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Do It Yourself Concrete Staining: Things to Know Before You Begin

Do it yourself concrete staining is the cheapest and easiest way to enhance the appearance of your concrete surfaces. The alternatives, tearing out existing concrete and replacing with new or decorative overlays, are not recommended for do-it-yourselfers and can be very expensive. But before you begin your staining project there are a few things you need to know.

There are two types of concrete stains to choose from, acid stains and acrylic stains. Acid stains work by chemically reacting with free lime in the surface to produce a natural looking, translucent color. They create a mottled, variegated, multi-hued coloring. Every concrete surface reacts differently to acids stains making each job unique. Acrylic stains are waterborne and have pigments that seep into the pores and adhere to the concrete, therefore creating a more consistent, semi translucent color like that of a dye. Acrylic stains will help mask imperfections and discolorations whereas acid stains actually accentuate them.

For many surfaces, acid and acrylic stains will work equally as well, but which one you choose depends on the look you want. However, there are situations where one type will work better than the other. For older, exterior concrete (more than 15-20 yrs old) acid stains may not work because much of the free lime has leeched away. Acrylic stains are great for old concrete because of its increased porosity over time. Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. If repairs need to be made such as patching pop outs or scaling, then acrylics may be the better choice to help disguise the repairs. Any patching materials will stand out with acid stains. For smooth trowelled interior surfaces with less porosity, acid stains are usually better because they don't require as much penetration to color the concrete.

Before beginning it's also important to have realistic expectations. Staining can turn dull, gray concrete into a beautiful and colorful finish, but it's impossible to know exactly how the finished product will look, especially with acid stains. Every concrete surface is different and so will accept stains differently. The exact same stain will have two different appearances with two different slabs. Even seasoned pros can't predict the exact outcome of a staining job. For this reason, it's not a good idea to try to exactly match the color of concrete to anything else such as brick or siding. There's a very good chance you won't be successful. Instead, choose a complimentary color or shade for your concrete. For instance, if you have light brown siding, then choose a dark brown stain.

The most critical part of staining is preparation. Take time in deciding how you want your concrete to look and getting the surface ready to apply the stain. You get one shot at getting it right unless you want to do a major overhaul to the surface. Do it yourself concrete staining is not a difficult process but does require an honest effort to be satisfied your finished product.

Kirk Muhlhauser offers ideas and instructions for enhancing your home's concrete surfaces. Find information on concrete stains, paints, and sealers at http://www.all-things-concrete.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirk_Muhlhauser

Architectual Concrete Design of the New Epoch

Just few years passed since the new XXI century began, however, they brought us the significant number of new materials and technologies, used now in contemporary house-building. Choosing the appropriate way to design your apartment, house or garden is not easy now taking in consideration the variety of newly appeared technological methods.

Our company accomplished 10-years marketing research. Investigating newly appearing technologies all over the world, our company invented two new unique technologies in the European market of construction materials.

GRAFITO Concrete Technology

Paving slab, facade and decorative slab, footsteps and windowsills, imitation of natural stone- of any tone and form.

What advantages does the GRAFITO Concrete production possess?

1. Durability, the long period of service and low abradability - 0,2-0,3 g/sm3 a year. During the exploitation period the texture of production appears more distinctly on the polished surface, what strengthens the effect of the natural stone.

2.Frost-resistance, freeze-thaw durability up to 350-400 cycles (tested at tо from -70оС to +70оС). Therefore the average exploitation period of production is more than 50 years.

3. Compression is durability 450 kg/sm.2 (the same index of durability is the normative for foundations, substructures or driven piles)
Thus in the case of following the laying instructions, the paving slab will sustain not merely the human-being, but the large-tonnage transport facility.

4. Low water absorbing (4,4% max) The production does not accumulate the moisture, what minimizes the destruction due to the temperature drops. Water-resistance provides the low drainage- and ground- ablation. Such surface will have no pits, holes and puddles.

5. In the contact with water or snow GRAFITO Concrete paving slab is not slippery. We discovered that even perfectly smooth slab surface in the contact with water turns to be shaggy like a rubbery-ball.

6. About the price and quality ratio.
You actually get the marble at the price of concrete.
There is only one competitor production in the market – it is a natural marble with its breaking point, pressure limits and invisible cracks. The cost of marble is 5-7 times higher than the GRAFITO Concrete production. The choice is at your discretion

See pictures with Grafito Concrete ready objects

We also invite you to visit our office in Czech and get acquainted with GRAFITO Concrete production.
Our partners, that got GRAFITO Concrete Technologies, do already produce and sell the slab in the markets of England and Bulgaria, Poland, Czech, Turkey, Morocco and other countries.

GRAFITO Decor Technology

The decorative technology GRAFITO Decor allows to imitate the natural stone and bricks at the external and interior surfaces.

GRAFITO Decor possesses several advantages for contemporary construction and we joyfully introduce them.

1. You may to apply a thin layer of GRAFITO Decor material (0,5-0,7 sm.) coating the walls, floor, fireplace and steps, vault, arch and column, as well as pavement.
2. As the basement may serve the concrete or ceramics, gypsum and foam plastic, wood, iron, plastic and other types of surface.
3. Fire-resistance, refractoriness and insulation.
4. Excellent aesthetic outward appearance and hermiticity.
5. Low specific weight of GRAFITO Decor material (max. 20 kg per m2 – thickness 2 sm.)
6. Coloring the texture of natural stone imitation at your choice.

All these factors say that you may apply GRAFITO Decor Technology at the place you need to use natural stone BUT:

- the basement does not allow to put natural stone
- the stone’s color does not feet the general design
- the basement is the curvilinear surface (like columns, arches, spheres and ceilings

In all such cases GRAFITO Decor perfectly answers your need.
It also is very profitable at finishing the corners (both inward and outward). GRAFITO Decor is used in decoration the pool and along its the perimeter, in cascades and fountains.
If you desire to see the natural stone elements in the architecture design of your home and want to save the funds, GRAFITO Decor is the most optimal decision then.

Here you may see the pictures of the complete objects where GRAFITO Decor was used.

GRAFITO Decor helps to restore Architectural Masterpiece.

Lutheran Saint Paul Cathedral (Odessa, Ukraine) is under reconstruction now.
This significant memorable construction is recognized as the most remarkable Lutheran church. It is honour for us that GRAFITO Decor is widely used in restoration of the oldest Lutheran church in Eastern Europe. GRAFITO Decor Technology allowed finishing the broach spire in short time; with the minimum of costs the original historical view was restored.

In recent past, the deterioration of the building reached up to 80%. The outhouse, next to the church building, was destroyed in fire and rebuild then of bricks, while the main building is build of shell rocks.

To save the historical view of the church, The GRANILIT Company prepared the special polyurethane forms that reflect the original historical stone-work of an organ hall and the main church building. That served to restore the original appearance of facade bringing back the historical colors and texture of the surface. Coloring advantages of GRAFITO Decor Technology let to join the whole architectural complex of several buildings, old and new in one unit.

GRANILIT Company is proud of its participation in restoration of the significant historical building. Among many materials and technologies, GRAFITO Decor particularly was chosen to restore the interior and outward facade and the accomplished work, revealing GRAFITO Decor unique advantages, did prove its worth!

Reference.

The building of Odessa Lutheran Church was built in 1897 in classic style. In 1938 under Stalin regime the church was closed and the church building served as a gym and a storage place. In 1996 church was returned to Lutheran Church. From 2004 local community began the restoration of the church in partnership with Lutheran Church of Bavaria.

Source here and here

GRAFITO – turning your house into a Masterpiece

Various medieval elements are peculiar to architectural design now. House-castle, high steeples, moss-covered walls, forged gates and other – such ancient elements are common things in modern design. At the same time, if you want to build the house in medieval times manner or to impart the ancient effect to the walls, ceilings and floor – it does not require high expenses.

Modern buildings facade coating does not ask the same tremendous efforts and hand work that our ancestors made, erecting buildings-masterpieces. Today you may get the same aesthetical results much easier and quicker, using the concrete stone. Concrete Stone Technology wonderfully imitates the natural stone. It is the same long-lived durable, though is much cheaper than the natural stone used in restoration works.

GRAFITO Decor is the technology of decorative plastering that in results gives imitation of natural stone or stone-work on any surface (wall, interior part, etc.) At that the real facing stone and facing bricks is not required. To have the natural stone effect you just need to lay the decorative plastering (from 6 mm. to 10 sm. thick) and to impart the needed relief and texture then.

Decorative plastering GRAFITO Decor put on the vertical surface even at the 8 sm. thick does not stream down. Thus you may form the texture the way you need, the stones will be on the walls, floor or ceiling according the design. At that you avoid the expenses of the natural stones; you do not spend time choosing the right place where the rock should be placed and the ornaments of final stonework fits the general design. Your stone-wall can be raised easily and with the minimum of efforts.

Unique characteristics of GRAFITO Décor plastering makes it right material both for the restoration work and a façade finishing. You may use whenever it is need: instead of paving slab, forming you park-design, raising and decorating the defence, in the pool décor. It is good also at the coating, making you building warmer.

Contact to Consultant

Its interesting

Several GRAFITO Trainings Seminars took place in our Czech training centre in the end of 2008. All the participants got the certificates and right to work according GRAFITO Technologies.

Now they may offer the high-quality production that imitates the natural stone and bricks at low costs. This is the first supply of such type in the market of construction materials.

The same GRAFITO Trainings Seminars took place in the CIS countries.

From our trainings calendar you may learn when and where you may attend the next seminar.