Services

1.  Decorative Concrete Spray and trowel systems (CTi Hallmark, Spraymark, and Stone Classics)

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• Unlimited design possibilities
  • Can look like tile or pavers, or can be custom-designed


• As durable as it is beautiful
  • Resistant to most chemicals, weathering, and abrasion


• Does not change slab elevation


• Seamless and non-porous; cleans easily


• Less expensive than slab replacement
  • Much less expensive than pavers


• Major impact on curb appeal

• The CTi Hallmark and Stone Classics systems are 3-layer build-up processes utilizing polymer-modified cement skim and color coats, and a polymer sealer. Hallmark’s color coat is sprayed while Stone Classics are trowel-applied.


• The Spraymark system foregoes the skim coat step in order to provide a lower cost alternative. The sealer choices are the same as for Hallmark.

• Portland cement concrete has only been in use for about 100 years.


• Using polymers* suspended in a latex to modify the properties of portland cement, i.e., make it more flexible and increase adhesion, has only been done for about 30-40 years. (Not surprising that tile is so popular given its 2000+ year headstart!)


• The polymer-cement blend, along with other chemical modifiers and colors, is applied as a very thin coating, resulting in a tough, durable surface that is actually stronger than concrete.
  

• Brick, stone, and tile looks most popular


• Borders and inlays add visual appeal


• Highlighting adds depth


• Stencils or logos can be custom-designed for a personal touch

2.  Decorative Concrete Stain and Polish Systems (CTI ACRYLISTAIN SYSTEM; ACID AND WATER-BASED STAINS)

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• Modern, urban chic, sustainable
  • See retail stores, Architectural Record, Fine Homebuilding


• Craft product – totally customizable
  • Each floor is unique


• Clean
  • Great alternative to carpet for reducing allergens, etc.


• Low maintenance
  • Only requires waxing


• Works well with passive solar systems due to concrete’s mass and specific heat

• Concrete stains can be acid-borne metallic salts, or water- or solvent-based pigments and dyes


• As a generalization, acid stains can provide more vivid colors, while water- and solvent-based colors tend to be more muted


• They are typically applied by spray, but can be brushed, sponged, etc., to achieve the desired look


• Typically the stained slab is sealed and then waxed to achieve a shiny appearance and to protect the stain work

• Acid stains actually react with free lime in the concrete. For this reason certain types of concrete slabs are better-suited to acid staining, e.g., concrete with more “paste” at the surface. The reaction creates a residue which must be removed prior to sealing. Acid stains are often limited to indoor use.


• Water and solvent-based stains rely on penetrating the slab surface. This is why surface preparation prior to application of the stain is so important. If this step is not done correctly, the stain’s performance will not be optimized, and much of it may be wasted.


• Different colors are normally separated by scored sawcuts. The many different looks are achieved by using painting techniques such as sponging, ragging, eyedroppers, etc.

• Single application looks can be "leather", "stone", or "tile"


• Multi-colors can add depth and character


• Patterns add a more custom look


• Logos, stencils, and artwork make staining the most versatile flooring system available

3.  Decorative and Protective Concrete Coatings (CTI DURAFLEK SYSTEM; EPOXY AND POLYURETHANE SYSTEMS )

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• High tech polymers are extremely resistant to chemical spills and stains
  • Perfect for garages and light-to-severe industrial environments


• Customizable looks for "showroom" appearance
  • Terrazzo or floor tile look; custom designs
  • Several standard colors available


• Easy to clean; low maintenance
  • Seamless and non-porous
  • Food/beverage and hospital grade approvals


• Low odor and fast turnaround systems available

• Anything that forms a film upon drying or curing might be called a coating, but industrial performance coatings for concrete fall into only a few categories. Sealers, paints, varnishes, and oils are not in this scope.


• Coatings for concrete can be based on a number of chemistries, such as epoxy, polyurethane, polyester, polyacrylate, polyurea, and hybrids thereof. Polyaspartic is a relatively new term in the industry that refers to a type of polyurea with some very interesting value-added properties, such as rapid turnaround.


• The number of chemistries can be confusing, but the majority of concrete applications are in the low end of the performance envelope. For this reason, product selection is often driven by application considerations rather than performance.


• Concrete coatings are typically applied by roller or spray in relatively thin films applied in at least two layers, and usually with a primer (usually a low viscosity epoxy).


• Thick films (>20 mils) are typically only used in severe exposure industrial environments

• High performance coatings are 2-component products containing a polymer or pre-polymer and an activator, catalyst, or initiator. The process of polymerization, the reaction that occurs when part A and art B are mixed together, results in “cross-linking” which creates a very hard, dense film that is chemical and abrasion-resistant and exhibits high adhesion strength to various substrates.


• As a broad generalization, epoxies are the least expensive and have very good properties, but tend to be limited to indoor use without protective topcoats due to degradation by sunlight.


• Polyurethanes cover a broad range of chemistries and performance due to the possibilities for modification of the chemistry. They are the usual choice for top coating epoxy base coats.


• Proper surface preparation, as well as understanding the slab characteristics  prior to installation, is extremely important for ensuring long-lasting coating performance. For the same reason that these films prevent penetration of chemicals from above, they are also susceptible to bubbling or delamination from below if there is poor adhesion or moisture vapor transmission through the slab.
  

• Systems for garages to industrial plants, including food and beverage applications


• Basic one-color to "terrazzo", with or without patterns, or even logos


• Custom designs available

4.  Special Services

• Crack Repair
  • Crack repair cannot be guaranteed, but our approach to typical shrinkage cracks is to rout and seal with sanded 2-component polymer, smooth with a trowel, and then grind the surface flat after hardening
  
  
  • Larger cracks may need to be filled with a rapid-setting cement mortar
  
  
  • Cracks usually do not reappear


• Uneven Slabs
  • Uneven slabs can usually be re-leveled by a combination of grinding the high side and building up the low side with rapid-setting mortar
  
  
  • For more severe problems may have to resort to a technique called slabjacking where a portland cement grout is pumped through a hole drilled in the slab. The resulting hydraulic pressure easily lifts the slab, and the grout hardens underneath to form a new foundation for the slab
    


• Stains
  • Oil stains are treated by chemical stain remover and/or surface grinding
  
  
  • Most other stains simply wash away in the pressure washing step because they haven’t penetrated deeply into the concrete
  
  
  • Stains do not tend to reappear because of the non-porous nature of our coatings. Concrete stains because it is porous.


• Mold and mildew
  • Mold and mildew are usually easily removed in the acid etching and pressure washing step.
  
  
  • They tend not to be a recurring problem after installation of decorative overlays and coatings because our solutions are non-porous. Concrete supports mold and mildew growth because it is porous.
  
  
• Existing Paint, Tile, etc.
  • We remove any and all surface treatments or contaminants that would inhibit bond of our decorative concrete products. We use a variety of techniques from chemical (strippers) to mechanical (grinding, scabbling, scarifying)
  
  
  • Beware of competitors who claim their product will "go right over"


• Joints
  • Joints are too often neglected by homeowners and business owners who perhaps fail to understand the purpose they serve. Without getting into a discussion of the different types of joints and the associated product types suitable for repair, it’s enough to say that deteriorating joints should be repaired in order to prevent water from getting under the slab and undermining the support, thus leading to much more serious problems
  
  
  • Your lifeSTYLE Concrete Coating rep is familiar with various manufacturers' joint sealant products and which ones to use in a given application. If he recommends repair it’s not an attempt at "upselling"