Will any moisture coming up thru the cement hurt this type of floor? Will it peel?

I'm curious as to the sq. ft. cost of this type of floor treatment. It looks fantastic.

elisegum,

Yes moisture vapor transmission coming up through the concrete can cause problems.

Sealers like epoxies and polyaspartics don't breath so they can blister and delaminate. Traditional acrylic sealers will blush. Moisture can also pull salts through to the surface leaving white residue.

A moisture test beforehand will tell you how much moisture is coming through. Many sealers will fail at about three pounds. Moisture blocking epoxies can be used to combat this issue. Different products claim to block from twelve to twenty pounds of pressure.

I consulted a professional a few years ago who specialized in moisture testing and was used regularly as an expert witness for legal cases. One of the many things he shared was that a moisture vapor barrier is at least 15 to 20 mils thick. Most contractors still use 6 mil visqueen from the box stores. It doesn't hold up.

Do a moisture test. Use the appropriate materials and you'll be fine.

Regards,
Vincent Cathcart
VC Studio Inc.
Vince@vcstudioinc.com

Dan Vines,

The square foot cost will vary a bit by region. Also, the amount of area you have to work with will affect costs.

In the Northwest you can expect $3 sf to $4 sf for a stain and seal. If micro toppings are used $6 sf to $8 sf.
This is based on a starting point of 1,000 sf. Smaller areas can increase costs.

Epoxies, polyurethanes, polyaspartics, and other sealers can vary greatly in price. The quality and source of the coating will add to the costs accordingly.

Regards,
Vincent Cathcart
VC Studio Inc.
vince@vcstudioinc.com

Can you tell me what color the stain is and what the method of application did you use for the stain. It seems like it is textured. Thank you.

morsoued,

HighCraft has not responded for some time now. If you need to know the exact product you can contact them directly.

You can achieve a look like this with either an acid stain or a water based dye or stain. The mottled color gives the appearance of texture on a smooth slab. If you want texture you can use a variety of micro toppings.

Acid stains have a limited palette so even with different manufacturers the colors are close. For example, Color Maker's dark brown is "Sumatra" and Schofield's is "Dark Walnut" while Kemilo's closest is Black (tortise shell). Sumatra is the most rust and would need some Black to reach Dark Walnut. Kemiko's Black would need a little Cola or Umber to pull it back to Dark Walnut.

Water based stains and dyes generally have around two dozen colors to choose from. These can be blended to create even more colors.

If you are planning on doing this as a DIY project try to pratice on some sample areas first. Once you stain the floor it is done whether you like it or not. You can resurface with a thin micro topping to start over, but it is often less expensive to hire it done by a pro.

Regards,
Vincent Cathcart
VC Studio Inc.
vince@vcstudioinc.com

Vincent, I am getting ready to do this stain technique on my basement floor. I am looking for a dark espresso brown color so would you go with the Schofield only to achieve that color? Of course I will try it on a piece in my unfinished side first just to make sure. Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Lauren

Hello Lauren,
There are way too many details to include in a post. Floor prep, protection, application, sealing, etc.

As far as color goes I'm not a huge fan of Schofield acid. My favorite has been Color Maker's Patinaetch. Color Maker is shutting down and selling rights to Duraamen.
For acids I would source them from either Duraamen or Elite Crete.

If you use acid make sure you know what you are doing. Wear proper protection, neutralize it, and clean the floor until no more residue remains. Or, your sealer won't bond.

If you want an acid to be dark espresso it may be as simple as adding a black acid. If it pushes too much orangey rust a little blue acid will brown that out. Simple color theory.

You can also apply dyes over the final acid stain to achieve special effects or push colors.

Or you could just use a water or solvent based dye or stain. The color is what it is. You don't have to guess. But you can mix and blend like products to create even more colors. You don't have acid to deal with (protection, neutralize, sludge, chromium in blacks and blues and greens). No clean up is huge. Once the stain dries you seal it.
Duraamen offers Aqua Color (water based), DESO Dye (water or acetone), and Pellucid Dye (acetone). Each has around 20 colors.

The Duraamen web site has a great selection of dyes, stains, sealers, and papers on surface prep and application.

By the way, my only association with Duraamen is as an installer and customer. I've been installing concrete flooring products for almost 15 years. I discovered Color Maker (now carried by Duraamen) about 2004 or 2005. There have been some great products from different companies but their line up of stains and dyes has been the best I've seen.

Regards,
Vincent Cathcart
VC Studio Inc.
vince@vcstudioinc.com