Available in eight colors, Kemiko Stone Tone Stain is the perfect choice for both interior and exterior surfaces. Used for commercial and residential projects, concrete staining also lends a clean, attractive look to driveways, patios, walkways and entrances. It is perfect for high-traffic areas and is very affordable. Kemiko Stone Tone buff on Wax II or Stone Tone Sealer II and Easy Shine can be applied to further enhance depth of color and provide surface protection. We look forward to assisting you or your client in creating beautiful, durable, and affordable stained concrete projects. Color results may vary.

For technical bulletins, color card, and flyers
on the Kemiko products,
please see the following link:
http://www.epmar.com/knowledge/knowledge_concrete_kemiko_decorative_finishes.html
 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Epmar Corporation suggests that you view your project and the use of Kemiko products as a “Path to a beautiful concrete floor”. Please consider the following options, THEN CHOOSE A PATH.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

CAUTION: KEMIKO STAIN CONTAINS ACID. Use safety goggles, rubber gloves and rubber apron. Whenever exposure to vapor/mist is likely, wear a properly fitted NIOSH/MSHA approved respirator, unless levels are below applicable limits.

It is always recommended that a small out-of-the-way section of your project be tested to see if the desired reaction occurs. If it does not, you probably have surface contaminants on your slab.

A new concrete slab must have cured for four to six (4-6) weeks. The optimum time to stain in a new home is after all construction (taping, bedding, texturing, and painting) is completed and just prior to the base boards being affixed, however, staining can be performed at any time if proper protection measures are taken. We recommend that you protect your new slab during the construction phase with plastic, paper, cardboard, plywood, or sheet rock covering as the initial cleaning step will be much easier, but you must make sure that your protection choice does not impede the proper curing of the concrete. All laborers should be advised that the slab will be the finished floor.

If scoring is desired in a new project, giving the impression of stone or tiles, we suggest that it be done within three to four days after the slab is poured, however, scoring can be done at any time. We suggest that the scoring groove be no deeper than 1/8 inch, if you do not plan on grouting your floor. Deeper grooves will collect dirt.


STEP ONE - WASH DO NOT ACID WASH BEFORE APPLYING KEMIKO STAIN

Wash the concrete surface, as it must be clean and free of paints, wax, grease, dirt, and other surface contaminants. Do not acid wash or use heavy alkali cleaners. Kemiko Neutra Clean is an excellent mild all purpose cleaner and when mixed with water, can be used to clean the slab by scrubbing with a slow-speed floor machine and long handled stiff bristle brushes, then wet vacuumed (preferred) and/or mopped (many moppings may be necessary) to remove all dirt. After washing and rinsing, allow the floor to dry completely.

Protect all walls with tape, paper and/or plastic. Do not allow the stain to touch any wood or metal and do not apply tape directly to concrete.


STEP TWO - STAIN (First application)

NOTE: Before applying this product, verify that the color indicated on the container is the same as the color ordered from Epmar Corporation. Epmar Corporation expressly disclaims any damages resulting from the application of an inappropriate color of stain.

Generally, you will mix equal parts stain with equal parts water (50%-50%). We suggest you use an all-plastic garden type (insecticide) pump-up sprayer (no metal parts) as you can control volume much easier and remember that (VOLUME EQUALS DEPTH OF COLOR).

Make sure all container lids are tight and shake vigorously before using. Put the water in the spray container, and then add equal parts stain. Close the lid, pump up the pressure and begin randomly spraying the mixture on the floor by holding the nozzle of the wand approximately 18 inches from the floor. The finer the spray, the more natural the look. Try to avoid precise back and forth motions. You should apply the mixture leaving ‘full moisture, short of puddles’. Try not to leave puddles as puddle edges hold more moisture (Volume equals depth of color). As you apply the stain, there may be varying degrees of fizzing and there may not be a lot of color. Let the floor dry completely.

Drying time will depend on porosity, temperature, humidity and volume, but it may take several hours. Do not walk on the floor while it is wet or damp. Do not remove the residue that is left from the chemical reaction.

Using the same procedure as mentioned above, apply the second application. Again allow the floor to dry completely. You will notice darker tones of color appearing at this time.


STEP THREE - WASH

After the floor has completely dried; scrub off the residue with Kemiko Neutra Clean using a slow speed floor machine with a scrub brush attachment or a long handled medium stiff bristle brush, and remove the water/residue mixture from the floor with a wet vacuum (preferred), mop and squeegee. Test: If color is left on a white towel after wiping the floor, clean again. Allow the floor to dry completely.

CAUTION: Choose the ‘Step Four’ that is in your path to a beautiful concrete floor.
NEVER PUT SEALER ON WAX.

STEP FOUR – KEMIKO SS1600 – INTERIOR

Kemiko SS1600 is a two component, water extended epoxy coating that offers excellent physical properties, a long pot life, low VOC, water clean up, low odor, and is designed to be used as a thin film resilient primer/finish. Apply Kemiko SS1600 to properly prepared cement and steel substrates subject to traffic and chemicals. You may use a top-quality nylon bristle brush, a roller or an airless spray. Recoat in a minimum of 6-hours to a maximum of 3-days. See Technical Bulletin for more information.

STEP FOUR – KEMIKO SS2700– INTERIOR/EXTERIOR

Kemiko SS2700 Aliphatic Polyurethane is a user friendly waterborne, universal, high solids, HDI cured two component product offering very good UV and chemical resistance, excellent abrasion resistance, and cures to a very durable film. You may use a top-quality nylon bristle brush, a roller, or a conventional spray. Keep wet films thin. Multiple thin coats are recommended over fewer heavy coats. See Technical Bulletins for more information.

STEP FOUR – STA-NATURAL – EXTERIOR

Kemiko Sta Natural is a 0 VOC, extremely user-friendly silane/siloxane emulsion for sealing exterior concrete and cementitious substrates. The substrate should be dry and clean of any contaminants. Kemiko Sta Natural is best applied by spraying but can be rolled or brushed. Drying time is 1 hour for re-coating, 4 hours for foot traffic, 24 hours for heavy traffic and 48 hours to full cure. It does not give a wet look appearance. Do not apply if rain is forecast within 24 hours of application.


STEP FOUR – SEALER – INTERIOR /EXTERIOR

You must allow the concrete slab to dry before applying Kemiko Stone Tone Sealer II. It is generally best applied with an airless sprayer or a professional pump-up sprayer. Rollers and pad applicators may be used; however, it is more difficult to control volume. Two coats of sealer will almost always be necessary and additional coats may be necessary on porous surfaces. Kemiko Stone Tone Sealer II should dry 1 hour before re-coat, 4 hours before foot traffic, 24 hours before heavy traffic and 48-72 hours for full cure.

For extra protection, Kemiko Easy Shine Mop On Wax should be applied over Kemiko Stone Tone Sealer II.


STEP FOUR – KEMIKO SS3300 – INTERIOR/EXTERIOR

Kemiko SS3300 is a 100% solids two component polyaspartic that exhibits excellent adhesion, UV resistance, chemical resistance, is 0-VOC and has rapid setting properties. It may be used as a decorative or industrial environment basecoat and topcoat for exterior concrete and carbon steel substrates.

Kemiko SS3300 is designed to be applied with mechanical plural component, proportioned application equipment. Material temperature should be maintained at 70oF - 80oF to produce a consistent flow through the mechanical pumping system.

It could be hand mixed and poured as long as the product temperature is at least 60oF. Complete mixing is achieved within 2-minutes and product should be immediately poured onto prepared surface.

Safety: Contains polyurea/polyurethane and isocyanate resins! Do not use if you have adverse reaction to these chemicals! See Technical Bulletin for more information.

STEP FOUR – WAX – INTERIOR

Kemiko Stone Tone Wax II (Buff On) is best applied with a heavy floor polishing machine (slow speed {175 RPM}) and three attachments, a stiff natural bristle brush (‘Bassine’, most critical) to apply, a medium bristle brush (‘Palmyra, Union Mix, or Tampico’) to buff, and a polishing pad (may not be needed).

To begin, spread a smooth light coating of wax out from the walls (2-3 inches) and in the corners out to the radius of the floor machine attachment. Put on no more than 1/8 cup of wax on the floor in the center of the first 3 to 4 foot square. It will appear wet and dull. Immediately work the wax by spreading and burning it in with the natural stiff bristle attachment (this may take 1-2 minutes). Move to the next area maintaining no larger than a 3-4 foot quadrant and repeat the step only after the wax
in the preceding area has turned to a slight glare and the wax ridges have disappeared.

When you have completed the application phase, change to the medium bristle brush attachment and buff the entire floor including your original hand waxed areas. After buffing, if greater protection is desired, repeat the first phase applying a thin second coat. Then rebuff. If a slightly higher sheen is desired, buff with the soft polishing pad.


STEP FIVE – FINISH COAT - INTERIOR

It is always in the customer’s best interest to apply several coats of Kemiko Easy Shine Mop On Wax to all interior projects coated with Kemiko Stone Tone Sealer II or Kemiko Industrial topcoats as it will dramatically minimize scratching of the sealed coat. Kemiko Easy Shine is best applied by spraying, and then massaging it onto the floor surface with a micro-fiber pad in somewhat of a figure eight, back and forth motion. Drying time is 20-30 minutes. It is not to be applied over Kemiko Buff On Wax II.


MAINTENANCE

All decorative concrete floors require maintenance on a regular basis. Waxed and/or sealed floors are easy to care for. It is best to clean finished concrete floors with a damp mop and water only and/or a very mild detergent, if necessary. Heavy cleaners such as ammonia or bleach products should not be used.

Care should be taken to apply felt pads to all pieces of moveable furniture, and when possible, lift furniture when moving instead of dragging. It is far easier to maintain and re-wax stained concrete floors than to re-apply more sealers.

Retail and Commercial Projects

Contact your Kemiko Dealer for a full line of Kemiko Decorative & Industrial Coatings.

NOTE:
Should you have questions regarding the application of Kemiko products, we encourage you to call Epmar Corporation or your local dealer.

If you are interested in having your project done professionally, visit our “professional applicator directory” and find local and international applicators nearest to your project location.

Telephone: 800-875-4596  Fax: 562-944-9958
E-mail: kemiko@quakerchem.com  Web Site: www.kemiko.com

 
Revised Feb 2009

CLEANERS

Neutra Clean: Manufactured by Epmar Corporation and recommended for use during ‘STEP 1’ (above) in preparing concrete substrates for staining, by removing deleterious matter such as grime, soil, wall plaster and other construction related residue. Neutra Clean is also recommended for neutralizing and removing stain residue during ‘STEP 3’ (above) prior to waxing and/or sealing.
www.kemiko.com  1-800-875-4596 / 562-946-8781

Note: A new or old surface that is being prepared for staining may have any number of ‘known’ or ‘unknown’ contaminants. Preparing the concrete for staining may then become somewhat of a “trial and error” proposition as there are many products on the market that claim to do certain things. The following compilation of stripping and emulsifying products may be of assistance in removing those difficult contaminants, however, every customer must check into products to be used as to their capabilities, whether they can be used in the customer’s geographical area, and whether the use of the product is compatible with the stain and the coatings to be used. Epmar Corporation is aware that the following products have been successfully used by laypersons and professional floor applicators, but Kemiko does not endorse any the products listed below.



STRIPPERS AND EMULSIFIERS

CLEANING A SLAB FOR A REMODEL PROJECT

In remodels, you generally have a considerable amount of preparation work. You may have numerous contaminants on the floor. Here are several you may have to deal with.

• If carpet glues, adhesives, and paints are present, there are many water-borne strippers / liquifiers such as soy bean products from Franmar Corporation, citrus named products, etc., and petroleum based such as xylene, lacquer thinner and mineral spirits.

• If tack strip is present, it can be removed in several ways, but basically you want to cut the wood into pieces, leaving the nails imbedded in the concrete and then cut them off with a small rotary type cutter (dremmel tool). If holes have been left in removing the tack strip, a ‘portland cementitious material’ must be used when patching as acid stain will not produce color with synthetic patch materials.

• Scoring (creating patterns such as seen on our web site) should be completed before the final washing of the slab.

After all the major contaminants have been removed, and after the scoring has been completed, the final wash is best accomplished with a slow speed floor machine, a good synthetic scrub brush attachment, water, and Kemiko Neutra Clean. Scrub the floor well using a wet vacuum to remove the water and debris. This scrub and wash process may have to be done several times. A final water rinse will insure the removal of all debris.

Mops, hand-held and long-handled broom brushes may be used; however the task will require more physical labor, and remember, all residues must be removed.

Allow the floor to dry and begin the stain process.

Cleaning a new slab

A key to cleaning and staining a new slab is to keep the slab protected during the construction process. If not, you will be required to treat it as a remodel as all the construction mishaps (paint, rust, fluid spills, etc.) will have to be remedied before staining.

After scoring, if the slab has been protected, and if the four to six week cure time has been met, the cleaning process will proceed as follows.

Remove the protection material from the floor. Remedy any major contamination issues and then the final wash is best accomplished with a slow speed floor machine, a good synthetic scrub brush attachment, water, and Kemiko Neutra Clean. Scrub the floor well using a wet vacuum to remove the water and debris. This scrub and wash process may have to be done several times. A final water rinse will insure the removal of all debris.

Mops, hand-held and long-handled broom brushes may be used; however the task will require more physical labor.

Allow the floor to dry and begin the stain process.

Scoring

If scoring (creating a pattern) is desired, it is generally best accomplished two to three days after the pour of the concrete; however, it can be done at any time. There are several factors that may alter the desired time of scoring and the most important one will be whether the design itself is incorporated into the floor plan.
 

Layout:

1 – there are a number of ways to begin laying out a pattern, and how and when you begin will depend primarily on the project shape, whether the staining project is to commence before any building or after the studs are in place, or just prior to the base boards being affixed.

2 – if you want the pattern to be synonymous with the floor plan, you will wait for the walls and likewise you will probably choose to do a border score even if you do not apply a different color in the border area.

3 – if your score pattern will not be synonymous with the floor plan, scoring in two to three days after pour is easier on the saw blades and the score groove can be cut right off the edge of the slab. However, you must still decide in advance how to center your patter into the project square footage.
 

Kemiko Stone Tone Wax is best applied with a slow speed (175 rpm) floor machine, using natural bristle brushes. The natural, stiff bristle brush attachment is called a Bassine, with the medium brushes being Palmyra, Tampico or Union Mix. In addition, for an even higher shine, use a white buffing pad or a white Tampico bristle brush at the end of your project.

Sources for purchasing brushes:

Reinert Paper and Chemical
1431 Commerce Blvd.
Dennison, TX 75020
1-800-256-4810

Ships UPS
MC/Visa Accepted

Contacts:

James Lively
Randy Reinert
 

United Rentals
117 Hwy 82 West
Sherman, TX
903-893-9100

Janitorial Supply Co Inc.
2947 Walnut Hill Ln. STE 102
Dallas, TX 75229
214-350-5525

Robert’s Commercial Repair
201 Sunnybrook Dr.
Princeton, TX 75407
972-658-1000
 

1. A professional spray system is by far the optimum method of application. Other choices would be the use of a Chapin Sprayer (higher quality metal sprayer with solvent resistant ‘O’ rings), and lambs wool applicators. Airless sprayers operate by pressure or piston while Chapin sprayers operate by compressed air wherein maintaining high pressure is one key factor to a quality finish.
    
2. Rollers should seldom be used as there are many problematic issues involved.
   A – Very easy to leave excess volume.
   B – Products dry quickly, therefore a texture will likely result.
   C – A roller may very likely break the sealer bond from the concrete.
    
3. Watch for these problems when using sprayers:
   A – Sprayers that are multi-purpose in use generally have some liquid left in the bottom of the sprayer (water). This will cause blushing, whitening, or textured finishes.
   B – Spray tips will get clogged causing non-uniform spray patterns that leave the surface uneven or dull.
   C – The force of the spray, particularly the pressure in the ‘Chapin’ sprayer is a key to keeping the coat uniform.
    
4. Spray tips are commonly called ‘Tee-jet’ tips. The two most commonly used tips are the 1300th and 1500th. On the tip you will normally see three digits (513). The 13 stands for 1300th and the 5 times 2 stands for a 10” fan of spray. 615 would stand for a 1500th tip with the 6 times 2 equaling a 12” fan of spray.
    
5. Temperature, moisture, and humidity will have a tremendous impact upon the quality of finish when applying sealers to concrete. Sealers should generally not be applied when it is extremely hot, temperatures are below 50, or when moisture is present.
    
6. There are three primary issues involved concerning the quality of a sealed floor.
   They are:
   A – Slab porosity.      C – Experience of the applicator.
   B – Type of applicator.
    
7. The primary mistake made by persons applying sealers is that they put on too much volume at any one time. This may be caused by several factors:
   A  – Wrong spray tip. C – Too much over lap in spraying pattern.
   B  –  Too thick of a coat (or volume).