Decorative concrete

De BISAWiki

The actual transformation of concrete into decorative concrete is achieved by using a variety of materials which may be applied during the pouring process or following the concrete is cured, these materials and/or systems include but aren't limited to stamped concrete, acidity staining, decorative overlays, polished cement, concrete countertops, vertical overlays and much more.

Types

Stamped Concrete

Concrete chemical dyes

Acid Staining

Water Based Discoloration

Overlaying

Polymer cement overlays

Stamped overlays

Epoxy layer

Polishing

Engraving

Form liner

Placed Concrete

Stamped Concrete is the procedure of adding texture and color to concrete to create it resemble stone, brick, standing, cobblestone and many other products present in nature including wood, fossils, shells and much more. This limitless array of possibilities coupled with great durability and lower price than natural products makes Stamped Concrete a simple choice for new construction as well as renovation projects.

The installation includes pressing molds into the concrete as the concrete is still in it's plastic state. Color is achieved by utilizing Dry Shakes or Color Hardeners, Natural powder or Liquid Releases, Integral Colours or Acid Stains. All these items may be combined to create much more intricate designs.

Stamped Concrete can be utilized on driveways, patios, commercial roads and parking lots as well as interior floors. Stamped concrete is really a desirable finish to concrete places, however with time and wear the colour dyes fade and the area looks patchy and unpresentable. There are lots of re-coloring options which can completely restore and rejuvenate the colour and presentation of faded placed concrete.

Concrete dyes

Concrete ‘‘dyes" take many various forms and compositions and may be used on both residential and industrial concrete applications, including sound/retaining wall space, bridges, countertops, floors, etc.

Early concrete dyes consisted of generic printing inks which were dissolved in mild solutions of alcohol and put on concrete surfaces to add several color to plain gray cement. When alcohol-based dyes are subjected to sunlight, the color either lightens or even fades out completely. Therefore, alcohol-based dyes were more predominant in interior applications where sunlight or other forms of ultraviolet (UV) lighting wasn't present.

Manufacturers later began dissolving exactly the same printing inks in different service providers, such as acetone, lacquer thinner along with other solvents, hoping to achieve elevated penetration levels. In addition, UV inhibiting agents were put into new dyes to help using the UV instability issues. However, slight fading (5-8% per year) still occurs once the dye is exposed to sunlight.

Colored concrete can be from many ready mix concrete companies and several have color charts available.

Acidity Staining

Acid staining is not really a dyeing or pigment-base coloring techniques, but a chemical reaction. A combination of water, mineral salts and a small amount of muratic acid is put on the concrete surface. This chemical reaction using the existing minerals (primarily lime) within the concrete over a period of 1 to four hours creates new earth tone colors about the concrete surface. The concrete surface is later scrubbed to get rid of excess stain and neutralized with a basic solution of ammonia as well as water or baking soda (less prone to cause whiting later) to help enhance the ph level back to regular level. Due to inconsistencies within the surface level of concrete ground, acid staining creates a variegated or mottled appearance that's unique to each slab. The colour penetration ranges from 1/16 to 1/32 of the inch. Older exterior concrete surfaces may not color in addition to interior surfaces because the atmosphere has leached or percolated away the mineral content. As nicely, any exposed aggregate (rocks) in worn concrete won't accept staining.

Chemicals commonly utilized in acid staining include Hydrochloric acidity, Iron chloride and Sodium bicarbonate.

Drinking water Based Staining

Water Based Stains act like acid based stains in the sense that certain can still achieve a translucent seem like acid; some stains are in a position to achieve an opaque color and/or the translucent effect. The main difference is that acid stains respond to the concrete and change the physical constitute of the concrete material, whereas water based stains tend to be more of a ‘‘coating" that bonds using the concrete. There are many variations of water based stains which have come into the decorative concrete industry that perform in many different ways. Some are polymer bonded based, acrylic and epoxy.

Overlaying

Concrete overlays date to the actual 1960s when chemical engineers from a few of the larger, well known chemical companies started to experiment with acrylic paint resins because modifiers for cement and fine sand mixes. The result was a thin cementitious topping material that could adhere to concrete surfaces and supply a newly resurfaced coating to revive the worn surface. Concrete overlays lacked the long run performance characteristics of acrylic resins. Polymer resins provided good UV opposition, but lacked long term drinking water resistance and adhesion characteristics required to provide a long term as well as permanent solution.

Polymer cement overlays

Polymer bonded cement overlays, consisting of a proprietary mixture of Portland cements, various aggregates as well as polymer resins, were introduced over two decades ago. The purpose of adding a polymer resin towards the cement and aggregate is to greatly boost the performance characteristics and versatility associated with conventional cements, mortars and cement materials. Unlike conventional cement as well as concrete mixes, polymer cement overlays could be applied thinly or thickly without concern with delamination or typical product failing. In addition, polymer cement overlays are a lot more resistant to damage from sodium, petrochemicals, UV, harsh weather problems and traffic wearing.

Originally meant for use as a thin area restoration material for concrete substrates, polymer cement overlays were introduced to the architectural concrete and commercial flooring industries within the early 80s. Subsequently, its use within these industries has become regular. Polymer cement overlays are thought to be economical in providing long phrase, durable renovation without the requirement for costly and continuous repairs related to deteriorating concrete surfaces.

Polymer cement overlays are utilized for interior and exterior applications which range from:

Skim coat/broom finish concrete resurfacing - Recover and protect damaged, pitted, flaking and stained concrete to the look of a brand new concrete surface.

Concrete regrading & leveling - Restore and level concrete surfaces which have settled.

Existing substrate redecorating and renovating - Alter the look of existing concrete or wooden substrates through applying ‘‘thin stamped" or even ‘‘thin stained" overlays, creating brand new textures, colors and designs. With regard to use on commercial or citizen pool deck, this frequently takes the shape of ‘‘splatter textures" or ‘‘knockdowns, " by which polymer cement is applied towards the existing concrete substrate in the moderately textured finish (average of 1/8" thickness) in a variety of patterns. Often, the texture is knocked down having a trowel to slightly modify the look and feel of the completed application.

Stamped overlays

Rubber imprinting tools (stamps) tend to be impressed into thin pre-mixed concrete overlay material soon after it is placed to produce natural stone or brick textures. These rubber imprinting tools are produced from molds created from authentic rock or wood. Release agents are utilized to help release the stamps in the concrete without sticking. Release agents come in whether liquid or powder form and are available in an array of colors.

Epoxy coating

Applied more than acid stained, dyes and/or overlays in order to seal and protect. Some epoxies will also be colored.

Polishing

Concrete can end up being polished with Mechanical grinders as well as diamond pads of increasing resolution sizes. Diamond pads come in several grit or mesh sizes. Common sizes start with 6 grit and can move up to 8500 grit although cement can only maintain a shine around 800 grit, it can be helped with the addition of a concrete hardener such because sodium silicate or lithium silicate that will allow concrete to hold the 1800 through 3000 grit sparkle. The work is accomplished within multiple stages by passing within the concrete with successive grit diamond pads until it's a hard-glassy finish. Both acid stains and concrete dyes may be used during the polishing process.

Engraving

Existing concrete could be remodeled by cutting lines as well as grooves into its surface. Geometric designs, straight or curved lines and custom designs could be cut directly into the top of concrete creating the look associated with tile, flagstone, cobblestone and a number of other common surface patterns. This is generally achieved using tools like a good angle grinder fitted with gemstone blades, but is more effectively achieved using specialty tools designed especially for cutting designs into the cement.

Form liner

Concrete can additionally be cast into unique as well as detailed designs using urethane type liner. These projects can be seen around america and the world, usually upon sound/retaining walls, building exteriors, as well as bridges.

Generally, this process starts using the sculptor, who creates the design to become used in the concrete utilizing clay, polyurethane or wax. Once the original art is complete, a cast is created using synthetic liquid rubber, and out of this cast, form liners are manufactured in the reverse image of the initial.

The form liner then acts like a mold for the concrete to become formed against. Once the concrete is placed, the form liner is stripped in the hardened concrete surface. The concrete is permanently textured using the pattern of the form lining.

http://sealallpavement.com/