SuccessCrete Dye Concrete Floor

Ways to achieve a coloured concrete floor

SuccessCrete Coloured concrete floors are attractive and distinctive and can significantly improve a building’s appearance and reinforce the company’s branding. But what are the options for colouring an internal concrete floor?

 

Paint it

Concrete floor paints are available on the market, some of which are marked for industrial use. However, preparation is vital – if the concrete slab is not porous enough, the paint may flake off once the floor is brought into use. Also, if you want to colour a larger area, such as an industrial floor or warehouse, painting may be very time-consuming, costly, and labour-intensive. Painting is probably best suited to a small area with light traffic only.

 

Stain it

SuccessCrete Acid Stain form a chemical reaction within the concrete to create permanent colour effects on the surface. You can stain the concrete even if it’s been in situ for a while. You can also create patterns and variety by staining different areas of the floor in different colors. SuccessCrete Acid based Stain offer fewer colour choices than water-based Acid Stain, and the nature of the process means that the results may vary from one floor to another. Success Crete Acid Stain also tend to produce translucent results, which may mean that stains on the floor will still show through. Water-based colors can be more solid.

 

Dye it

SuccessCrete Dye Concrete also provide permanent color and are usually water-based or solvent-based. They colour the concrete by permeating it into the surface, not through a chemical reaction, and the results may be translucent with water-based dyes.

 

Add a tinted sealer

A tinted sealer adds a wash of color over the concrete while sealing the surface. Solvent-based sealers give a more solid finish than water-based ones. A tinted sealer may be appealing if a large area needs to be treated with one color; or if an existing color needs to be enhanced. Note that water-based sealants may not work well when applied with a sprayer, as the paint and water can separate. It’s not a permanent solution, as the floor will probably need to be resealed after some time due to normal wear and tear.

 

Colour all the concrete

This method is mainly applicable to new concrete floors or major surfacing of existing slabs. Adding a pigment to the concrete mix colors the entire batch. This means that the concrete will be coloured throughout its depth rather than just near the surface. Although good for creating large blocks of solid colour, the major issue is cost – this is typically an expensive way to achieve a coloured concrete floor. To use different colours in different areas of the floor would require different colored concrete mixes. It has to be queried why several concrete centimeters below the surface need to be coloured when it will never be seen.

 

It should be noted that none of these four coloring methods improves the durability or lifespan of the floor or protects the concrete from impact or abrasion damage. They simply add color.

 

Apply a resin coating system

This is an option for both new and existing floors. Resin coating systems add striking color and shine to industrial, commercial, and residential floors and can be used to create decorative patterns too. They are chosen when the surface needs to be highly durable and easy to clean. The system’s liquid components are mixed and applied to the slab, where they are set to form a hard polymer surface, and the surface may be built up in two or three different structural layers on top of the concrete base. For existing floors, preparation is key to ensuring a good result – the surface needs to be clean and permeable enough to accept the resin coating. It may take several days to create the resin floor, as the layers need to cure in any scenario. Time and cost should therefore be taken into account. If you are considering a resin floor, we recommend you peruse resin flooring systems.

 

SuccessCrete Stained Concrete floors are popular because of the fantastic color transformations it provides, but dyed concrete floors deserve equal praise. These underrated coloring agents can achieve vibrant tones simply not possible with stains alone.

WHAT IS SUCCESS CRETE CONCRETE DYE?

There is an argument about which concrete type is the best between Stained Concrete and Dye Concrete. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but we are going to focus on SuccessCrete Dye Concrete. With SuccessCrete Dye Concrete, they contain very fine color pigments which are smaller than stains. They are similar to ink. Because of this, they can easily penetrate into tight concrete. Most dyes used for this are water-based, but some solvent-based dyes are usually done with acetone or alcohol.

SuccessCrete Concrete dyes are translucent, penetrating color solutions. Unlike acid-based stains, they do not react chemically with the concrete. Instead, they contain very fine coloring agents that penetrate into the concrete surface.

Both water- and solvent-based dyes are available, with each type having unique qualities. SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes tend to produce tones that are more predictable and uniform than stains, but it’s still possible to achieve interesting color variations.

SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes are popular for coloring concrete floors in both commercial and residential locations. Find a concrete floor contractor near you that can help with your project.

More decorative contractors are using SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes to rev up their color palettes. SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes are available in more vibrant tones than possible, with most stains, such as red, yellow, orange, purple, and cobalt blue. And the colors can easily be mixed at the job site or diluted to obtain a multitude of other shades.

Most SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes are packaged in concentrated form, allowing flexibility in the end color. They can be used full strength to attain a greater depth of color or diluted with water or solvents to produce paler shades or simply a light wash of color. You can also intermix different colors of dye to produce your own custom hues.

How to Use SuccessCrete Concrete Dyes

For SuccessCrete concrete dyes to be efficient, there is an exact process on how to apply them. The step-by-step instructions to this process are discussed in detail below.

 

Step 1: Check Flooring to Ensure It’s Ready for Application

Before beginning the process of SuccessCrete Dying Concrete, you need to ensure it’s ready. Concrete that is finished or sealed won’t allow the dye particles to penetrate properly.

At best, you’ll end up with weak coloring. At worst, the color won’t penetrate the concrete at all.

 

To test if the concrete is ready to be dyed, you can use a “drop” test. Place a few drops of water on the concrete and see what happens.

 

If the water beads on the concrete surface, the flooring has either been finished or sealed and isn’t ready to accept the dye. If the droplets slowly soak into the concrete, it’s unfinished and ready to dye.

 

Step 2: Clean Floor of Dirt and Debris

After testing the concrete, clean the flooring of dirt and debris that can negatively affect the dyeing process. Begin by thoroughly sweeping the surface to be painted. Then, use a damp mop to gather up any leftover dirt or dust.

 

Allow the flooring to dry entirely before moving on to the next steps. Wet flooring won’t accept the dye as readily as dry concrete.

 

Step 3: Protect Surrounding Areas

Since the dye can stain other surfaces, you want to ensure they’re protected before starting the project—use painter’s tape on surroundings walls, including baseboards.

 

Step 4: Apply a Cleaning and Etching Solution

Applying a cleaning and etching solution will help open up the pores in the concrete. The solution should be applied following the manufacturer’s directions.

 

It’s recommended you repeat the process detailed on the bottle two or three times for maximum results. When finished, the concrete should be rough and textured to the touch.

 

Step 5: Apply the SuccessCrete Concrete Dye

To apply the SuccessCrete concrete dye, you can use either a paint roller or a sprayer. There are pros and cons to each.

 

A paint roller offers more control during application. The finished result is more likely to be patchy or even, however.

 

A sprayer provides a more even application. But, it can be significantly more challenging to control.

 

It’s recommended you apply at least two coats of dye to the concrete. Wait for a minimum of two hours between coats. If a room is hot, humid, or poorly ventilated, you’ll want to wait at least 24 hours between coats.

 

Step 6: Apply a Sealer

Once the second coat of paint has been allowed at least one full day to dry, you want to apply a sealer. The sealer will both protect the color you just applied and even out the concrete’s texture.

 

Be sure to follow the application directions on the sealer. If the sealer initially looks milky or slightly white when applied, don’t worry. This is normal, and the sealer will turn clear as it dries.

 

Most water-based, solvent-based, and urethane-based sealers are compatible with SuccessCrete concrete dyes. You’ll likely need to apply two or more coatings of sealer, depending on the results you’re looking for.

 

Cost

There is a range of costs for the installation and finishing of interior concrete floors. The amount of detail you choose, the type of finisher (artist vs. applicator), and other factors will all affect the cost. Artists who specialize in concrete floor finishing will charge more and expect that the more details you choose, the higher the price will be. A simple stained finished concrete floor will run about $4 per square foot, while highly detailed, stenciled floors can run as much as $25 per square foot.