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Integral
Colorants
Color material is blended with the concrete mix to color the
aggregate throughout. Many of the colorants are iron oxides and can create
colors including blacks, yellows, and reds. Greens can be achieved using
chromium, and ultramarine can be used to create variants of blue.
Stamping
Patterns are impressed into wet concrete slabs or overlays to
create textures or to provide the appearance of brick or stone.
Embedding
Items can be embedded in the concrete for practical purposes
(such as brass rails to serve as pot holders on a countertop) or aesthetic ones
(such as decorating with shells or fossils).
Decorative
Applications On Existing Concrete
Concrete Dyes
Dyes are not chemically reactive with concrete, and their
appearance is translucent. They can be organic or inorganic and diluted with
either water or solvents. Stain colors are more intense if stain is applied soon
after concrete has been placed. They can create bright colors not possible with
stain, such as reds and yellows. Some dyes are UV-resistant, but those that
aren't can be coated with UV-resistant sealers to make them colorfast.
Acid Staining
Acid staining is not a dyeing or pigment-base coloring system,
but a chemical reaction. A mixture of water, salts and acid is applied to the
concrete surface and later neutralized by a basic solution of ammonia, TSP (trisodium
phosphate) and/or water. This chemical reaction with the existing minerals in
the concrete creates new colors on the concrete surface. Due to inconsistencies
in the surface of concrete, acid staining creates a variegated or mottled
appearance that is unique to each slab. The thickness of this color change
ranges from 1/16th to 1/32nd of an inch. Exterior concrete surfaces may not
color as well as interior surfaces because the environment has leached or
percolated out the mineral content.
Chemicals commonly used in acid staining include Hydrochloric
acid, Iron chloride and Sodium bicarbonate.
A few things that are important to keep in mind with
acid-based stains, wide color variations are normal. Surfaces will have a
mottled, variegated appearance, and these variations will be emphasized when the
final coat of sealer is applied. With some acid stain colors, what you see in
liquid form may not be what you get once the stain has reacted with the concrete
surface. The stain may not reveal its true color until it has been allowed to
remain on the concrete for several hours or longer. Always apply the stain to a
small test area before covering the entire surface. Color effects will generally
be more intense on new concrete than on older or weathered concrete. Even when
treated with the same staining product in the same shade, no two pours of
concrete will look alike due to factors such as the composition and age of the
concrete, surface porosity, texture, and environmental conditions. It's this
variability, rather than uniformity, that gives stained concrete its broad
appeal and permits an infinite array of special effects.
Overlaying
Concrete overlays date to the 1960s when chemical engineers
from some of the larger, well known chemical companies began to experiment with
acrylic paint resins as modifiers for cement and sand mixes. The result was a
thin cementitious topping material that would adhere to concrete surfaces and
provide a newly resurfaced coating to restore the worn surface. Concrete
overlays lacked the long term performance characteristics of acrylic resins.
Acrylic resins provided good UV resistance, but lacked long term water
resistance and adhesion characteristics needed to provide a long term and
permanent solution.
Polymer Cement
Overlays
Polymer cement overlays, consisting of a proprietary blend of
Portland cements, various aggregates and proprietary hybrid polymer resins, were
introduced over 20 years ago. The purpose of adding a hybrid polymer resin to
the cement and aggregate is to greatly increase the performance characteristics
and versatility of conventional cements, mortars and concrete materials. Unlike
conventional cement and concrete mixes, polymer cement overlays can be applied
thinly or thickly without fear of delamination or typical product failure. In
addition, polymer cement overlays are much more resistant to damage from salt,
petrochemicals, UV, harsh weather conditions and traffic wearing.
Originally intended for use as a thin surface restoration
material for concrete substrates, polymer cement overlays were introduced into
the architectural concrete and commercial flooring industries in the early 80s.
Subsequently, its use in these industries has become standard. Polymer cement
overlays are regarded as economical in providing long term, durable renovation
without the need for costly and continuous repairs associated with deteriorating
concrete surfaces.
Polymer Cement
Applications
Polymer cement overlays are used for interior and exterior
applications ranging from:
- Skim coat/broom finish concrete resurfacing – Restore and
protect damaged, pitted, flaking and stained concrete back to the look of a new
concrete surface.
- Concrete regrading & leveling – Repair and level concrete surfaces that have
settled.
- Existing substrate redecorating and renovating – Alter the appearance of
existing concrete or wood substrates through applying "thin stamped" or "thin
stained" overlays, creating new textures, colors and designs. For use on
commercial or resident pool deck, this frequently takes the form of "splatter
textures" or "knockdowns," in which polymer cement is applied to the existing
concrete substrate in a moderately textured finish (average of 1/8” thickness)
in various patterns. Often, the texture is knocked down with a trowel to
slightly modify the appearance and feel of the finished application.
Finishing Touches
Products like decorative quartz and decorative flake provide an
upscale image. Recommended for areas like restrooms and cafeterias decorative
quartz combined with integrated coved base creates three dimensional stone
appearance through its use of quartz aggregates and clear resins. The addition
of decorative flakes give a terrazzo like appearance to our coatings and
resurfacers. Our integrated logos create a real impact.
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Vanguard Concrete Coating
229 Crescent NE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
Phone: 616-742-1540
Fax: 616-742-3793
Ian@vanguardconcretecoating.com
© Copyright 2010. All
rights reserved by Vanguard Concrete Coating of Grand Rapids, MI. For residential floors our service area includes the Central, Southwest, & West
Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Traverse City, Mount Pleasant, Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, Flint, Howell, Jackson, Lansing, Kalamazoo, South
Haven, Holland, Grand Haven and small cites in-between. For industrial &
commercial clients we service a larger area including Detroit & Ann Arbor, Ohio / OH,
Northern Indiana / IN, and Northeastern Illinois / IL cities.
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