Concrete Art-FX Inc.

Polished Concrete

1. Is polished concrete for me?

   Polished concrete is a very popular flooring alternative as many loft and condo owners throughout Toronto as well as many high end homes and businesses are opting for polished concrete floors as the choice floor option for its esthetics, durability, and functionality. However polished concrete is not the best solution when the concrete has too many faults such as gouges, pit holes, and above average cracks. In such cases we can offer other solutions to achieve similar appearance.

2. Is there different types of polished concrete?

   Yes. We can offer varies degrees of aggregate exposure options as well as differnt of level of sheen which the floor will radiate when completed.

3. How much does it cost to polish concrete floors?

   Prices can vary drastically on concrete polishing pending on the size of the space, degree of aggregate exposure and sheen, and the amount of hand edging required. Typically cost can range from as low as $1.70 SF for large open area or spaces to as much as $7.50 SF for small, or high end residential projects with significant high aggregate exposure requirements and lots of hand edging work. Polished concrete is not to be confused with concrete epoxy floor. Although they may appear to be the same from the terms of appearance reference, however they are not the same thiing .To get an accurate quote please contact the office at 905-660-6884.

4. What kind of maintenance is required for polished concrete floor?

   Polished concrete requires very little maintenance and does not require any topical sealers to keep it protected. Concrete Art-FX offers our commercial clients scheduled periodic polished concrete maintenance program designed to keep your polished concrete floors shiny as the day they were originally polished. For regular maintenance we recommend regular dust mopping withh microfiber mop. For wet mopping we recommend a cap of diishwashing soap to a bucket of water. There are professinal lithium based cleaners we use on the market that will also enrich the sheen of the polished concrete floor while claning in the process.

5. Is polished concrete eco-friendly

   Polished concrete after completed is extremely eco-friendly. Your new polished concrete floors are designed to give you typically 20 + years of enjoyment with periodic basic maintenance.

6. Where is polished concrete not suitable

   Polished concrete flooring is very versatile and can be used virtually for any commercial, industrial or residential applications. However, polished concrete does not like acidic environments such as food preparation and kitchen areas, unless a special polished concrete topical sealer is applied to protect your polished concrete floor from acid absorbing into the polished concrete or deteriating the shine.

7. Can polished concrete be stained with colour

   Yes. We offer either naturally polished concrete or Concrete Art-FX can apply special concrete dyes with 8 colours to choose from which can be blended to create additional shades of colour in your new polished concrete floor.

8. How much does it cost to do polished concrete floors

   Generally concrete polishing is determined on square foot basis and can widely range from as low as $1.75 per square foot for industrial large warehousing jobs to as much as $7.00 per square foot for terrazzo like deep grind and polishing floor finish. The condition and the amount of repairs required is also a determinate in the final price.

9. How do you clean polished concrete??

   If regular maintenance we recommend the use a 0.5 ounce of mild dishwashing soap mixed into a gallon of water for wet mopping the floor when nessasary. otherwise simple Swifter, or micro fiber dust will remove all the dust and allow you polished concrete to shine.

   To restore shine to a dull polished concrete floor, rquires a lithium type cleaner/polishing sealer and a buffing machine to return your polished concrete floor back to new appearance.

10. Can cracks and damages in concrete floor be repaired beforre polishing?

    Yes. In most cases we are able to repair most crack and imperfections with very little evidence of repair left behind. We use the grinded dust from your concrete floor, mix it in with special gel which we then use to fill in the crack and minor holes and imperfections in the concrete floor. Although you can see the repair slightly, it does not stand out, but rather looks part of the concrete floor texture and character.

11. What is Polished Concrete?

    True polished concrete is process of grinding the concrete slab, and then polishing the concrete floor. In fact concrete polishing is exact same process as granite slab would go through before you have it installed on your floor or counter top.

12. How is polished concrete made?

    Polished concrete is typically an 8 to 12 step process of first grinding the concrete slab, densifying it, and then polishing the surface. The better the quality of the concrete slab, the better the quality of polished concrete will result from the process.

13. Naturally Polished Concrete Versus Concrete Epoxy Floor

    As mention previously a naturally polished concrete floor is an 8 to 12 step process where the concrete slab is grinded 4 to 6 times with varies diamond grit tooling and again polished 4 to 6 times with varies resin tooling and there are no topical sealers applied. Therefore we call it a naturally polished concrete floor. You can achieve similar results with applying 100% solids epoxy coating after the concrete slab had been grinded, to achieve similar look with higher gloss than naturally, polished concrete but this is achieved with a topical sealer such as the 100% epoxy coating.
    Both are durable flooring but you will more mileage out a naturally polished concrete than concrete floor with an epoxy coating, and epoxy floor although no easily scratched can be scratched in rare circumstances where polished concrete is very unlikely to be scratched.

Concrete Floor Staining

1. Why stain concrete floors?

   Concrete Art-FX specializes in staining concrete floors. Staining concrete is process which transforms your dull or worn out floor into beautiful expensive looking floor which can resemble granite, marble, or natural stone to colourfull mossaic of colour with the benefit of long term durability, easy maintenance all in one of kind custom floor made just for you.

2. How much does it cost to stain my concrete floors?

   Cost per square foot can vary drastically depending on the amount of total square feet ease and access to the space and the level of difficulty to create the final appearance. However, in most cases staining concrete floors is the most economical means to achieve visually attractive floor for the money.

3. How durable are stained concrete floors?

   The most important part for long life for your new concrete floor is to ensure the floor is properly protected at all times with a quality sealer designed for protecting the floors. |Whether its a high traffic retail space or a cosy home floor, we will recommend the right protection and provide you with available options to get the desired life and appearance from your floor.

4. Do you seal pool decks or driveways?

   Yes, for many of our installation clients as well as new clients we perform an annual or bi-annual visit to re-seal pool decks, driveways, walkways, and patios to enhance and protect their investment in their concrete work. Call us for free estimate for re-sealing your stamped concrete.

5. Why is the acid staining so popular?

   Acid staining concrete floors is an art and requires an experienced installers to product a beautiful floor. Acid staining is an inexpensive way to create expensive looking, durable, and unique flooring.

6. Is concrete staining eco-friendly?

   Yes, Concrete Art-FX uses ECO-STAINS in coloring the concrete slab to resemble the look of natural stone. The toppical sealers we use in indoor setting are water based and using the structual concrete as your floor is an obvious eco-friendly method to create gorgeous floors for less while mainting a small envirnmental foot print.

7. What is Metallic epoxy floors?

   Metallic epoxy concrete flooring is a durable and innovative way produce unbelievably beautiful floors. Metallic epoxy is typically a 3 to 4 step or coating process which involves an application of solid color base coat of epoxy, then with 100% epoxy 2nd coat infused with metallic color powder, and with a final top coat of polyurethane or epoxy. Highly recommended for places where an impresive floor is required on a small budget, or where concrete floor slab has too many imperfections for other type of decorative concrete flooring.

Concrete floors for residential living

1. Can we get polished concrete on main floor of our house?

   In most cases, yes. The wood sub-floor will require a minimum of three quater inch plywood reinforced by your contractor before we are able to pour 1" to 1.5" thick of special self-leveling cement which is designed to be polished after 48 hours of installation. For existing concrete which has too many imperfections or pit holes, divets, etc. is also ideal candidate for self-leveling concrete topping which we apply apply at a half inch thickness and polish in 48 hours.

2. Can polished concrete floor be colour stained?

   Yes. Whether you want an acid stained concrete floor with satin or high gloss coating finish that resembles natural colours of stone or a natural earth tones coloured polished concrete floor, Concrete Art-FX will meet your desired expectations.

3. How do you install concrete floors inside residence?

   First we must insure that your home's sub-floor has the proper support to hold the concrete in place firmly without much flex in the sub-floor. The we put down a barier sheet throughout the area to prevent the concrete from seeping through the sub-floor. Once the sub-floor is ready we pour from a half inch to up two inch thick slab which we sand down to create virtually perfectly smooth concrete floor which is ready of a decorative application of stains or coloured epoxy for the ultra modern look that is so popular today. Call us for further consultation at 905-660-6884

4. Can concrete be installed over ceramic floor?

   Yes, if you have solid ceramic floors and want to have a concrete floor installed, we can apply special self leveling cement which is designed to permanantly adhere to the existing ceramic tile. This process work equally well over radiant heat pads which can be installed under the concrete by your contractor prior to us installing the concrete floor.

5. Is finished concrete floors good for radiant heated floors

   Yes. We install in many homes polished concrete flooring, or stained concrete finishes after the radiant heating has been installed and concrete poured.  Concrete spreads the heat evenly through the concrete surface and the decorative concrete floor options are numerous.

6. Difference between concrete staining and metallic coloring?

   Although both methods produce rich and beautiful concrete flooring, the 2 processes and products used ae entirely different.

   In concrete staining is less expensive and is ideal to achieve a natural stone like appearance and requires that the concrete is sound condition without too many faults or imperfections. Metallic epoxy floor also produces stone like effects but with rich metallic sheen and is a more involved process to produce. However metallic epoxy coating can be applied on any type of concrete floor slab regardless or the amount of cracks and imperfections to produce a fault free very expensive, and unique floor appearance that people will take notice yet meatallic epoxy floor can be had at a very competative prices compared to conventional flooring.
   

Pool Deck Resurfacing

1. Can my concrete pool deck be fixed & resurfaced?

   Yes, we can fix most pool deck cracks and even raise a sunken slab and resurface it to look like new concrete pour, or give your pool deck a complete face lift and stamp the pool deck with our cement overlay system which we apply at 1/4 to 1/2 thick after we prepare the concrete are for resurfacing, and stamp the old concrete slab to create a natural slate, stone, etc. finish. Call us for further consultation on how we can transform your your old or broken pool deck into a beautiful space your family and friends will love. 905-660-6884

2. Can my pool deck be stained?

   yes, we can transform your existing pool deck by permanantly staining the surface to resemble natural stone look or granite with your choice of colours. Staining your concrete pool deck is very cost effective method to enhance and beautify your pool deck.

Epoxy and Polyurea Floor Coatings

1. What is the difference between Epoxy and Polyurea?

   There are different types of epoxy coatings available and each serves a particular purpose and function. Generally epoxy coating are used for indoor purposes as they tend to yellow and discolor when exposed to the sun and outdoor elements for any extended period of time. Epoxy coating require that the floor temprature is above 10C (55F) for application and curing and requires 24 to 36 hrs before foot traffic can take place, and up to 7 days for afull cure.

   Polyurea or polyaspartic as some call it, is a very expensive product but has many advantages over epoxy coatings. Polyurea can be applied at tempratures as low as 2C (32F) and cures very rapidly. Foot traffic can commence in 4 to 6 hours after application and fully cured within 36 hours, unlike epoxy which takes 7 days and possibly longer. Polyurea is also more abrasion, and chemical resistant than epoxy (even though epoxy is still very good) and is ideal product for garages, food establishments, or any place where premium durabilty and chemical resistance is required.

2. How is epoxy applied in residential homes and condos

   We work on about 50 homes and condos every year doing polished concrete and epoxy coatings. Clear coat epoxy sealer produces a briliant glossy shine as if a thin sheet of glass was placed over the concrete and is a perfect substitute for polished concrete. Solid colored epoxy (available in many colors) do a great job of covering the concrete surface and add a briliant color and shine to any concrete floor. We also install stained metallic epoxy finishes.

3. Garage floor repair and decorative finish

   Having a garage floor that is easy to clean and look great is very popular amongst home owners and businesses alike. Most damaged concrete or unsightly concrete can be patched up and repaired and with use of epoxy coating we can make your garage floor or shop look like better than brand new.

4. Do you do epoxy chip floors in garages?

   Yes. We have done dozens of average to very high end car garages both commecial and residential. We have varies type chips as well as epoxies, and polyaspartic sealers to select from to produce a durable and beautiful floor to match or exceed your expectations..

Metallic Epoxy Flooring

1. What is Metallic Epoxy?

   Metallic epoxy colour coating is a decorative concrete flooring staining and colouring system designed to go over almost any concrete substrate due to its excellent camofloage properties producing virtually a perfect floor with no ghosting of the concrete as you would get from conventional concrete staining systems.

2. What is the difference between concrete staining and metallic epoxy colouring

   Typically concrete stains such as acid stains, or our eco-stains are used to stain concrete surfaces relatively free of faults and imperfections, as concrete stains are translucent by nature and therefore will telegraph any repairs, cracks, patching, etc. Metallic epoxy flooring system start with a base coat of solid colored epoxy prior to using a custom blend of nano metallic coloring particles. View some examples of the new metallic epoxy staining, versus typical concrete staining.

3. Is metallic epoxy flooring new?

   Yes, metallic epoxy is relatively new since the advent of metallic color powder was developed, which we use to mix in with 100% solid resins epoxy to produce floors are are truely unique and stunning.
   

Self-Level Cement Resurfacing

1. What is self-level cement

   Self-leveling cement overlays are used to resurface existing concrete that is either not leveled or the surface is damaged. Self-leveling overlays are also used to raise a concrete floor, to resurface or build a new concrete floor over wood sub-floor or directly on top ceramic tile floor, as well as many other uses where a leveled smooth concrete floor is required

2. Can self-leveling cement be colored or polished

   Yes. There are special self-leveling cement overlays that are applied at 1/8 to 2" thick and can be either polished or stained with varies concrete coloring systems we use.

3. Uneven or damaged concrete floor repair

   Damaged or uneven concrete can be repaired and resurfaced with self-leving cement when a perfectly flat and leveled floor is required for either decorative concrete flooring or installation of tile or hard wood flooring.

Concrete overlay for Asphalt driveway or surface.

1. Can you apply stamped concrete to existing ashpalt driveway or roadway?

   Yes. Concrete Art-FX is an exclusive certified installer of Xtreme Overlay by Surecrete. This amazing product can be installed in most cases within 24 hours and used for parking cars in 48hrs. This unique product has an MPA rating 105 which more than 3 times the strenght of typical driveway concrete and is applied at only a 1/2 inch thick. This product will save you from filling the landfill with old asphalt and give you a brand new stamped concrete in 48 hrs you can use for years to come and save as much as 50% from conventional asphalt removal and new concrete stamping.