Contractor, Owner and all Sub Contractor Awareness - Finished Concrete Floors

Texas Etch & Score does not pour concrete, we work with existing concrete to create a beautifully unique and durable finished floor.  ALL who are involved with the building project should read and understand the following information regarding this process. It must be verbalized often that the concrete slab will ultimately be the finished floor.

Concrete Sub Contractor

• Underslab Vapor Barrier / Retarder (10 or 15 mil Polyethylene) to be placed before concrete slab being poured. Vapor barriers can be purchased at concrete supply stores, i.e. Sheplers Concrete Supply / Austin, Texas. All beams should be wrapped and all tears must be repaired prior to placing concrete slab.
  
• Preferably use five-sack mix (3500 psi). Do not use surface curing compounds. Limit use of fly ash if possible.
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• Do not walk on slab before surface is dry to avoid footprints.
  
• Do not use Fiberglass Mesh or Fibers in concrete mix.

Interior Applications

• To achieve a polished marble-like, hard, slick finish, the Concrete Finishers must Power Trowel (Burnish) Slab.

Exterior Applications

• To achieve a slip resistant, limestone-like finish, the Concrete Finishers must apply a heavy rock salt finish. Be sure concrete finishers have rock salt on hand. Also, a light broom finish can be applied to achieve slip resistance.

Protecting the Concrete Slab

Do not write on slab with anything other than pencil. Framers are to use blue chalk only. The following are examples of what may penetrate and permanently stain the slab - red chalk, wax pencils, adhesives (tape), PVC primer / glue, primers, paint, caulk, flux, oils, gas, grease, liquid nail, silicone, food, coke, coffee, (other beverages included), metals left on slab can leave rust and oil marks (nails, angle iron, etc.). When ladders are being used on slab, the feet of the ladder should be wrapped or capped to keep from scarring and marking the slab.

Slab should be cleaned daily. Plywood, stacked lumber, sawdust, insulation board, pressboard, polyethylene (plastic) can draw moisture from slab and cause patterned water stains to slab. Wall plates for doorways and cased openings need to be cut out early in framing process.

**** Areas that are to be scored and stained should be kept clean ***

Floor must be kept covered during the priming / painting / lacquer processes. Protect floor with Rosin Paper, Green Paper overlapped and taped (No tape directly on floors). After trim package is complete and baseboards are to be painted, it is recommended that blue painters tape and rosin paper be applied to floor edges to protect finish. Masking must be removed immediately upon completion of paint.

Examples of our concrete work