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Interior Design & Decor
Decorate Your Concrete: Ideas for the Do-It-Yourselfer
You can enhance your home’s existing
concrete surfaces using acid stains, water based stains, epoxy
paints, and scoring techniques. If you’re tired of looking at dull
gray concrete, there are some fairly easy projects for the serious
do-it-yourselfer to give your concrete a refreshing new look. Or
perhaps you plan to have some new concrete installed but you don’t
want plain gray concrete. Decorative concrete work costs double to
triple that of regular concrete and many people simply can’t afford
it. There are inexpensive ways to decorate concrete after it has
cured without having to pay skilled tradesmen.
Acid based concrete stains are becoming more and more popular for
coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the
cementitious material to produce permanent color with variegated or
mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural,
elegant looking surface. Acid stains are available in 8-10 different
colors, mainly brown, green, and reddish earth tones. The cost is
normally $60-$70 per gallon which covers 300-400 square feet. A coat
of clear concrete sealer when you’re finished really brings out the
colors and beauty of acid stains.
Water based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains and
are much more user friendly because they’re much less toxic. These
stains don’t chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed
into the surface pores and act like a dye. The big advantage of
water based stains is the wide array of colors available. You can
find just about any color in the spectrum and create a more vibrant
and consistent appearance. They also normally cost about $60-$70 per
gallon which covers 300-400 square feet.
If you want to venture beyond the basic staining of concrete,
consider using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the
surface. You can make your concrete look like a tile floor for
example. It’s up to your imagination. An angle grinder with a 4 inch
grinding or cutting wheel is the ideal tool for this. The important
thing to remember when scoring is to draw the pattern on the
concrete first and make sure you’re satisfied with the way it looks
because scoring is irreversible. Most people don’t own an angle
grinder but you can rent one at almost any tool rental shop.
Epoxy paints make an excellent coating for garage floors and
basement floors. Many commercial floors have epoxy coatings because
of their durability and resistance to chemical spills as well as
their appearance. In recent years, however, it has become very
popular for residential use with an increasing availability of
different colors. This is not a difficult project, but the key to
successful application is surface preparation. Epoxy paints have
also become available in a water based form making it safe for the
do-it-yourselfer and ideal for indoor applications. They cost a
little more than stains. For a 400 square foot garage, you’ll spend
about $200 for the materials needed for this project.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be
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