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This dragon-tail restaurant floor was created with
Butterfield Elements Water- based Stains, including Cordovan
Leather for the floor and Verdigris for the dragon tail.
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It's imperative that you don't seal too quickly, Sargent
says, or you'll just capture the moisture. "Just because
it feels dry doesn't mean it is dry."
On new construction, make sure the surface is protected
from the likes of electricians or plumbers, says Justin Brazie,
product manager for H&C Concrete Coatings. "The
other trades disrespect the floor because they think it's
going to be covered up. You need to get with the general
contractor and make sure he tells the other trades that it's
not going to be."
For stains to stick, he explains, the concrete has to be
bare. "Even if someone spills pop on the floor and wipes
it up, when you come in and spray that spill will jump out
at you." The same goes for pencil marks, chalk, burn
marks or even silicone spray.
"If a floor is too beat up," Brazie adds, "you
can always throw down an overlay. But that will make the job
more involved."
According to Sullivan, three key factors need to come together
for a successful staining job: porosity, penetration and adhesion. "The
surface needs to be porous or there's nowhere for the stain
to go. If it's troweled too tight or the surface is contaminated,
there is no penetration. The stain just sits on the surface.
And if there's no penetration, you won't get any adhesion."
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