Re: Innovative stuff
From: Kay Argyle (argylemines.utah.edu)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:17:05 -0600 (MDT)
> ============
> Several homeowners have used concrete floors, with radiant heat in them. 
> One used an acid-wash technique which was a lot of work, but gave a 
> beautiful mottled orange-brown finish. 
> ===============

Wasatch Commons also has concrete floors in all units, with either
open-loop radiant heat or forced-air (gas in either case).  I would
estimate at least half of the households chose radiant heat, and a few
changed it to closed-loop (which the contractor had recommended) and
programmable thermostats.

Temperature swings are extremely slow with radiant-heat.  To have it warm
by 8 a.m. I set the thermostat for 5:30.  The heat isn't quite even -- the
floor will be toasty warm one place and one step away it will be cool (only
noticeable if you are actually in contact with it, barefoot or sitting on
the floor).

The low-income (rental) units got stuck with forced-air and have requested
some type of flooring (vinyl and/or carpet) over the concrete.

Four household have installed Pergo (or similar) wood flooring over the
concrete.

Concrete stain was likewise an option.  A few households had the contractor
do it, some had the contractor seal the concrete uncolored, and perhaps
half a dozen (including us) requested their concrete left unsealed in order
to stain it themselves.  "A lot of work" is an understatement.

The concrete must be scrubbed with concrete detergent (and scrubbed and
scrubbed) until the wash water is clear.  Any concrete dust or gypsum dust
left on the concrete will absorb the stain before it gets to the floor.  We
rented a power scrubber -- looks sort of like a vacuum cleaner, with a
rotating scrubbing pad maybe two feet wide on the bottom and handlebars at
the top to hold onto.

Let it dry totally (a day or more).  Tape paper or plastic to cover the
walls several feet high.  Put on clothing you don't mind being permanently
stained and shoes you don't mind throwing away, heavy rubber gloves,
goggles, and a chemical respirator.  (We used thick socks and multiple
layers of grocery bags tied over our feet, instead of shoes, and avoided a
problem that another household had with boot treads leaving permanent
patterns.) 

Spray stain on a couple of square feet, and scrub like crazy (either with a
brush on a long handle or with a hand brush -- you'll want knee pads) until
it quits foaming.  We used a hand-pressurized  pump sprayer like for garden
spraying.  The sprayer should be all plastic; the stain will eat any metal
parts.  We went throught about three sprayers.

Spray and scrub the entire floor.  I recommend taking ibuprofen (Motrin,
Nuprin etc.) before you start and a long hot bath at the end of the day.

Let it dry twelve to twenty-four hours and scrub it off with concrete
detergent and a string mop until the wash water is clear.  Actually, we
gave up when the wash water was no longer solid orange, about the fifth or
sixth mopping.  You'll want a commercial mop bucket, with wheels and a
wringer.   Let the floor dry thoroughly.

You can't use the power scrubber for scrubbing excess stain off, and the
wash water cannot be poured down the drain because it'll eat your pipes, or
into your yard because it'll kill the plants.  We trundled the mop bucket
down the path and poured it in a spot where a brick walkway was planned so
we didn't _want_ anything growing there.  The sidewalk has splash stains on
it.  Plan on throwing away the string mop after you're finished; it'll be
pretty threadbare.

Spray stain a second time, scrub it in, let it dry, scrub it off.  If it
isn't dark enough to suit you yet, do it all again.

The stain damaged our baseboards -- it bubbled the paint where it managed
to seep through, or up beneath, the masking tape and paper.

Spray or paint concrete sealant on.  We used three coats, and still get
dark speckles (indicating water is soaking into the concrete) when we spill
something.  We used a higher gloss sealant (Jasco Cure-Seal) than most of
the other households.  The floor glows when the sun hits it.

The final effect is somewhat like stone or leather.  Variations in the
concrete will show, your spray patterns will show, your scrubbing patterns
will show, foot- and hand-prints will show.

The stain comes in a dozen colors, mostly shades of brown:  amber, terra
cotta, walnut, black, etc., also fern green and aqua.  Some colors are
easier to apply than others (it takes fewer coats or less scrubbing to get
the intensity you want).  We used about six gallons on "Antique Amber" for
about 800 sq ft.  I think a five-gallon bucket was about $300.  By the time
we were through, we understood why the contractor was charging $2,000.

Kay Argyle
Wasatch Commons
SLC

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