[Greenbuilding] Redoing all floors

Ktot (g) ktottotc at gmail.com
Wed Jul 27 17:05:58 CDT 2011


Re: [Greenbuilding] Redoing all floorsI have been told water-based stain--which was used to get the mottled creative pattern that was intended (without white blooms)--does not sink into the concrete like acid-stain does. Either way, where the stain and sealer have pulled up, there's plain white. It's chalky. Numerous concrete contractors had no idea what that was, telling me my contractor must have done a white layer of stain first, which I knew was not the case. One finally pointed out it's calcium carbonate that chemically reacted to something (the diesel/propane fuel? the exterior stain that was used indoors [as I later found out]?) That makes sense to me as one gets white on the finger when rubbing those areas. The white areas are all white--the stain has completely lifted up. So it does not seem to have gone down into the concrete--unless there is more under the calcium carbonate.

Also I should have mentioned earlier much of the sealer seems to have disappeared. When put down it was very shiny (as it was supposed to remain) but now in many areas there appears to be little or no sealer (this is from work done two months ago), and one contractor commented the sealer is soft (vs. it supposedly the hardest, most durable there is per my contractor who clearly misled me in numerous ways).

Per the sealer tech rep, the sealer does need to be removed whether I go with concrete again or with tile. He seems to lean towards grinding to remove it. Is that the same as the shot blast you mention?
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andrew Pace 
  To: Green Building 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 2:49 PM
  Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Redoing all floors


  Jason...acid etching the concrete won't remove the sealer and paint stripper won't remove the stain.  Acid etching only works when the acid has "access" to the free lime in the concrete.  The sealer...seals it...so this isn't an option.  The stain should be in the concrete and not on top of it, so stripping wont be effective.  The only way to remove the sealer and stain would be to shot blast.  

  Andrew Pace
  Green Design Center® 
  Waukesha, WI




  On 7/27/11 2:36 PM, "Jason Holstine" <jason at amicusgreen.com> wrote:


    Can you etch the concrete to remove the current sealer, strip the stain with paint stripper, let the concrete properly dry and cure, then go back and stain and refinish?

    Also - any concrete will naturally have a certain unpredictability in the finish pattern, with random burnishing and highs and lows of color. So I typically recommend take advantage of that, fly with it, and stain with a creative, random, very cool stain pattern. You won't know what's mistake/old mess-up and what's intentionally part of the pattern.




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