Please print and give this instruction sheet to your builder before the
slab is poured. The instructions and advice given here will help to
ensure your stained concrete floor will look its best.
Note - An Under-Slab Vapor or Moisture Barrier should be used on all
homes to prevent rising moisture from affecting all your floor choices
and to also help maintain a Healthy Home. Under-Slab Vapor Barrier
material in 10 or 15 mil Polyethylene should be placed before the
concrete slab is poured. Vapor barriers can be purchased in rolls at
concrete supply stores, or Big Box stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
Some people like a Tile look and others prefer a seamless finish. We
will give you the look you desire, but there are several things to consider:
A: We prefer to cut the slab 2-3 days after it is poured and before the
framers set the walls. Then we will return to stain and seal the slab
when the project is "dried in" (framed with doors, windows and water
tight, no insulation or sheet rock, a minimum 30 days of drying should be
observed). After the project is dried in, the floors should be covered as
described in Information on Mix, Finishing and Pre-Stain Care para 8.
There are advantages and disadvantages to scoring at this point.
B: If scoring cant be done on the whole slab or if you want that perfect
tile placement, the slab can be scored after the house is framed. Again,
there are advantages and disadvantages to scoring at this point.
C: To insure proper scheduling and availability, please contact us at
least 3 weeks in advance. We work diligently to accommodate many
schedules at the same time. We operate on a First-Signed, First-
Scheduled basis. We ask that you communicate your project status to us
as far in advance as possible. We are committed to providing the finest
floor possible and are sure you want the same.
Staining Schedule
Depending on the size of the project, we will need exclusive use of the
area(s) to be stained for up to a 5-day period. The good news here is: We
work weekends. Often times Friday is a slow to no work day on
construction sites and we can come in and do our work and be gone
before Monday morning. The standard 3-day schedule is as follows:
Once the home is at the point of "after painting" and "pre-trim", we will
return to apply a touch-up coat of sealer and wax the floor. The floor
will most likely get scratched and scuffed during the remaining
construction after the initial staining. This step will revitalize the
floor. Once again, please keep in touch as far out as possible to ensure
you are scheduled for this step at a convenient time.
slab is poured. The instructions and advice given here will help to
ensure your stained concrete floor will look its best.
Note - An Under-Slab Vapor or Moisture Barrier should be used on all
homes to prevent rising moisture from affecting all your floor choices
and to also help maintain a Healthy Home. Under-Slab Vapor Barrier
material in 10 or 15 mil Polyethylene should be placed before the
concrete slab is poured. Vapor barriers can be purchased in rolls at
concrete supply stores, or Big Box stores like Home Depot or Lowes.
- A quality batch of concrete should consist of at least a 5-sack mix
with low fly ash and no retarder, curing compounds or chloride
accelerators. Do not pour below 40F. Do not use fly-ash below 80F.
Use no more than 15% fly-ash above 80F. The slab should be hard
troweled by machine to a smooth finish. It is NOT necessary to
burnish the surface to a slick, mirror finish. "Burning" the slab to
an ultra smooth surface will close off the pours of the slab and
cause the stain to sit on top of the concrete and not penetrate.
Make sure the Finishers dont get "burrs" or trash caught under the
blades which can cut swirl marks into the slab. - It is important that the concrete be thoroughly finished with hand
tools where needed around the plumbing, risers, floor outlets, or
any other element which is not accessible by the machine.
Special care should be taken to blend in the areas at the edge of
the slab. If the finish is smooth in the center and rough finished at
the edges, there will be a noticeable difference of color and tone
between these areas. - Silicone chalks should NOT be used if at all possible. The RED
and yellow chalks are PERMANENT DYES. RED Chalk should NOT
be used for framing. White or Blue chalks are OK. Do not over
mark for the framing. Do NOT use silicone sprays to "Hold" the
lines. The sprays repel the stain and leave harsh, permanent
scars on the floor. - It is important that wood, sheet goods, sections of framing and the
like not lay on the slab for extended periods of time. They can
transfer resins and tannins into the slab. This will alter the
moisture content in the slab which leaves a pattern in the finished
floor. Cardboard should be placed between the slab and the
stacked material to minimize any unwanted transfers. - The floor should be protected from the following: Plumbers Glue,
Foam Insulation, Bond Release Agents, Flux, Oils, Grease,
Polyurethane, Paint, Markers (framers often write dimensions of
doorways in marker on the slab. Ask them to make that note on the
wood framing the doorway), Grease Sticks, Spray Paints, Crayons,
Muratic Acid, and other chemicals both before and after staining. - The framers should brace the wall to the outside and not to the
slab. Door plates should be cut away immediately. - The floors should be clean and the room empty, with absolutely
nothing on the floors prior to the arrival of our crew. Our fees do
not include removing paper, moving furniture, tools, equipment,
fixtures, building materials, or items. Additional moving and
cleaning will be charged as additional labor. - It is extremely important that you do not tape the floor! When
covering the floor, overlap sheets of builders paper. Tape the first
sheet to the wall then overlap the second sheet to the first and
tape it to the paper. DO NOT TAPE TO THE FLOOR. Duct Tape,
Masking Tape, Packaging Tape, Strap Tape, Blue Tape, Green
Tape, and Electrical Tape there are NO exceptions. The tape
alters the natural curing process and transfers chemicals to and
from the slab. Tape, Plastics and other Adhesives can contribute
to Plasticizer Migration. This WILL SHOW in the finished
product. Learn more about Plasticizer Migration on the Floor Care
page. - When covering the floor, you may use sheets of masonite or single
faced cardboard on top of the builders paper, however do not cover
the floor with plastic at any time! It prevents the slab from
breathing which inhibits proper curing. It can result in
efflorescence. - There must be two 110volt outlets on two separate 20amp breakers
not more than 150 feet from the furthest point of the slab available
to our crew alone. Additionally, running water and trash
receptacles must be available.
Some people like a Tile look and others prefer a seamless finish. We
will give you the look you desire, but there are several things to consider:
A: We prefer to cut the slab 2-3 days after it is poured and before the
framers set the walls. Then we will return to stain and seal the slab
when the project is "dried in" (framed with doors, windows and water
tight, no insulation or sheet rock, a minimum 30 days of drying should be
observed). After the project is dried in, the floors should be covered as
described in Information on Mix, Finishing and Pre-Stain Care para 8.
There are advantages and disadvantages to scoring at this point.
- Advantage: There are no walls at this point so the pattern can be
scored across the entire surface and the "grout lines" will
continue under the walls once erected. - Disadvantage: A starting point is determined and the entire slab is
scored. This means that each doorway most likely will not have a
perfectly placed tile; the pattern will fall where it falls.
B: If scoring cant be done on the whole slab or if you want that perfect
tile placement, the slab can be scored after the house is framed. Again,
there are advantages and disadvantages to scoring at this point.
- Advantage: Each room can have a perfectly placed/centered tile
look. Different rooms can have tiles on a square or on a 45 degree
angle. Different rooms can have unique sizes of tile (standard is
24" tile with smaller sizes costing more). - Disadvantage: A border has to be marked off 12" from each wall.
This will allow a starting point for the centering of the pattern. A
border means the grout lines will not disappear under the walls
because there is no way to saw-cut up to the studs without cutting
into them (or your sheet rock).
C: To insure proper scheduling and availability, please contact us at
least 3 weeks in advance. We work diligently to accommodate many
schedules at the same time. We operate on a First-Signed, First-
Scheduled basis. We ask that you communicate your project status to us
as far in advance as possible. We are committed to providing the finest
floor possible and are sure you want the same.
Staining Schedule
Depending on the size of the project, we will need exclusive use of the
area(s) to be stained for up to a 5-day period. The good news here is: We
work weekends. Often times Friday is a slow to no work day on
construction sites and we can come in and do our work and be gone
before Monday morning. The standard 3-day schedule is as follows:
- Day 1 Surface preparation: We will remove the protective paper
you have used and store it in an area of the house that will not be
stained so it can be re-used after the floor is sealed. Spot cleanup
of areas that may need it is done. This is not intended to be a
major clean-up on our part. The owner and Builder are
responsible for protecting the floor up to and after the staining. If
scoring is desired and not done earlier, it can be done on this day. - Day 2 Staining day: The surface is stained, neutralized, scrubbed
and rinsed. - Day 3 Sealing day: Two coats of sealer are applied to give the
surface protection for the remainder of the construction process.
The owner should re-cover the floors with the paper used earlier
on. The same rules of NO tape on the floor still applies.
Once the home is at the point of "after painting" and "pre-trim", we will
return to apply a touch-up coat of sealer and wax the floor. The floor
will most likely get scratched and scuffed during the remaining
construction after the initial staining. This step will revitalize the
floor. Once again, please keep in touch as far out as possible to ensure
you are scheduled for this step at a convenient time.
| Information on Mix, Finishing & Pre-Stain Care |
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