CCAT natural concrete stain: Difference between revisions

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Natural Stain for Concrete Floors

Another Campus Center for Appropriate Technology project brought to you by an HSU student

Introduction

The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) at Humboldt State University has been in the process of reconstruction for several years. With reconstruction drawing to an end and plans for moving back into the new old Buck House finalizing, many efforts at finishing touches have begun (You can be a part too!). The downstairs of CCAT will be a completely public space, with an ADA accessible bathroom, office space, a possible art gallery, living space, a composting room, a mechanical room, and access to the future attached greenhouse. Currently the floor is bare concrete, poured by Beacom Construction earlier in the construction process, with a radiant heat system installed by (*). The need to make the floor beautiful and durable was expressed, with natural and non-toxic methodology preferred. Jess Huyghebaert, late in the Spring 2007 semester, has decided to take this on as her ENGR 305 project, convinced that it is possible to adapt the not-so-eco-friendly concrete floor to something that demonstrates using natural elements and compromise between conventional and non-conventional construction.

Hopes and Objectives

An answer was found deep in a woman's personal account in cyber space and made clear on the back of a box of Iron Sulfate lawn fertilizer reading as such "IRON WILL STAIN. Remove as soon as possible when Iron Sulfate comes in contact and do not allow contact on wet concrete, as it will stain the surface." Perfect. Beautiful red brown floors will ensue on the CCAT downstair concrete floors, sealed by natural sealants, to welcome visitors warmly into CCAT.

Discovery

The difficulty in working with a concrete floor, is that unlike a wall, floors receive much wear and tear and have somewhat complicated chemical make up. Thus, any product used on concrete tends to have harsh components and some chemical composition that is not entirely eco or anthro friendly. When the search was begun for a natural concrete stain and sealant, it became apparent that the majority of products were manufactured by companies and individual solutions were almost nonexistent. Then, the webpage of one woman who reported staining her concrete floor with a lawn fertilizer was discovered. Cathy Moore (link her) read in a Strawbale production about using copperas, or iron sulfate as a stain for concrete. When found in nurseries, hardware and gardening stores, the product itself is used for lawn greening, containing some percentage of iron and sulfur. A warming on the back of the box tells users to avoid contact with concrete, as the iron component will stain. Perfect!

Implementation

The process must begin with a perfectly clean floor. Some have suggested utilizing a floor buffer, but I found that a simple eco-friendly soap, some real hard scrubbing and mopping multiple times got the floor clean enough. It can be difficult to get concrete "clean". I had difficulty as the contractor who poured the concrete must have walked in it and there was strange rust stains I couldn't get out. The stain masks these pretty well, but does create some inconsistency.

Supplies!

• Mop
• Soap
• Scrub brush
• Broom (or two)
• Bucket
• Iron Sulfate.

    Hi Yield Copperas has been the reported product name, but I found a "Lilly Miller" brand of Iron Sulfate, coming from Oregon at the nursery in McKinleyville. 

• coffee grounds, for a darker stain, found used at any coffee shop for free.
• pillow case/ skirt ends
• gloves
• socks

Prep Work

The process must begin with a perfectly clean floor. Some have suggested utilizing a floor buffer, but I found that a simple eco-friendly soap, some real hard scrubbing and mopping multiple times got the floor clean enough. It can be difficult to get concrete "clean". I had difficulty as the contractor who poured the concrete must have walked in it and there was strange rust stains I couldn't get out. The stain masks these pretty well, but does create some inconsistency.

Let it Flood

Wohoo clean floor! Now let's put some more stuff on it! Depending on how dark you want your floor to be, you should experiment with the saturation point of iron sulfate in water. These are the two ratios I have tried so far- along with their results.

• 1 lb (16 oz) iron sulfate to 1 gallon (4 quarts) water ratio gives a orange stain.
• 2 lb iron sulfate to 1 gallon water + 1~2 cups coffee grounds gives a more saturated, or

Problems

Options Options Options

Waste Stream

I was very conscious of how much waste this project created. To date I have recycled several plastic gloves and wrapper from the mop, recycled the cardboard box the iron sulfate came in. I have used old clothes ripped up for rags, skirt ends as means for spreading the stain, saved the 5 gallon buckets from other construction uses. The floor was disgusting, from being in a household under construction, so all that I swept up went into the trashcan (containing little metal shards, texture, gypsum, paint, etc.) I will have to toss the mop head when I am completed with the project, but the handle is reusable

How Others have Done It

Why Not Just use Conventional Methods?

Cool Floor, Cool House