How To Use the Decorative Concrete Kit
Decorative Concrete Floors, featuring Colormaker brand products, the world's premiere
Decorative concrete floor coatings overlay system. Harder than conventional
concrete, clean, mildew, mold, water and fire resistant, sandstone texture.
Unlimited colors, every floor will be unique. Floors can be simply colored with
a powdered pigment added to mix or topical application of cement stains and concrete dyes.
Floors are finished and protected with non hazardous concrete sealers.
Before you begin, be sure to watch the video that came with your kit and read the instructions.
Tools needed.
- Tarp – for mixing area, 5’ x 7’ is ideal
- Rags
- Blue Tape
- Plastic – wall protection
- Broom
- Vacuum – for dirt in edges
- Knee Pads
- Drill
- Mixing Paddle
- 2 - Five Gallon plastic buckets
- Pump Sprayer - Garden Style
- Mix N Measure Bucket – 2.3 liter or 4.6 liter, available at most hardware or paint stores
- Palm Sander – Optional, with 100 grit sand paper
The Process
Color & Floor Size: Pick
your color and measure your floor (length X width = square feet), order your
kit. Always order enough product. If the floor is smooth and you apply decorative
concrete floor coatings product thin enough you may get up to 220
square feet with the first coat. The Fine coat or second coat typically goes
further and is easier to apply.
For Weekend or 3 Day project. (project will require 4 days with application of cement stains and dyes)
Day 1 – clean and prime floor
Friday late afternoon
Plan for Friday
1) Set up mixing station
2) Apply CP1000 to floor
Set up mixing station, get organized.
Lay out canvas.
Lay out all tools and products.
Sweep floor: Every step of the
process should follow the same pattern. Start with sweeping to clean floor of
dirt, sand or grit.
For example, start at left rear corner of your floor, work to the right, then
step back and work to left. When you get to the wall, step back and work right
and so on.
This establishes your system. Every step from sweeping to applying primer, application of Sgraffino concrete coats through finish coat should follow
the same pattern. Following the system will free your mind from stress and keep
everything organized. Don't overthink
the process... follow the steps. We've made the mistakes so that you don't have
to.
CP1000 primer/hardener: takes 15-30 minutes.
Fill pump sprayer 3/4 full with CP1000 and pump about 20 times. Adjust tip
nozzle to get a fine mist spray.
Follow the pattern you've established from sweeping step. Start spraying CP1000
onto floor. Using the provided mop (you can use a broom, but watch for loose
bristles that can dry in CP1000) even out the sprayed CP1000. You may want to
spray the mop
and get it wet so it moves along floor easier.
Apply a generous amount but do not let it pool. Let dry overnight. CP1000 gets
sticky so try not to walk on it. To avoid sprayer from clogging
fill sprayer with water, pump and
spray water through nozzle until clean.
This is an important step, apply the night before and
then a second coat in the morning. This ensures an incredible bond for Sgraffino Concrete Overlay.
Saturday (Day 2) – apply concrete skim coats
Plan for the day
1) Plan strategy
- work 200 square foot sections at a time
- Break down to four 50 foot sections
- Apply 1/4 of bucket at a time (7' x 7' area)
2) Apply CP1000 and let dry, takes about an hour
3) Apply Sgraffino Regular let dry 5 hours (you can
let dry overnight before next step) You can use a palm sander with 100 grit
sandpaper to even out before next coat.
4) Apply Sgraffino Fine, let dry overnight
5) Clean Up
Morning: reapply CP1000
primer/hardener at let's say 7:00 a.m. Allow to dry
(approximately 1 hour). Brush out any pooled areas. Do Not
move to next step until CP1000 is dry.
Get Organized with the following:
5 Gallon Buckets - fill one with clean water, one for mixing, side by side
Drill and mixing paddle
Knee pads
Magic Trowel
Put rag in your pocket
Sgraffino Regular
CP1000 & measuring bucket
Colorfast and measuring cup
Mixing
Pour CP1000 primer/hardener to fill line in measuring bucket, then pour into 5
gallon bucket.
Add Colorfast powder approximately 3/4 cup for consistant
color, spin with mixing paddle for 10 seconds.
Turn Sgraffino bucket over and loosen product
before opening, product settles in bucket and can come out all at once landing
in CP 1000, making a big splash, mess and possibly ruining proper ration of CP
1000 to mix. Then add Sgraffino (Regular
grade) 1/3rd at a time to CP1000 and mix for 30 seconds until entire Sgraffino bucket has been mixed.
TIP: Add 1/3 Sgraffino to CP1000, mix for 30 seconds, add next 1/3, mix
for 30 seconds, add final 1/3 and mix for 3 minutes until a nice thin liquid
like pancake mix. Use Magic Trowel to scrape off any dry Sgraffino
from inside of bucket and add to mix.
After mixing put mixing paddle in water bucket and a quick spin
to clean.
Do not mix in sun and do not leave bucket in sun. Keep rag in pocket
and keep a few rags handy by mixing buckets to clean magic trowel in between
buckets.
Coverage and Application: Your mixed bucket will cover 200
square feet give or take a little. Rough floors less, smooth
floors more.
Work in 200 square foot
sections applying about 50 sq. ft. at a time pouring about 1/4 of bucket to
floor.
Follow your system, start in a far corner and work to finish thru doorway just
like you did when sweeping and applying CP1000.
Don't get stuck in the wrong place.
CP1000 must be dry before starting next step.
When pouring Sgraffino onto
Floor: first pour about a 24 - 36 inch diameter amount and using the
Magic Trowel work into your first corner. You can use both sides of the
Magic Trowel (see Magic Trowel Tips at end) to move product. Keep
Sgraffino thin on floor.
Then pour approximately 1/4 of bucket of Sgraffino on
floor.
This amount must cover approximately 50 square feet or a 7' x 7' area, so think
about your area before pouring on floor.
Keeping in mind your
strategy and system will force you to achieve proper coverage and application.
For example, since Sgraffino is based on 200 square
feet of coverage per bucket, look at your floor and work in 200 square foot
areas.
Then break down that area into four 50 square foot overlapping areas. Apply
product in random directions within your 50 sq. ft. area. We do not want the
floor to look like a windshield wiper pattern.
Pouring 24 -36
inch diameter amount or 50 square feet of product at a time
will force you to apply correctly. Follow your system. If you have a
400 square foot floor you will use 2 buckets of Sgraffino
which results in eight 50 square foot areas. Mix only 1 bucket at a time. When
bucket is finished and product applied, clean Magic Trowel in water bucket and
mix another bucket.
Second Coat - Sgraffino Fine: Let
1st coat dry for 5 hours and repeat previous step using Sgraffino
Fine and let dry overnight. You can apply the Sgraffino
Fine coat the next day if short on time.
The Fine grade of Sgraffino will even and smooth out
your first coat. Sgraffino Fine goes down nice and
easy.
Clean Up
Put away tools not needed. Unless doing an advanced application with dyes or
stains the next day, the only tools and product on your canvas should be Deco
Seal, Accelerator Finish Coat, Pump Sprayer and Microfiber
Mop.
Sunday (Day 3) Final step application of
concrete sealers
Plan for Day
TIP – Many professional applicators will use a
palm sander very lightly sanding entire floor before applying dyes, stains or
sealers. Provides a polished floor look. Process goes
quickly.
Staining or Dye applications
If applying cement stains or concrete dyes, dying floor this is
the time but let stains and dyes cure overnight before applying concrete sealers,
making concrete floor sealer application
day 4.
Acid stains can be unpredictable on concrete overlays. Sometimes they create
too much variation. It is advisable to order Someru
water based dyes to apply over acid stains settling down acid stain variation.
Final Touchup and Application of Concrete Sealers
Sand any high spots or drips that
hardened with a palm sander using 100- grit sandpaper
2) Apply Intersealer seal coat
3) Apply Accelerator Finish Coat
Seal & Finish Coats: Sunday morning apply water based seal
coats (Intersealer) with pump sprayer. Spray light
fine mist. Let dry and spray second coat. Let dry 1 hour before applying
Accelerator finish coats
Accelerator: Apply first coat of
Accelerator. Accelerator is a 30% solids finish coat and may need to be poured
directly to floor. Because of the high solids and thickness it usually will not
work in a pump sprayer.
Work microfiber mop in a figure 8 motion. This is an
exciting step. The Accelerator Finish Coat will give your floor a beautiful
finish. Accelerator will dry quickly, within about 1 hour.
When dry apply second and final coat.
Accelerator Finish Coat is 30% solids and a heavy coat. It may not work
through pump sprayer and may need to be poured directly to floor.
Let dry overnight. Light foot traffic is fine the next day, 3-4 days for heavy
traffic, furniture etc.
Buffing: For high gloss
polished finish use a high speed burnisher the next
day, available at most tool rental stores (takes about 15 minutes for a 500
square foot floor). Electric burnishers are 110 volt
and plug into most home outlets. They are 1500-2000 rpm. Use with a brown hogs
hair pad. For subsequent burnishings use a champagne
pad or other soft pad.
Maintenance
For low traffic floors apply accelerator 1-2 times per year with Microfiber Mop. For high traffic floors like restaurants or
retail floors apply monthly or bi-monthly. Maintenance is quick, simple, inexpensive and will protect the floor for years. Floor can
be cleaned with water and a light cleaner, vacuumed or dry mopped.
Magic Trowel
Application Tips
The Magic Trowel is a unique tool, lightweight, user friendly and 18 inch wide.
They do come in varying widths from 12" to 28". The 18" tool is great
for decorative 
concrete floor coatings under 1000
square feet. The rubber edge works like a windshield wiper blade.Think
of it as your concrete paint brush.
We use it for spreading a very thin layer of Sgraffino
over concrete floors.
Before starting, pick up the Magic Trowel and get a feel of it. Imagine working
it over a surface holding it just with your fingers and using a lot of wrist
action.
You don't want to grab it like a hammer, it's more of
an artistic tool. Try holding it with the end of the handle in the palm of your
hand and the tips of your fingers on the black area above the rubber blade. You
will change the way you hold it many times during application.
When you pour that 3/4 bucket of product on your floor move it all over putting
pressure on the Magic Trowel to move around a lot of product. Cover lots of
area, then come back and pull that excess product to other areas. Sometimes use
sweeping strokes with pressure, then you may want to switch in stride to light
random strokes. Sgraffino develops a slight sandstone
finish and natural mottling. As a result you want to make sure that you work Sgraffino in random directions with your Magic Trowel
within each area of your floor. We want to avoid a windshield wiper look on
your floor.
It's more like working a ping pong paddle than a tennis racket. Be relaxed and
loose.
Work from a dry area to a wet area getting drips and marks off your wet Sgraffino. Don't reach out and over your wet Sgraffino to smooth a high spot or drip. Start from a dry
area, go over your thin wet Sgraffino and smooth out
those drips and high spots bringing the Magic Trowelback
to your dry area. Give it a light wiggle action if needed.
When working edges use the back side of the Magic Trowel to
move a pool of Sgraffino to within an inch of the
wall then use the other side to "paint" that spot at the edge.
You can dip an edge of the trowel into Sgraffino and
drip onto a missed spot. Then use the Magic Trowel like part trowel, part paint
brush to fill in
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