward to giving this a shot – although I'm a little nervous.  I also purchased the stain prep degreaser/cleaner.  I did contact our builder and you were right, the concrete was not sealed.  Everything seems pretty straightforward.  I'm surprised that more people don't do this.  And I was even more surprised that local home improvement stores don't carry "acid" concrete stain.  The reviews I read of acrylic concrete stain were not good. 

One last question.  We were going to use a diamond blade on a saw to cut a diagonal square pattern into our patio.  I read somewhere to do this very last that way the affect will be that of grout.  Any comments/suggestions? Thank you, Val

Hello Valerie
 
A. - No need to be nervous, concrete staining is straight forward and very simple. Just be sure to either read through the Concrete Staining guide at Concrete Camouflage, or listen to the audio book.
   The reviews about acrylic stains being no good is correct and you are wise to stay away from acrylic stains. Even if the locals did carry concrete acid stain it would be a watered down homeowner grade rather than an artist grade such as Concrete Camouflage, so it is actually a good thing that they don't carry it. You're much better off.
 
   If you score it first, then the stain will settle into the score lines and be a little bit darker so it will look like colored grout, that is darker than the concrete. If you score it afterward then it will be the color of natural concrete and look like uncolored grout. Either looks good. Most people score first, though many do score afterward. Just be sure to use a diamond blade as masonry blades get smaller as they cut and you would be constantly adjusting the saw to stay consistent. Also remember to only score about 1/16" to 1/8" deep. Any deeper and you are only creating a dirt trap.
 
Have a Good Day