we have done a concrete (minimalist) bar in a new house that is being finished at the moment - that would need some kind of finish to it. The client wants it to be recognizable as concrete but nevertheless be covered with some light(maybe see-through) paint/varnish. I have seen some interesting concrete finishes time ago, but could not find them right now - any suggestions???
i personally like Ando's polished concrete finishes... other than stained concrete I'm not too certain of what you could do. Are you looking for something like a laminate? If they have money you could use a slab of acryllic/resin cut to fit the top of the bar - lots of interesting lighting potential there.
we use cheng's latest penetrating sealer and have had good luck with it but no penetrating sealer can really withstand red wine if it sits too long. and if you use a topical sealer, you will loose the feel of the concrete as it will look plastic coated. i'd recommend staying away from any thick topical sealers. they will kill the warmth of the concrete.
did you grind the concrete to expose the aggregate or just polish it fresh out of the mold? or is this poured in place?
it was poured in place - and this penetrating sealer might do the job (I was just looking at the page you gave, thanks). it is more or less what i had in mind - they suggest some waxing over the sealer: I suppose that gives it again a very different look. have you tried that?
i have waxed pour stone and plaster, but not normal weight concrete. i'd imagine the results would be similar. i really like the wax because it increases the contrast between the fines and agrregates.
May 4, 05 1:39 pm ·
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Concrete bar finishes
we have done a concrete (minimalist) bar in a new house that is being finished at the moment - that would need some kind of finish to it. The client wants it to be recognizable as concrete but nevertheless be covered with some light(maybe see-through) paint/varnish. I have seen some interesting concrete finishes time ago, but could not find them right now - any suggestions???
i personally like Ando's polished concrete finishes... other than stained concrete I'm not too certain of what you could do. Are you looking for something like a laminate? If they have money you could use a slab of acryllic/resin cut to fit the top of the bar - lots of interesting lighting potential there.
we use cheng's latest penetrating sealer and have had good luck with it but no penetrating sealer can really withstand red wine if it sits too long. and if you use a topical sealer, you will loose the feel of the concrete as it will look plastic coated. i'd recommend staying away from any thick topical sealers. they will kill the warmth of the concrete.
did you grind the concrete to expose the aggregate or just polish it fresh out of the mold? or is this poured in place?
http://www.concreteexchange.com/index.jsp
why not just lightly wax it?
it was poured in place - and this penetrating sealer might do the job (I was just looking at the page you gave, thanks). it is more or less what i had in mind - they suggest some waxing over the sealer: I suppose that gives it again a very different look. have you tried that?
i have waxed pour stone and plaster, but not normal weight concrete. i'd imagine the results would be similar. i really like the wax because it increases the contrast between the fines and agrregates.
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