Concrete Craft of Lincoln

Although concrete stain is permanent and won't flake off like paint, it penetrates only the top layer of the concrete surface and will eventually wear away as the surface is worn by traffic or weather exposure. To prolong stain life, you should protect exterior stained concrete surfaces with a clear sealer and interior floors with a good floor wax. To keep your stained concrete looking its best, you will also need to clean it periodically by dry dust mopping and occasional wet mopping with a neutral-pH cleaner.

Because stains penetrate into the concrete surface, their color is durable and long-lasting. When applied to properly prepared concrete, the color will not fade, chip, or peel away.

The cost of staining will vary considerably depending on the complexity of the stain application, surface prep requirements, and the size of the project.

Acid-based concrete stains are made up of inorganic metallic salts dissolved in an acid and water solution. They penetrate into the surface and react chemically with the concrete to form a permanent bond. The color they impart is translucent rather than opaque, resulting in deep, rich tones and attractive marbling effects. Non-reactive water-based stains (typically a blend of acrylic polymers and pigments) fill the pores of the concrete surface to produce a colored film or coating to give a vibrant translucent finish. The key difference is that no chemical reaction takes place, so the color is more consistent. These products are also low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and safer to apply because they are free of solvents and acids.

Depending on the color and application techniques used, stained concrete can be applied to achieve almost any look you desire; it can provide a lot of color/texture variation, have a consistent monochromatic design or anything in between.

Color choice is often dictated by personal preference or by a desire to match or complement an existing color scheme, such as staining a concrete floor to mirror the same tones as a paint color on a wall, or the stone on a fireplace. Because stain color is permanent, many homeowners opt for neutral tones, such as golden-tans, browns, grays and greens.

Concrete Craft offers several vibrant stain colors to choose from. The options are only limited by your imagination.

Both acid and water-based stains can be applied to new or old and plain or integrally-colored concrete. They can also be used both indoors and out, on everything from concrete floors to pool decks, patios and driveways. The most important consideration is the condition of the surface. If the concrete is covered by grime, glues, paint, coatings, curing membranes or sealers that inhibit the stain from soaking in, the stain won't be able to penetrate and achieve full color development. This is when it may be necessary to install a Concrete Craft Micro-Topping to recreate the surface in order to accept the stain.

Stained concrete appeals to many people who want to achieve unique decorative effects for a reasonable cost. Stain can be used to create an infinite array of colors and special effects on both interior and exterior surfaces. Concrete stain does more than simply add color. Rather than produce a solid, opaque effect like paint or colored coatings, stains permeate the concrete to infuse it with rich, deep, translucent tones. Some stain verbiage will use adjectives such as "antiqued," "variegated," or "mottled" to describe the distinctive look. Even when treated with the same staining product in the same shade, no two concrete floors or walls will look alike due to factors such as the composition and age of the concrete and surface porosity.

This is the beauty of a decorative concrete surface. Sweep and wash surfaces as needed to avoid dirt buildup by simply scrubbing with a medium bristle deck brush and hosing it off. Exterior surfaces can also be pressure washed with a mild detergent. We recommend it be resealed every 18-24 months.

Our decorative concrete system is from 1/4 inch – 3/8 inch.

We can address this in a couple of ways. One is to incorporate the cracks into the design, which we will do where applicable. This is important because as good as our crack repair system is, a crack can still show back through the overlay at some point. In other situations, we will fix the crack with a flexible coating to try to prevent the crack from reappearing.

Since our decorative concrete system is customized, it allows us to work with each customer on a truly unique design with unlimited patterns and colors.

As flexible as our polymer is, ultimately it is only as good as the concrete on which it is installed. So, if the existing concrete cracks, it is possible for it to crack through our decorative concrete overlay system. What is important is that our polymers are moisture-resistant so the crack will not affect the integrity of our overlay.

Polymer Modified Decorative Concrete Overlays are designed to resurface structurally-sound concrete. Our products are designed to be used for exterior, interior, residential and commercial applications.

Concrete Craft’s Polymer Modified Overlays have been created utilizing the best components in the industry. Our manufacturing process has been successfully applied across the country. We start with a unique rubberized polymer which allows our overlay to not only be flexible, but to cure to compression strength just under 5000 psi. It is mixed with a unique water-phase, elastomeric resin composition incorporating resins, cement, cement modifiers, fibers, polymers, and aggregates. It is then applied over a concentrated bonding primer for added adhesion.

Yes, you can drive on stamped concrete. We recommend waiting three to seven days of cure time after new concrete is placed before vehicles are allowed to drive on it.

Yes, under certain circumstances it will require us to cap or pour over existing concrete.

Our standard slab is a minimum of four inches. Some situations will require us to pour six inches of concrete, and this would be discussed before the project takes place.

We do everything possible by industry standards, to prevent cracks. This includes the proper sub-grade preparation to cutting the control joints in the correct locations. We cannot guarantee that a crack will not form over time, but the durability as compared to other alternatives is incredible.

Reduced long-term maintenance and care, increased longevity, and increased property value.

Concrete Craft utilizes the finest pigments available, in most instances integrally coloring the entire slab. This process allows for better color longevity and minimal fading. In conjunction with our sealers, it will provide many years of low maintenance.

Stamped concrete can be installed in patios, pool decks, driveway, walkways, courtyards, entranceways and most residential and commercial locations.