The basic reason for masking up is to protect indoor and outdoor areas that we don’t want overspray or paint on. 

For every decorative concrete applicator working with spray-on concrete or concrete sealers, they are all familiar with masking as a form of prep work for decorative concrete resurfacing or painting.

Even though this could be seen as the most vital step for a successful job we still find applicators using a variety of methods and tools to make this an efficient and effective part of surface preparation.

To start masking you will need three things:

Firstly, you will need Barefoot Concrete’s Mask Up Outdoors product

Secondly, you will need an efficient and effective masking up process

Thirdly, you may need a tool to speed up the process

The first thing we recommend is using a good product. Barefoot Concrete has designed a product that is fit for purpose for the decorative concrete resurfacing industry. 

Mask Up Outdoors is a high quality, industrial-grade, multi-purpose pre-taped masking film that is suitable for masking up outdoor areas in diverse weather conditions and is fit for purpose across many different industries.

Why is it different? Because it has been designed for the outdoors with superior adhesion. As such it will hold up better in outdoor windy conditions better than any other market. It also has great UV resistance as well as waterproof properties so it can resist moisture and cling to outdoor surfaces.

Its a great product for protecting outdoor concrete, walls, glass, aluminium, pillars, pool surrounds, gates, garage doors and fences when painting or spraying on and sealing concrete overlays for decorative concrete resurfacing.

Secondly, things work best when we use good processes that are efficient and save us time on the job. As such, the functional design is critical to how the applicators apply the product so that their work is easy.

The best way to apply Mask Up Outdoors is at ground level and the masking film pulled upwards and secured to the wall by tagging with bits of masking tape.

The quality and durability of the Mask Up Outdoors are extremely important as it has to attach to outdoor brick, concrete, smooth and rough surfaces, and slightly damp surfaces at ground level and not allow seepage or bleeding through onto the surface it is supposed to protect. Therefore, the process is greatly affected by the features of the product so it can be applied efficiently. All Mask Up pre-taped masking film has an electrostatic charge to help to keep the masking film in place and cling to surfaces for ease of use and when using spray equipment in windy conditions.

Thirdly, some applicators use innovative tools to help speed up the process, as you can see from the main video. This masking tool enables the applicator to mask up areas much faster than not using a tool.

When using a masking tool you want to start out with a good process where you mask to the wall at ground level to minimize bleed through onto the surface. The tape is a pressure-sensitive adhesive so as you go stick the end of the masking paper down and walk your fingers back towards the masker, pressing the tape onto the surface as you go. When you are ready for more masking, press your fingers down on the masked wall to create tension, and simply pull out another length of masking as you go. Rinse and repeat.

When it does come time to cut the masking, use a box cutter or scissors, tear at an angle, as opposed to placing all of the teeth of the blade to the paper. This allows a smooth, clean line to tear off every time.

Probably the biggest trick in making sure your masking job is successful, is going back and tacking your paper down to the surface about every meter. When you spray the pressure may cause the masking film or tape to loosen so make sure it adheres firmly to the surface. Tacking that masking tape and film down properly will prevent any overspray on the protected surfaces. from sneaking up under where it’s unwanted. Also tape any seams where two pieces of pre-taped masking film connect by using Barefoot’ Concrete’s masking tape to you don’t have gaps in your protective masking.

My last tip for you is this, make sure that you have good coverage in every direction. Don’t leave any spaces that may be vulnerable to overspray if you do not cover it. Don’t forget to tack it down so it doesn’t kick up from the force of the pressure of the hopper gun.

Finally, one of the keys to masking is remembering that it is always better to over mask than to under mask. It’s going to take much less time to over mask than it would to try to remove overspray from your surface, that’s for sure! Especially something like brick! Masking up with Mask Up Outdoors is so cheap, so really go overboard to ensure that you’re not going to have any overspray messing up your plans at the end of a long day!

Go to our Facebook page to see a video of the Barefoot Concrete Mask Up Outdoors pre-taped masking film application in action!

High in durability and low in environmental impact, concrete is the perfect flooring material for sustainable living

Building homes that are green and environmentally friendly has become the mantra for more and more builders and homeowners, as they discover how easy it can be to attain all the benefits of sustainable construction without sacrificing aesthetics or breaking the budget. In fact, going green often saves money, especially over time, while being kinder to planet Earth.

Decorative concrete flooring is a perfect example of this synergy of beauty, sustainability and economy, giving you a durable, low-maintenance floor that will last the life of your home. Concrete floors, when left exposed, conserve resources by functioning both as a foundation slab and finished floor.

This eliminates the need for carpeting and other floor coverings that would eventually require replacement. In addition to conserving materials, concrete flooring offers many other environmental benefits, such as contributing to better energy efficiency and improving indoor air quality. These are the most compelling reasons to go green with decorative concrete floors.

Design versatility

Typically, interior concrete floor slabs have been hidden under other flooring materials such as carpet, hardwood, vinyl or ceramic tile. But why waste resources and money to add another layer of flooring when you can simply leave the concrete exposed?

Decorative techniques such as colouring, staining, stamping, stencilling and polishing give you unlimited design versatility, allowing you to create floors that mimic more traditional materials, such as tile or slate, or custom design a look that’s totally unique.

If you’re concerned about the toxicity of the products used to colour, stain and seal concrete, you now have more environmentally friendly options available. Although some concrete sealers and coatings are still solvent-based, many products today are available in low-odour, nontoxic versions that won’t affect indoor air quality.

Durability and resource conservation

When properly installed and sealed, a decorative concrete floor should last a lifetime and will never need replacement.

Few flooring materials can boast this same longevity. Carpet, tile and even wood floors eventually need replacement, which uses up resources and creates waste disposal problems. If you stick with a neutral colour palette for your concrete floor, it will easily accommodate any future changes to your interior décor.

Concrete floors also utilize sustainable materials. The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Your ready-mix supplier can also make concrete using waste byproducts, which reduces the consumption of raw materials. Fly ash, slag cement and silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills and other manufacturing facilities, are commonly used as partial cement replacements.

Decorative concrete floors can also incorporate recycled products, such as crushed glass, bits of recycled plastic, marble chips, metal shavings and even seashells.

Finally, in the highly unlikely event that your concrete floor ever needs to be replaced, the concrete itself can also be recycled at the end of its long service life.

Another way concrete floors minimize waste: The fresh concrete that goes into a floor slab is manufactured at a local ready-mix plant in the quantities needed for each project. This also saves on the energy required to transport a factory-made product such as tile or carpet from the plant, to the distributor and eventually to your home.

Energy efficiency

Because of their thermal mass and ability to retain heat, concrete floors are ideal for passive solar home designs. When homes are built to take advantage of solar radiation entering through windows in the winter months, concrete floors will absorb the heat from the direct sunlight and release the stored heat as needed at night to keep rooms warmer. Conversely in the summer and in hot climates, concrete floors shielded from the sun will stay cool longer and can actually help lower air-conditioning costs.

Concrete floors are also ideal for use with energy-efficient in-floor heating systems. With radiant heating, coils heated by electricity or hot water are embedded in concrete floors, warming the floor itself to deliver clean, even heat.

The Healthy House Institute says that with radiant heating, people can be comfortable at lower temperatures than with forced-air heating, helping to rein in utility bills. Another benefit: When homes are heated with in-floor radiant heating, no air is being blown around, as with forced-air systems, so no dust or dirt gets recirculated into the air.

Economy

An exposed concrete floor is often an economical alternative to other finish solutions such as hardwood flooring and tile. For new residential construction or commercial projects with site-cast concrete floor slabs, choosing to leave the concrete floors exposed can save big money over the life of the building.

For instance, you don’t have to buy and install an additional floor covering to put on top of the floor slab. In addition, the durability and low maintenance needs of concrete flooring will save you the recurring maintenance and replacement costs associated with less-enduring flooring materials, such as carpet and vinyl tile. In a typical home environment, decorative concrete floors are very low-maintenance, requiring only periodic sweeping or wet mopping.

Barefoot Concrete is introducing a range of epoxy resin crack repair systems for concrete restoration.

Epoxy-based grouting is preferred to cement due to the quick setting of the epoxy, very low shrinkage, excellent adhesion, high strength, low viscosity to penetrate even hair cracks and good resistance to most chemicals. However, epoxy grouting is expensive and therefore should be used when cement grouting is not suitable for crack repair for the required functioning of the structure.

Epoxy grouting is done based on the type of crack and the width and depth of the crack in the concrete structure. Grouting of wide cracks requires a large quantity of grout material. Due to the cost fillers may be used to fill the cracks before applying the epoxy grouting system.

Very low viscosity epoxy resin is used for injection grouting of cracks. This is based on the width of the crack, the depth and extent of cracks, the viscosity of the resin hardener mix, their proportions, pot life, and application procedure etc.

The first crack repair system is the epoxy resin sealing mortar. It possesses high hardness, excellent polish, strong adhesion, fast curing, and bonds easily with the substrate such as concrete, stone, steel. It is mainly used for crack sealing and base bonding during the process of repairing concrete cracks.

The epoxy resin sealing mortar is a modified epoxy resin with excellent initial adhesiveness. It works well at low temperature or room temperature with a fast curing speed. It has high adhesive strength after curing, good hardness and toughness. It has good anti-acid characteristics after curing, good performance against moisture, water, oil, dust, humidity and weather ageing. The cured products have good strength for tension, pressure and bonding.

The second crack repair system is an epoxy resin grouting adhesive. It is mainly used for concrete crack grouting, repairing, reinforcement of beams, floors, poles, building basements, bridges and roadways. It is a two-component injection adhesive with modified epoxy resin and can be hardened at room temperature.

It is useful for repairing and reinforcing concrete cracks on outer and inner walls, roofs, beams, poles and floors. It can be used for repairing hollow parts of walls and floors, ceramics and stones. It is good for repairing cracks on concrete buildings, even prefabricated components, equipment, silos, reservoirs, dams, bridges, tunnels, pipes, and concrete pavements.

The epoxy resin for crack injection effectively seals cracks and improves the durability of concrete. It is waterproof, corrosion-resistant, ageing resistant, has low viscosity, fluidity, and can, therefore, be applied to cracks smaller than 0.05mm. After curing it has excellent toughness and impact resistance. It is easy to handle, has minimal maintenance requirements and is of reliable quality.

The third crack repair system is an epoxy resin structural adhesive that is eco-friendly. This product is a specialized adhesive for carbon fibre bonding reinforcement. It has good wettability, is a two-component system, contains no poison, and is widely used in structural reinforcement of beams, floors slabs, bridges, piers, and the seismic reinforcement of all kinds of concrete structures.

This product is a high-performance epoxy resin fibre bonding adhesive and can be used for effectual permeable bonding between concrete, steel, ceramic, stone, wood and other substrates with carbon fibre, glass fibre, basalt fibres, and aramid fibres etc. It is mainly used for building reinforcement.

The epoxy resin structural adhesive has excellent physical properties as it’s tensile strength is more than 10 times higher than that of ordinary steel, its modulus of elasticity is close to steel. It is suitable for reinforcement of Steel bars in concrete structures. It is widely used in bending, shear, compression reinforcement of section unit, and seismic strengthening of structures and masonry reinforcement.

The weight proportion of the product is only 1/4 to steel, the thickness of each layer is less than 1mm, and there is almost no increase in the weight and size of the original structure. There is no need for large construction equipment, and no other fixed facilities are needed as it has a short construction period. It has good corrosion resistance and durability. If you compare this product with steel-adhered reinforcement methods, it has a lower cost, and easier for construction quality assurance.

All three products come in 5, 10 and 15kg systems. Barefoot concrete also provides an Injection Auto Pressure Pump for epoxy crack injection and a high-quality Manual Epoxy Injection Dual Gun. Please contact Barefoot Concrete for a price.

Polished concrete is without a doubt the hottest market segment in decorative concrete today. It has held that title for the last few years and shows no signs of giving up the number one position any time soon.

The commercial and industrial flooring communities have embraced polished concrete as the new standard when a combination of aesthetics, durability, reduced construction costs, and minimal environmental impact is desired.

Many large retailers have switched to polished concrete as the standard flooring for both new and existing stores. The word on the street from experts from all fields of polished concrete is that there is a common recurring theme – “growth.” The polished concrete industry barely existed 15 years ago. However, today, it now dominates the decorative concrete marketplace, as evidenced by the annual revenue it generates.

What’s more, the growth in the popularity of polished concrete is unlikely to wane, especially as the word spreads about the many benefits of polished floors. Unfortunately, along with this huge market growth comes the lure of easy money. Many installers have ventured into the industry without a true understanding of the market and the large capital investment required. For many, reality soon replaces perception as it becomes evident that polishing concrete requires a high level of concrete expertise, on-the-job experience, and some deep pockets to survive the initial startup.

The biggest mistake installers new to polishing make is to assume that all concrete is a good candidate for polishing. With polishing, the concrete you start with has the biggest impact on what you end up with, and in many cases, the installer has no control in how the concrete is placed and finished.

Learning to read concrete is an art that comes with years of being on the floor behind the machine, a fact often missed by the novice installer.

In recent years, the level of education provided by the supply side of the industry regarding the reality of what it takes to be successful has been increasing. This trend needs to continue, with emphasis not only directed toward the installer side of the business but to end users as well.

In the early 2000s, polished concrete was marketed and sold to designers and owners as a maintenance-free flooring option. But it didn’t take long before many polished floors began showing significant wear and required some level of maintenance to perform as promised. An industry-wide reality check in the mid-2000s brought the marketing side of the industry in line with the true production capabilities of polished concrete floors. It is a testament to the staying power and market acceptance of polished concrete that the industry absorbed those initial failures, changed the marketing focus, developing new products and systems to meet the demands, and hardly missed a beat.

Barefoot Concrete offers polished concrete coating systems that are carried out in a multi-step mechanical process, with or without aggregate exposure. The most popular finish is grinding the concrete surface to expose aggregates or stones in the concrete and showing the natural beauty of the stone.

Polished Concrete Floors are extremely durable, low in maintenance and create a unique and stylish look with maximum protection due to a seamless finish.

There are two types of polished concrete. The first one is called “grind and seal,” which is followed by the application of a topical surface sealer. The second is called “mechanically polished concrete,” where a densification of the concrete surface is carried out during the process. This happens by mechanically polishing the concrete in stages with finer diamond tools, which is then sealed with a penetrating sealer.

Barefoot Concrete uses industrial-grade, water-based, high strength penetrating potassium densifiers which have been specifically formulated to strengthen and harden the concrete. It provides a surface that will be more resistant to wear, chemicals and dusting. Due to the products unique features, it has excellent penetration, good dry and through cure. Our densifiers are suitable for use on concrete surfaces and exposed aggregates, and an excellent choice for polishing concrete. This high-performance product will increase the life of concrete and provide maximum protection.

Polished concrete flooring is used in many environments such as residential, commercial and industrial applications where a long lasting solution to floor maintenance and a hard wearing protection is required. Call us to find out more.

Polished concrete floors may look as smooth as glass, but they are completely safe to walk on when kept clean and dry.

What’s more, they tend to be less slippery than waxed linoleum or polished marble. In public facilities with heavy foot traffic, however, preventing slip-and-fall accidents is a top priority.

Here are some tips for improving the slip-resistance of polished concrete floors in these environments:

• Keep polished floors free of oil, grease and standing water. Follow a routine maintenance program, and clean spills and stains from the floor as soon as possible.
• Apply an anti-slip conditioner. These products contain special additives designed to improve traction and make wet surfaces safer. They must be reapplied periodically, but they can simply be mopped on during routine cleaning.
• Apply a sealer coat to polished concrete that contains an anti-slip grit additive. These products are simply mixed into the sealer before applying to increase traction without taking away from the appearance of the polished surface.
• Used polished concrete flooring in display areas or zones of low traffic, supplemented by rubber mats or area rugs in high-traffic entryways.

Polished concrete is fast becoming the ultimate no-wax flooring material. Thanks to recent advances in polishing equipment and techniques, Barefoot Concrete is offering to grind concrete floor surfaces, whether new or old, to a high-gloss finish that never needs waxes or coatings.

Factor in the superior durability and performance of concrete, and it’s no wonder why more retail, warehouse, and office facilities are opting for polished concrete flooring as an alternative to marble, granite, tile, linoleum, or coated concrete. Even homeowners are catching on to the appeal of these smooth, high-lustre floors, which can be stained to replicate the look of polished stone.

Because polishing is a multistep process, you can choose the level of sheen – from satin to high-gloss – that meets your maintenance and aesthetic requirements. This versatility makes polished concrete an ideal flooring material for a variety of applications.

Talk to a Barefoot Concrete consultant to give you a complete overview of polished concrete floors, including the benefits, design options, equipment requirements and maintenance needs.

You’ll learn the basic steps in the polishing process, the differences between wet and dry polishing, and the advantages of polished concrete compared with other flooring materials including carpeting, wood, ceramic tile, natural stone, and vinyl tile. You’ll also find the average costs of polished concrete and what factors affect the final price of installing polished concrete floors.

You’ll learn how the contractor prepares concrete surfaces before polishing to ensure good results, as well as why some concrete floors may not be good candidates for polishing. Also, you will discover the difference between the various levels of shine possible with polished concrete, ranging from low gloss to reflective mirror-like finishes.

Plus get popular design options for polished concrete, including colouring with stains and dyes, decorative engraving, and stencilled graphics. Find ideas for achieving interesting decorative effects by applying multiple colours of dye and using faux-finishing techniques.

Finally, you’ll learn how to clean and maintain polished concrete, how to improve the slip-resistance of polished concrete floors, and the environmentally friendly attributes of polished concrete.

Be aware that the process of polishing concrete floors requires a great deal of expertise and the use of specialised heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with diamond-impregnated disks that gradually grind down surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness. Considering the investment in equipment and the skill required, it’s definitely not a project for the do-it-yourselfer. You’ll want to hire a professional concrete polishing contractor to do the work, therefore, contact Barefoot Concrete.

Garage floor coverings can be installed over most concrete garage floors, provided they are properly prepared. Barefoot Concrete recommends that a professional install the epoxy floor rather than DIY.

Before installing any system to your garage floor, it must be clean and free of any debris that may prevent bonding, such as dirt, oil or sealer. Scrub the floor with detergent and a power scrubber. Acid wash with a solution of four parts water to one part acid, then neutralize the surface with a solution of one part ammonia to ten parts water. Work the neutralizer into the surface with a stiff-bristled brush then rinse with a high-powered washer.

Pay special attention to cleaning any cracks that may be on the floor, as they must be dealt with prior to installing your garage floor covering. Small cracks can be filled with a crack repair kit and then scraped level with the floor. If the crack is large, overfill it with the crack repair mortar, then grind the epoxy to floor level after it’s dry. A fast-drying cementitious material can be used to fill in any deteriorated spots or rough areas. For tooled control joints, a thin bead of simple latex caulk can be applied to seal the bottom of the joint. This will provide a smooth joint for your garage floor system, resulting in an easy-to-clean floor. Saw cut or expansion joints can be filled with a polyurethane caulk.

If you suspect your garage floor has moisture issues that will prevent your new flooring system from bonding, there is a simple test you can do. Cut out a square piece of plastic sheeting, approximately 1m. by 1m, and tape all edges of the sheeting to your floor. If water collects on the underside of the plastic, you have moisture vapour transmission and you will need to put down a good vapour barrier before the primer coat. Discuss this option with your installer.

A good garage floor system will consist of a primer, a base coat and a top coat. A primer coat is necessary to ensure a good bond. Apply the primer with a roller according to manufacturer’s directions and allow to dry. When the surface is dry to the touch, apply the epoxy or urethane base coat. Broadcast the colour flakes evenly into the wet base. The flakes can be applied lightly to show the base colour or heavily for increased coverage and durability. Blow or sweep off loose flakes. Scrape the floor using a metal floor scraper to ensure no paint chips are sticking up then blow the floor again. Next seal the system with a finish coat of polyurethane, which is UV resistant and won’t yellow or fade in sunlight. Allow the floor to dry for 48 hours before allowing foot traffic and up to five days for vehicle traffic. Two sealer coats may be required if a full broadcast is applied.

For additional slip resistance, you can add slip resistant aggregates to the finish coat to increase traction and reduce slip-fall issues. The aggregates are available in different sizes, and issues such as climate and the degree of slip resistance desired must be taken into account when choosing the proper additive. Be sure to discuss the options with your contractor and have him or her show you a sample.

You can also frame the floor for a more finished look. The stem walls, those four-inch borders that go around the perimeter of the garage, can be covered with your chosen garage floor system for a cleaner, more finished look. Apply system as you would for any horizontal surface.

Finally, maintaining your garage floor

Maintaining your garage floor coating is simple. For daily maintenance, a soft broom or dust mop works well. For a thorough cleaning, simply wash the floor with a neutral cleaner and follow with a good rinsing.

To eliminate those inevitable tire marks from your garage floor, use a gentle cleaner or any other citrus degreaser. Be sure to check the labels and stay away from anything harsh.

Although garage floor systems are resistant to many substances, they’re not impervious. Certain substances may damage the floor system if left to stand, so it’s important to clean up any spills immediately. Battery acid is especially harmful to finishes and may cause them to bubble; so if your new garage will house golf carts that need to be recharged overnight, make sure to put a plate under the battery compartment. With a little prevention and minimal maintenance, your garage floor system can be enjoyed for years to come.

Polished concrete is a popular alternative to concrete overlays and other design solutions for concrete. Due to advances in technology and equipment contractors can grind concrete floor surfaces, whether new or old, to a high-gloss finish that never needs waxes or coatings.

Because of the superior durability and performance of concrete, businesses, retailers, warehouses, and office facilities are opting for polished concrete flooring as an alternative to marble, granite, tile, linoleum, or coated concrete.

Even homeowners are opting into polished concrete solutions for the modern appeal of these smooth, high-lustre floors, which can be stained to replicate the look of polished stone.

Contact Barefoot Concrete to get popular design options for polished concrete, including colouring and patterns. Talk to us about finding ideas for achieving interesting decorative effects, how to clean and maintain polished concrete, how to improve the slip-resistance of polished concrete floors and the environmentally friendly attributes of polished concrete.

Note that polishing concrete floors requires a great deal of expertise and the use of specialized heavy-duty polishing machines equipped with diamond disks that gradually grind down surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness. Considering the investment in equipment and the skill required, it’s definitely not a project for the do-it-yourselfer. You’ll want to hire a professional concrete polishing contractor to do the work.