Interior Design Guide

Is It Cheaper To Tile Or Stained Concrete ? Both concrete and tile flooring are suitable for indoor and outdoor construction. With the introduction of staining and stamping techniques that mimic the appearance of luxurious tile, concrete flooring has expanded from industrial and commercial applications to the heart of the home.  Its versatility as countertops and back splashes make many people wonder if stained concrete or tile is the better choice for their home. Appearance With the help of an experienced professional, stained concrete can look like marble, slate, travertine or terra cotta.  The process of staining concrete, as well as its increasing popularity, has led to the development of a rainbow of concrete stains and paints, giving you the same versatility as ceramic or porcelain tiles.  By adding scoring or stamped designs, stained concrete replicates the exact appearance of tile work.  By adding grout to the scoring lines, the illus...

Using Dyes On Concrete ? What Are They, And How Do They Differ From Chemical Stains ? What is better concrete dye or stain? Dyes are the latest buzz in the decorative concrete community.  Their ease of use, extensive palette, and vibrancy of color (which can be more intense than chemical stains) are creating a wave of popularity that is gaining momentum. Unlike stains, which react chemically with the calcium hydroxide in concrete, dyes are nonreactive and impart color by penetrating concrete or other porous cementitious surfaces.  Dyes are much smaller in particle size than chemical stains or acrylic stains, thus allowing for easier penetration and color saturation while leaving less residue on the surface.  A good analogy for comparing the color intensity and penetration of dyes to stains is that you can fit a lot more marbles than bowling balls into the same size container.  The small dye particles fill the pores of the concrete and are ...

Why do people choose stained concrete? Stained concrete appeals to many people who want to achieve unique decorative effects for a reasonable cost.  For as little as $2 per square foot, you can use stains 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 manufacturers 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, walls, or countertops will look alike due to factors such as the composition and age of the concrete and surface porosity. Can I stain concrete myself? When applying stain, using the proper tools and application techniques ...

Paint is any liquid , liquefiable, or mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture to objects. Paint can be made or purchased in many colors—and in many different types, such as watercolor, synthetic, etc. Paint is typically stored, sold, and applied as a liquid, but most types dry into a solid. Types Of Paint And How To Choose The Right One : 1. Matte Paint - Matte color is the most common of interior wall paints. There’s no shine or sheen to the finish, making it ideal for walls and ceilings where you don't want any visual distractions. It’s easy to apply, although it can often take more than a single coat to create a good solid color. Matte paint can be applied with a brush or roller and works well covering imperfections on your walls. This makes it ideal for older houses. On the downside, matte paint is easily marked. Although some marks can be rem...

  Decorative concrete is the use of concrete as not simply a utilitarian medium for construction but as an aesthetic enhancement to a structure, while still serving its function as an integral part of the building itself such as floors, walls, driveways and patios. The transformation of concrete into decorative concrete is achieved through the use of a variety of materials that may be applied during the pouring process or after the concrete is cured, these materials and/or systems include but are not limited to stamped concrete, acid staining, decorative overlays, polished concrete, concrete countertops, vertical overlays and more.   Types : 1 Stamped Concrete 2 Concrete dyes 3 Acid Staining 4 Water Based Staining 5 Overlaying-     5.1 Polymer cement overlays     5.2 Stamped overlays 6 Epoxy coating 7 Polishing 8 Engraving 9 Form liner