Frequently Asked Questions
Whether these are frequently asked or just full of answers that are good to know… this page will help answer questions you may know that you had
Q. How long will my decorative concrete last?
A . While concrete is very strong, it is not indestructible and neither is the stain, sealer, or epoxy that was applied. Decorative concrete needs maintenance and you’ll need to determine what kind of maintenance you feel most comfortable with. You can have a fresh coat of stain applied, a refreshing coat of sealer, or a regular wax routine for your interior floor. The time frame between maintenance applications can range from 1-5 years depending on the use that your concrete is receiving. Give me a call or email and I can give you a better range with a better understanding of your concrete.
Q. Can I stain over a sealer?
A. Yes and no, here is why. Stains are not paint, they need to absorb into the surface and if a sealer is present, the sealer will prevent this. Instead, the stain will act like paint in that it will adhere to the sealer and not absorb into the surface. I generally recommend removing a sealer to optimize the adhesion of the stain. The products we use can, in some cases, adhere really well even to sealers. A test application should be performed before approaching a floor. I would only recommend staining over a sealer where there is not much foot traffic. Staining over a sealer on a driveway, for example, would not be a great idea.
Q. How are acid stains and water-based stains different?
A. The short answer is that acid stains react chemically with the concrete and provide a translucent effect allowing aspects of the natural concrete to show through. Although, sometimes you don’t want the natural look of the concrete to show through because it is in bad shape. Water-based stains do not react with the concrete and can be either opaque or transparent. Both absorb into the concrete about the same depth. Acid stains will need to be neutralized and sealed whereas water-based stains do not need to be neutralized and a sealer is optional. Acid stains have a strong odor whereas water-based stains have an odor less than, or equal to, what you’d experience when painting a room.
Q. I used some stain from a big-box store and it’s coming off, what can I do?
A. Unfortunately, stains purchased from a big-box store behave largely like paint and not stain. Additionally, they generally only last a year (not always but usually). One option is to buy their product again and again. Another option is to go through the messy process of removing that coating and applying a true stain like we use. Our products are more durable and are easier to maintain.
Q. How soon can I walk on my finished decorative concrete?
A. When working with stain and/or sealer, you can walk on it within a few hours and sometimes sooner. I’d wait a few days, if possible, before loading your furniture onto it though.
Q. Should I put protective pads underneath my furniture?
A. Yes, I find it helpful to think of your new concrete floor as a hardwood floor. It’s very strong and looks great, but you can’t abuse it. If you drag a heavy piece of furniture with a hard bottom, it’s going to scratch the sealer and/or concrete. I highly recommend felt tip bottoms. Rubber bottoms are not a great choice either, some types of rubber can have negative effects on the stain if left for a long time.
Q. How should I clean my decorative concrete floors?
A. Interior floors can be cleaned with a mild detergent if needed, but generally, warm water is fine. A Swiffer type mop works great. Exterior concrete can be scrubbed with a light to medium brush and water. A light detergent can also be used in conjunction with a brush or a water rinse. Pressure washing can be used but caution should be taken when working with a powerful machine and a tip less than 25 degrees. Avoid bringing the washer’s wand closer than 6 inches. You can scar the concrete if you’re not careful.
Q. What determines your price?
A. A variety of factors play a role. Square footage, a single color or faux finish, vertical or horizontal surfaces, the amount of taping needed to protect other surfaces and whether a sealer is desired. Other factors include extra preparation such as crack filling, excessive drywall mud, oil removal, mastic removal, paint removal, and sealer removal. I do my best to keep things as simple as possible and I’m very upfront with my customers, I have yet to add additional costs to any job after being hired. What I bid upfront is the price you pay in the end.
Q. I saw on your website something about a stain that cools the concrete, what’s that?
A. There are certain minerals that reflect heat. The stain that reflects heat contains ingredients that use those materials which provide natural heat reflective technology. A chocolate brown stained surface will reflect the same amount of heat as a regular unstained (gray) surface. Some lighter tan colors can reduce the temperature up to 50 degrees! Keep in mind that reducing a surface temperature of 150 degrees to 100 degrees still leaves your concrete 100 degrees. It can still be pretty hot but not as hot as it would normally be.
Q. Does it matter how old or new my concrete is?
A. Not really. Concrete needs to be at least 30 days old and there is no age limit after that. The age is less important as is the quality of the concrete. If your concrete is spalling (chipping away), stain or a sealer isn’t going to fix that problem; it will make it look better but the underlying issue will still remain.
Q. Do you have a long waiting list?
A. That really depends on the time of the year. In Utah, outdoor projects shut down when the weather is colder, so warmer months are typically busier. Indoor projects are more popular in the winter months. Let us know what when you really want your project completed and chances are we can make it work. If we can’t, we’d be happy to help you find someone who can meet your time requirement.
Q. Can you provide me references?
A. Absolutely! I think the best option is to point you towards work that is similar to yours so that you can compare apples to apples. Interior jobs can sometimes be tricky due to them being in a home or places of business, but let us know what you’d like to see and we can certainly help.
Q. Do I need to leave the home while you’re working inside?
A. Only if you want to. Our approach is to cause as little interference with your day to day activities as possible. Every now and then it can be a little noisy if I need to grind concrete or do a lot of vacuuming. This noise is nothing too out of the ordinary unless you are especially sensitive. We choose products with low VOCs which means that they aren’t going to knock you on your rear if you stick your nose in the bucket.
Q. I’m only home at night and on weekends, can you come then?
A. Sure! We’ve had customers that were more nocturnal and we did most of work between 9pm and 2am. If weekends work best because you’d like to be home while the work is completed, just let us know, we’re happy to accommodate.
Q. What if I don’t like the end result?
A. The stains we use allow for restarts and we can start over if needed. However, you don’t want that and neither do we. The planning process removes this possibility. We work with each customer to make sure the expectations are clear before we get started. We also work early on to make sure we’re talking the same language when talking about color and style by looking at pictures and examples together. A great part about the work that we do is that we can adjust mid-course if needed. For example, let’s say we’re done and now that you see it, you’d like the floor to be a little darker or have a little more highlight of a certain color. We can adjust on the spot! Keep in mind, we can go darker but not lighter. Going lighter requires going back quite a few steps. I try and get input from the customer along the way so that when we’re done we hear, “WOW!” and not “….oh….”.
Q. Do you offer maintenance plans?
A. Absolutely! This could be a maintenance coat of the same color of stain for a driveway, a thorough pressure wash, another coat of sealer or anything else that is needed. Let us know what you’d like and we’ll let you know how we can help.
Q. What does a sealer do and why is it needed?
A. The stains that we use don’t require the use of a sealer, however, in some cases it can be a good idea. A sealer is like a really hard thin layer of plastic. Sorry to take the magic out of a sealer, but at its core, that is what it is. It bonds to the concrete or coating and adds a protective layer to your concrete in a similar way that a screen protector does for your phone. If you expect heavy wear on your concrete, I’d recommend a sealer. If you want your concrete to maintain a shine, use a sealer. In outdoor applications, I actually prefer the natural look of the concrete to show through and not look so shiny. Plus, instead of maintaining a sealer, you can just clean and stain again (and use less product during those maintenance applications). This allows you the freedom to change colors if you want down the road without having to remove a sealer.