FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Slabs: Generally, if the slab is bare (uncoated), logistics are reasonable, and if the square footage is over 1000 square feet the prices average: 1. $2-$4.50 per square foot for outdoor projects. 2. $3-5 per square foot for indoor projects. If other coatings, tile, carpet, baseboards, etc. have to be removed that is essentially a second project and we can price it fairly. Overall, the prices are still much lower and more durable than other flooring options. Countertops: We have to see the existing bar or countertop first. From there we can get the design theme you desire that goes with your style and we can normally save you at least 40% of the cost of all other options with a better product that is dramatic and durable.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Slabs/floors: We are technical artists. We explain the process thoroughly to our clients. Great communication leads to efficacious results. We do ALL projects in consecutive days. The slab "prep" process is very thorough. The better the prep, the better the results. After the prep process we start the artistic acid staining cycles. An acid stain neutralization process is next followed by the slab cleaning process. The sealing iterations are next. Proper sealers and technique are imperative. Projects (indoor and outdoor) generally take 3-5 days. Acid staining reacts with the concrete to create stone-like effects. It is NOT a coating process and it is as durable as the concrete! Rather than tear out the slab or re-coat it with a paint / coating (that WILL de-laminate) and rather than do an overlay (which WILL crack) consider our alternative. It'll save you a bundle over alternatives and the transformation is dramatic. Countertops and bars: Detailed consultation with you and examination of your existing countertops and your company theme or your personal style and ambiance. Like the floors, it should flow with the design theme. Bar countertops can be dramatic and match the floors. Same with the countertops, but they can be subtle too. The main advantage is that in 90% of the projects we use the existing countertop and bar surfaces! That eliminates the cost of tearout and replacements AND saves on ALL other quality surfaces.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am a geological engineer by background (a rock and concrete doctor, so to speak). I had 7 years of experience in chemical sales domestically and in Asia and wrote procedures for applications of various chemical products. I have done over 200 concrete transformation projects too. Also, I am an artist and I make sure my apprentices are polite, clean cut, efficient, and conscientious. We run our projects like the military. I personally am on every project and I do all of the supervising and the artistic staining. Unlike painting or coating, acid staining takes a very skilled artist/artisan/chemist to get the colors correct, the patterns looking natural, and the concentrations correct. Also, sealing is a technical art. The correct sealer and correct techniques are learned after years of experience. We apply our sealers using spray processes in iterations. Rolling is incorrect. I am a stickler for neatness and we leave the project site clean, free of debris, etc. The resulting transformation is rich and dramatic. Re-sealing of floor slabs depends on the milieu and use. We provide a class to teach you how to re-seal or re-wax (hard wax that is not mucky) floor surfaces efficiently. The first seal cycles we do are the most important.