APPLICATION INFORMATION
Kemiko Concrete
Products, Inc. suggests that you view your project
and the use of Kemiko products as a “Path to a
beautiful concrete floor”. Please consider the
following options,
THEN CHOOSE A
PATH.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
CAUTION: KEMIKO STAIN CONTAINS ACID. Use
safety goggles, rubber gloves and rubber apron.
Whenever exposure to vapor/mist is likely, wear a
properly fitted NIOSH/MSHA approved respirator,
unless levels are below applicable limits.
It is always recommended that a small
out-of-the-way section of your project be tested to
see if the desired reaction occurs. If it does not,
you probably have surface contaminants on your slab.
A new concrete slab must have cured for four to six
(4-6) weeks. The optimum time to stain in a new home
is after all construction (taping, bedding,
texturing, and painting) is completed and just prior
to the base boards being affixed, however, staining
can be performed at any time if proper protection
measures are taken. We recommend that you protect
your new slab during the construction phase with
plastic, paper, cardboard, plywood, or sheet rock
covering as the initial cleaning step will be much
easier, but you must make sure that your protection
choice does not impede the proper curing of the
concrete. All laborers should be advised that the
slab will be the finished floor.
If scoring is desired in a new project, giving the
impression of stone or tiles, we suggest that it be
done within three to four days after the slab is
poured, however, scoring can be done at any time. We
suggest that the scoring groove be no deeper than
1/8 inch, if you do not plan on grouting your floor.
Deeper grooves will collect dirt.
STEP ONE - WASH
DO NOT ACID WASH BEFORE APPLYING KEMIKO STAIN
Wash the concrete surface, as it must be clean and
free of paints, wax, grease, dirt, and other surface
contaminants. Do not acid wash or use heavy alkali
cleaners. Kemiko’s Neutra-Clean is an excellent mild
all purpose cleaner and when mixed with water, can
be used to clean the slab by scrubbing with a
slow-speed floor machine and long handled stiff
bristle brushes, then wet vacuumed (preferred)
and/or mopped (many moppings may be necessary) to
remove all dirt. After washing, allow the floor to
dry completely.
Protect all walls with tape and paper. Do not allow
the stain to touch any wood or metal and do
not apply tape directly to concrete.
STEP TWO - STAIN
(First application)
NOTE:
Before applying this product, verify that the
color indicated on the container is the same as
the color ordered from Kemiko Concrete Products.
Kemiko Concrete Products expressly disclaims any
damages resulting from the application of an
inappropriate color of stain.
Generally, you
will mix equal parts stain with equal parts water
(50%-50%). We suggest you use an all-plastic garden
type (insecticide) pump-up sprayer (no metal parts)
as you can control volume much easier and remember
that (VOLUME EQUALS DEPTH OF COLOR).
Make sure all container lids are tight and shake
vigorously before using. Put the water in the spray
container, and then add equal parts stain. Close the
lid, pump up the pressure and begin randomly
spraying the mixture on the floor by holding the
nozzle of the wand approximately 18 inches from the
floor. The finer the spray, the more natural the
look. Try to avoid precise back and forth motions.
You should apply the mixture leaving ‘full moisture,
short of puddles’. Try not to leave puddles as
puddle edges hold more moisture (Volume equals depth
of color). As you apply the stain, there may be
varying degrees of fizzing and there may not be a
lot of color. Let the floor dry completely.
Drying time will depend on porosity, temperature,
humidity and volume, but it may take several hours.
Do not walk on the floor while it is wet or damp. Do
not remove the residue that is left from the
chemical reaction.
Using the same procedure as mentioned above, apply
the second application. Again allow the floor to dry
completely. You will notice darker tones of color
appearing at this time.
STEP THREE - WASH
After the floor has completely dried; scrub off the
residue using a slow speed floor machine with a
scrub brush attachment, Neutra-Clean and/or
water only, or a long handled medium stiff bristle
brush, and remove the water/residue mixture from the
floor with a wet vacuum (preferred), mop and
squeegee. Test: If color is left on a white towel
after wiping the floor, clean again. Allow the floor
to dry completely.
CAUTION: Choose the ‘Step Four’ that is in your path
to a beautiful concrete floor. NEVER PUT SEALER
ON WAX.
STEP FOUR – WAX –
INTERIOR
Kemiko Buff-On Wax is best applied with a heavy
floor polishing machine (slow speed {175 RPM}) and
three attachments, a stiff natural bristle brush (‘Bassine’,
most critical) to apply, a medium bristle brush
(‘Palmyra, Union Mix, or Tampico’) to buff, and a
buffing pad/brush to polish.
To begin, spread a smooth light coating of wax out
from the walls (2-3 inches) and in the corners out
to the radius of the floor machine attachment. Put
on no more than ¼ cup of wax on the floor in the
center of the first 3 to 4 foot square. It will
appear wet and dull. Immediately work the wax by
spreading and burning it in with the natural stiff
bristle attachment (this may take 4-5 minutes). Move
to the next 3-4 foot quadrant and repeat the step
only after the wax in the preceding area has turned
to a slight glare and the wax ridges have
disappeared. Mineral spirits will soften any ridges
or excess wax allowing it to be spread and worked
in.
When you have completed the application phase,
change to the medium bristle brush attachment and
buff the entire floor including your original hand
waxed areas. After buffing, if greater protection is
desired, repeat the first phase applying a thin
second coat. Then rebuff. If a slightly higher sheen
is desired, buff with the soft buffing pad or white
Tampico brush.
STEP FOUR – SEALER –
INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR
You must allow the concrete slab to dry before
applying Stone Tone Sealer. It is generally best
applied with an airless sprayer or a professional
pump-up sprayer. Rollers and pad applicators may
be used; however, it is more difficult to control
volume. Two coats of sealer will almost always be
necessary and additional coats may be necessary on
porous surfaces. Stone Tone Sealer should dry 1 hour
before re-coat, 4 hours before foot traffic, 24
hours before heavy traffic and
48-72 hours for full cure.
STEP FOUR – STA-NATURAL
– EXTERIOR
Sta-Natural is a 0 VOC, extremely user-friendly
silane/siloxane emulsion for sealing exterior
concrete and cementitious substrates. The substrate
should be dry and clean of any contaminants. Sta-Natural
is best applied by spraying but can be rolled or
brushed. Drying time is 1 hour for re-coating, 4
hours for foot traffic, 24 hours for heavy traffic
and 48 hours to full cure. Do not apply if rain is
forecast within 24 hours of application.
STEP FIVE – FINISH
COAT - INTERIOR
It is always in the customer’s best interest to
apply several coats of Kemiko’s Easy Shine Mop-On
Wax to all interior projects coated with Kemiko
Stone Tone Sealer or Sta-Crete Sealer as it will
dramatically minimize scratching of the sealed coat.
Easy Shine is best applied by spraying, and then
massaging it onto the floor surface with a
micro-fiber pad in somewhat of a figure eight, back
and forth motion. Drying time is 20-30 minutes. It
is not to be applied over Kemiko Buff-on Wax.
MAINTENANCE
All decorative concrete floors require maintenance
on a regular basis. Waxed and/or sealed floors are
easy to care for. It is best to clean finished
concrete floors with a damp mop and water only
and/or a very mild detergent, if necessary. Heavy
cleaners such as ammonia or bleach products should
not be used.
Care should be taken to apply felt pads to all
pieces of moveable furniture, and when possible,
lift furniture when moving instead of dragging. It
is far easier to maintain and re-wax stained
concrete floors than to re-apply more sealers.
The Path To Beautiful
Decorative Concrete
|
Interior Projects |
Appearance |
Step One |
Step Two |
Step Three |
Step Four |
Step Five |
|
|
|
Wash |
Stain |
Remove Residue |
Protection |
Finish |
|
Path one (1) |
Rich Luster |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Buff-on Wax |
|
|
Path two (2) |
Glossy |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Stone Tone Sealer |
Easy Shine Wax |
|
Path three (3) |
Matte or Satin |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Stone Tone Sealer |
|
|
Path four (4) |
Commercial |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Sta-Crete Epoxy |
Easy Shine Wax |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exterior Projects |
Appearance |
Step One |
Step Two |
Step Three |
Step Four |
Step Five |
|
|
|
Wash |
Stain |
Remove Residue |
Protection |
Finish |
|
Path one (1) |
Flat Rock |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
|
|
|
Path
two (2) |
Natural |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Sta-Natural |
|
|
Path three (3) |
Glossy |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Stone Tone Sealer |
|
|
Path four (4) |
Matte or Satin |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Stone Tone Sealer |
|
|
Path five (5) |
Commercial |
Neutra-Clean |
Kemiko Stain |
Neutra-Clean |
Sta-Crete Urethane |
|
|
