Available in eight colors, Kemiko Stone Tone Stain is the perfect choice for both interior and exterior surfaces. Used for commercial and residential projects, concrete staining also lends a clean, attractive look to driveways, patios, walkways and entrances. It is perfect for high-traffic areas and is very affordable. Kemiko Stone Tone Wax or Sealer can be applied to further enhance depth of color and provide surface protection. We look forward to assisting you or your client in creating beautiful, durable, and affordable stained concrete projects.

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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

Retail and Commercial Projects
Contact your Kemiko Dealer for a full line of Kemiko Products and Sta-Crete sealers and epoxies.

NOTE:

Should you have questions regarding the application of Kemiko products, we encourage you to call Kemiko Concrete Products or your local dealer and discuss them with us.

If you are interested in having your project done professionally, you can go to our website www.kemiko.com , click on “professional applicator directory” and find applicators nearest to your project location.

Telephone: 903-587-3708 Fax: 903-587-9038
E-mail: sales@kemiko.com  Web Site: www.kemiko.com

 

 
Revised July 2007

CLEANERS

Neutra Clean: Manufactured for Kemiko and recommended for use during ‘STEP 1’ (above) in preparing concrete substrates for staining, by removing deleterious matter such as grime, soil, wall plaster and other construction related residue. Neutra Clean is also recommended for neutralizing and removing stain residue during ‘STEP 3’ (above) prior to waxing and/or sealing.
www.kemiko.com  1-903-587-3708

Note: A new or old surface that is being prepared for staining may have any number of ‘known’ or ‘unknown’ contaminants. Preparing the concrete for staining may then become somewhat of a “trial and error” proposition as there are many products on the market that claim to do certain things. The following compilation of stripping and emulsifying products may be of assistance in removing those difficult contaminants, however, every customer must check into products to be used as to their capabilities, whether they can be used in the customer’s geographical area, and whether the use of the product is compatible with the stain and the coatings to be used. Kemiko Concrete Products is aware that the following products have been successfully used by laypersons and professional floor applicators, but Kemiko does not endorse any the products listed below.


STRIPPERS AND EMULSIFIERS

Tuff Job: Manufactured by BIX- removes paint (Flammable)
www.bixmfg.com  1-800-251-1098

Castrol Super Clean: Manufactured by Castrol North America Auto- removes oil, wax, tar and dirt. 1-800-227-8765

Dad’s Easy Spray: Manufactured by Sansher Corporation- removes paint, varnish, and surface coatings.
http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/InternationalMerchants/strippers/dads.htm (local distributor)
www.doitbest.com  1-260-484-2000

Orange Blossom: Supplied by Parish Maintenance Supply- Removes mastic, odors, and also a degreaser. (Flammable)
www.parish-supply.com  1-800-836-0862

Citrus Peel: Manufactured by Dayton Superior Chemical Division- heavy duty concrete stripper and degreaser. (Flammable) 1-800-745-3707

Dorado-Strip: Industrial paint and coating strippers.
www.eldoradochem.com  1-800-531-1088 dhunter@eldoradochem.com

Orange Peel: Manufactured by Conspec- Biodegradable and may assist in removal of curing agents, sealing compounds and adhesives.
Dallas 214-631-6699 or 877-416-3439 / Manufacturer 1-800-348-7351
www.conspecmkt.com/products/cleaners-strippers.htm

Urine-Off: Manufactured by Bio-Pro Research, LLC- removes urine all types of urine stains.
www.urine-off.com  1-877-874-6363

Sealer and Adhesive Remover: Manufactured by Aqua Mix- Non flammable multi-purpose stripper.
www.aquamix.com  1-800-366-6877

Sentinel 626: Manufactured by Sentinel- removes carpet adhesive.
www.senpro.com  1-888-sentinel

Zep Products: Used to remove stains and adhesives (oil). May be found at Home Depots & Lowe’s.
www.zepmfg.com  1-877 I Buy Zep

Bean* E*doo: Manufactured by Franmar Chemical- removes Mastic, polymers, top coating, coal tars, dressings, and sealers.
(Not to be used when applying water-based sealers)
www.franmar.com  1-800-538-5069

Emerge: Manufactured by Franmar Chemical- All purpose cleaner. Cleans oil, grease, dirt, and grime.
(Not to be used when applying water-based sealers)
www.franmar.com  1-800-538-5069

Ickee Stickee Unstuck: Manufactured by Franmar Chemical- removes graffiti, adhesives, glues, permanent marker, tape residue, crayon, gum, and grease.
(Not to be used when applying water-based sealers)
www.franmar.com  1-800-538-5069

Soy*Gel: Manufactured by Franmar Chemical- safely removes lead based paint
(Not to be used when applying water-based sealers)
www.franmar.com  1-800-538-5069

Pumice Stone: Removes rust

Stand Off Poultice Powder: Oil and grease remover, manufactured by PROSOCO,
www.prosoco.com  1-800-255-4255

Stand Off For Oil and Grease: Oil and grease stain remover, manufactured by PROSOCO
www.prosoco.com  1-800-255-4255

Paver Kare: Tire Mark Remover, manufactured by PROSOCO,
www.prosoco.com  1-800-255-4255

Enviro Klean: Saf Etch, mortar, grout, and job dirt remover, manufactured by PROSOCO
www.prosoco.com  1-800-255-4255

PETROLEUM STRIPPERS AND EMULSIFIERS

Caution: Flammable

Lacquer Thinner: Used for removing wood stains, Paint, Adhesives and our sealers.

Acetone: Cleans glue and paint (May not work on many sealers).

Denatured Alcohol: Removes “Kilz Prime”

Goof Off/ Goo Off: Manufactured by Valspar Products- Xylene Type Products: will help in removing glue and paint. May be found at local hardware stores such as Home Depot. (Flammable)
www.valspar.com 

Methylene Chloride: A good Epoxy emulsifier. Effective in removing our new sealers. If using this product, you must wash the floor thoroughly before acid staining. (Note: If floor is acid stained do not use this product, it may remove the color from the floor.)

Methyl Ethyl Ketone (M.E.K): Cleans glue and paint. (May not work on many sealers)

Mineral Spirits: Used for removing paints and adhesives.

Paint Thinner: Used for removing paints and adhesives

Note: Be advised when using petroleum strippers and cleaners that they must be used according to state and local regulations as they may violate V.O.C. (Volatile Organic Compound) regulations and /or may be highly flammable and dangerous if not properly used.

OVERLAYMENTS AND MICRO-TOPPINGS:

Colormaker: contact person Victor Pachade Cell number 707-228-9278 or e-mail victor@colormakerfloors.com. Web site: www.colormakerfloors.com 

Ardex Feather Finish: In Dallas call C&C Carpet Supply, 972-241-0633
www.ardex.com  1-412-264-4240 Ardex Company (ask for Seth)

Scoring creates the look of greater elegance by transforming concrete into the appearance of tile, marble or stone.  In new construction, it is generally best to score 2-4 days after pour as it is easier on the equipment and there are no obstructions.  However, scoring can be done at any time. The optimum depth of score is 1/16 inch and it is easily achieved by the use of a circular saw with a diamond/metal composite, segmented blade, carpenter lead pencil for marking, and a 2x6 straight edge.  For professional, more sophisticated scoring equipment, call Engrave-A-Crete at 941-744-2400.

Kemiko Stone Tone Wax is best applied with a slow speed (175 rpm) floor machine, using natural bristle brushes. The natural, stiff bristle brush attachment is called a Bassine, with the medium brushes being Palmyra, Tampico or Union Mix. In addition, for an even higher shine, use a white buffing pad or a white Tampico bristle brush at the end of your project.

Sources for purchasing brushes:

Reinert Paper and Chemical
1431 Commerce Blvd.
Dennison, TX 75020
1-800-256-4810

Ships UPS
MC/Visa Accepted

Contacts:

James Lively
Randy Reinert
 

United Rentals
117 Hwy 82 West
Sherman, TX
903-893-9100

Janitorial Supply Co Inc.
2947 Walnut Hill Ln. STE 102
Dallas, TX 75229
214-350-5525

Willets Sew & Vac Center
1434 N. Central Expwy., Suite 102
McKinney, TX 75070
972-542-6061
1-800-778-5588

1. A professional spray system is by far the optimum method of application.  Other choices would be the use of a Chapin Sprayer (higher quality metal sprayer with solvent resistant ‘O’ rings), and lambs wool applicators.  Airless sprayers operate by pressure or piston. Chapin sprayers operate by compressed air wherein maintaining steady pressure is vital to a quality finish.
    

2. Rollers should seldom be used as there are many problematic issues involved.
   A.  Very easy to leave excess volume.
   B.  Products dry quickly, therefore a texture will likely result.
   C.  A roller may very likely break the sealer bond from the concrete.
    

3. Watch for these problems when using sprayers:
   A.  Sprayers that are multi-purpose in use (rental sprayers) generally have some liquid left in the bottom of the sprayer
        (water). This will cause blushing, whitening, or textured finishes.
   B.  Spray tips that are clogged will cause non-uniform spray patterns that leave the surface uneven or dull.
   C.  The force of the spray, particularly the steady pressure in the ‘Chapin’ sprayer is key to keeping the coat uniform.
    

4. Spray tips are commonly called ‘Tee-jet’ tips.  The two most commonly used tips are the 1300^th and 1500^th. On the tip you will normally see three digits  (513).  The 13 stands for 1300^th and the 5 times 2 stands for a 10” fan of spray.  615 would stand for a 1500^th tip with the 6 times 2 equaling a 12” fan of spray.
    

5. Temperature, moisture, and humidity will have a tremendous impact upon the quality of finish when applying sealers to concrete.  Sealers should generally not be applied when it is extremely hot, temperatures are below 50, or when moisture is present.
    

6. There are three primary issues involved concerning the quality of a sealed floor.
   They are:
   A.  Slab porosity.
   B.  Type of applicator.
   C.  Experience of the applicator.
    

7. The primary mistake made by persons applying sealers is that they put on too much volume at any one time.  This may be caused by several factors:
   A.  Wrong spray tip.
   B.  Too thick of a coat (or volume).
   C.  Too much over lap in spraying pattern.