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Decorate your home's existing concrete surfaces
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By Kirk Muhlhauser
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You can enhance your home's existing concrete surfaces usingacid stains, water based stains, epoxy paints, and scoringtechniques. If you're tired of looking at dull gray concrete,there are some fairly easy projects for the seriousdo-it-yourselfer to give your patio, driveway, garage, basementfloor, etc. a refreshing new look. Or perhaps you plan to havesome new concrete installed but you don't want plain grayconcrete. Decorative concrete work costs double to triple thatof regular concrete and many people simply can't afford it.There are inexpensive ways to decorate concrete after it hascured without having to pay skilled tradesmen.
Acid based concrete stains are becoming more and more popularfor coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with thecementitious material to produce permanent color with variegatedor mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in anatural, elegant looking surface. Acid stains are available in8-10 different colors, mainly brown, green, and reddish earthtones. The cost is normally $60-$70 per gallon which covers300-400 square feet. A coat of clear concrete sealer when you'refinished really brings out the colors and beauty of acid stains.
Water based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stainsand are much more user friendly because they're much less toxic.These stains don't chemically react with the concrete; they areabsorbed into the surface pores and act like a dye. The bigadvantage of water based stains is the wide array of colorsavailable. You can find just about any color in the spectrum andcreate a more vibrant and consistent appearance. They alsonormally cost about $60-$70 per gallon which covers 300-400square feet.
If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of concrete,consider using some scoring techniques to create patterns on thesurface. You can make your concrete look like a tile floor forexample. It's up to your imagination. An angle grinder with a 4inch grinding or cutting wheel is the ideal tool for this. Theimportant thing to remember when scoring is to draw the patternon the concrete first and make sure you're satisfied with theway it looks because scoring is irreversible. Most people don'town an angle grinder but you can rent one at almost any toolrental shop. Epoxy paints make an excellent coating for garagefloors and basement floors. Many commercial floors have epoxycoatings because of their durability and resistance to chemicalspills as well as their appearance. In recent years, however, ithas become very popular for residential use with an increasingavailability of different colors. This is not a difficultproject, but the key to successful application is surfacepreparation. Epoxy paints have also become available in a waterbased form making it safe for the do-it-yourselfer and ideal forindoor applications. They cost a little more than stains. For a400 square foot garage, you'll spend about $200 for thematerials needed for this project.
With a little bit of money, time, and imagination, you cancreate a colorful and beautiful new look for your concretesurfaces.
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