Stained Concrete Rocks in Coffee Shop – Canada
Rob Chaney at Tru Glaze Ltd., Vancouver BC, Canada knew he was in for a serious challenge when he first saw the floor at Serious Coffee Shop in Nanaimo, BC.
The floor was 600 SF (60 M²) of existing concrete with a sealer on the surface. Previously, someone had attempted an acid stain system which left the floor in a condition that the owner would not accept.
Tru Glaze utilized their Prep/Master® 2807 to remove the existing sealer, as well as grind the acid stain off the concrete. Chaney used the EG 6 segment 30 grit diamonds to establish a clean cut that would remove all the laitance from the floor.
After removing the sealer, stain, and other laitance, Chaney crew followed up the EG 30 grits consecutively with 50 and 80 grits. This concluded the light prep/metal polishing portion of the job.
Tru Glaze Ltd. then utilized the 100 grit Terrazzos, and ran them wet to transition the floor from metals to resins. Once the slurry was cleaned from the floor and disposed of properly, the polishing portion of the job began.
Chaney and his crew allowed the floor to dry and used the FL-07 #5 polishing pads, and followed that with the FL-07 #6’s.
The Artwork Begins
At this point, they were ready to begin the artwork portion of the job. Tru Glaze Ltd. is known for its ability to produce unique and artistic designs that brings polished concrete to the level of interior finish, instead of just a low maintenance floor; more like art than concrete!
To start the design phase, Chaney and his crew penciled in their design and put a 4×4-ft grid underneath the ribbons. They scored it in with an angle grinder and a 1/8-inch diamond blade. After scoring the floor was completed, they vacuumed, cleaned the surface, and proceeded with the dying process.
The dying process utilized three different STI Diatech dye colors to achieve not only the owner’s design, but also, when done properly, gives the floor a 3D-like appearance. The final step of the design phase was using a lithium-based densifier per the manufacturer’s recommendations to lock in the dye that had been applied.
With the grinding, polishing and artwork portion finished, the final steps of the FL-07 system (#7, #8, and #LUX) were completed by the Prep/Master® 2807.
Even though this concrete was now ready to be a durable, long lasting surface, it required an additional step of E/Z Seal to protect against occasional stains from coffee spills.
To complete the sealing process Chaney provided an application of E/Z Seal impregnator followed by a dry buffing step using the STI SPIN-1 black diamond pad. As can be seen in the photos, the process achieved “serious” perfection!