By Bryan Gauthier, Master Artisan In Decorative Concrete
Something Better Co. - A Better Way to Learn Decorative Concrete Finishes!
Something Better Company is a worldwide recognized trainer in upscale Decorative Concrete Finishes. Something Better Co. (SBC) is continually improving on new product development.
Unlike most decorative concrete training programs, SBC is not trying to promote a brand or product but is offering, real hands on training and installation techniques by Master Crafstman Bryan Gauthier with no strings attached. Bryan will provide trainees with the knowledge, and recipes so that each individual can learn to understand the products and create mixes for their own unique requirements.
One of the bigest perks of becoming a Student of SBC is your training is ongoing and doesn't stop when your class is over!
Hi Friends,
Please let me know how I can be of assistance in your next project. You can learn from me by more than one option, either take our classes on site here in Sunny Arizona OR purchase any of our classes on DVD'S and learn at your speed and convenience! Either way, I'm here for any questions and assistance while you go through the learning process.
Let's catch up soon!
For You Benefit,
Bryan J. Gauthier
Owner/Artisan
CONTACT: bryan@betterpaths.com
1-800-324-1719 ext. 201
Material Formulations & Training Classes
Provided by SBC, the best training by far, and ALL our trade
experience we are willing to share with you! For more Info.
____________________________
COLOR TIPS BY BRYAN GAUTHIER OWNER OF SBC
Using 100% Siliconized Acrylic Concrete Stain Regardless of what colors you choose from color charts in Home Depot, Lowes, etc., you will need to have each color computer matched. The paint that you will want to use is a 100% Siliconized Acrylic Concrete Stain and it is made by Behr. The colors are not in the computers system for Concrete Stains. Light to medium colors will require the 800 base and any of the dark colors will require the 830 base. On the third page I have provided an example of a coloration template that I use on the majority of all my antiqued grout less overlay patterns and also implement the principles of this template on other applications as well. As an example, most of your overlay patterns will start with a light tan base. If you are looking for a lively look you will want to use a bug sprayer with a fan tip and apply a fast paced X pattern in a random motion using a watered down black. Once dry, follow with a watered down dark brown and do the same between the black to fill in the blanks. On the template I suggest 9 to 10 parts water and one part paint when using dark colors. For beginners it doesn’t hurt to go up to 14 parts water and allow the antiqued faux coloration to dry, then spray a small amount over the same X patterns again if the color is not dark enough. The best thing is to stand back and add color where needed if the pattern seems unbalanced or to light in sections compared to other sections. The colors I show on the template example on the next page are from the color charts you will find at Home Depot’s. Any arrangement of colors may be chosen in place of the colors that I have provided. Every job I go onto, I will have the customers pick two to four main colors that will compliment their surrounding colors or in a lot of cases I will help them pick colors from the color chart that will match colors in a piece of Marble or Tile they like, etc. The Template shows examples of dark colors that will be drowned out with lighter colors. The Two lighter colors are usually the colors that will be as close as possible to whatever surrounding colors the customers want to match. The last color is the most important because this is the one that I actually spray in a circular motion throughout the entire overlay pattern with the intensions to barely cover all bleed through colors at a 90 to 100% coverage ratio. This is another area that it will be safer for a beginner to add an additional
parts more water than what I recommend on the color template, and you can always spray a little more color if the darker colors bleed through more than you want. Regardless of what colors you replace into my template, keep in mind that your lighter colors will generally be two colors apart on most color swatches or samples and whatever color matches you are aiming at, the colors on the paint chart will usually become about 20% lighter once you water them down and turn the paint into a stain.
!!! Important Concrete Stain Tips !!!
Out of all the pigments that go into paints to create your desired color match, there are TWO that you MUST REPLACE with YELLOW OXIDE. If Bright Yellow or Medium Yellow are in the formula when color matching, ask to have them manually replaced with the same amount using Yellow Oxide in its place. If YOU DO NOT the pattern that you worked so hard on will turn into the ugliest yellow you can imagine once you spray your Solvent Acrylic Sealer onto it.
If you’re using blacks in your patterns as I do, the truest black at Home Depot will be in the Disney Color Section and will have the logo of Mickey Mouse. If your replicating Marble or very intricate patterns, use your basic 3 colors through a bug sprayer and have two five gallon bucket to carry your small hand held squirt bottles. Keep the bottles and tips on the inside in case of any drips. At times I will use this method with up to 15 colors at a time and color stack them together while all previous colors are still wet. Some bottles will be set to produce streams, some fans and some speckles, basically whatever I see on a piece of Marble is what I set my spray bottles to achieve. After this phase dries I usually go back to the bug sprayer and fog the entire area with a color that has 10 to 14 parts water.
For hand coloring of Flagstone or Tile, you can use Grout powders or watered down Concrete Stain. Stains are faster and they are a one color process verses grout powders need to dry after coloration then you must come back with a clean sponge and marbleize to erase your circular sponge marks. Using Crushed Metals or Metallic Paints, these can be purchased at Michaels Art Supply and instead of diluting with water I add
parts Denatured Alcohol. (Home Depot)
Speckle Tip: If you want finer speckles than what hand held spray bottles will produce, use a hand held witch’s broom. Dip it into your watered down Concrete Stain and carefully shake it into your bucket about 4 to 6 times or until all big drops are gone, then dash it toward the surface, if the colors hit the air hard enough they will become smaller speckles before hitting the surface.
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COLOR TIPS BY BRYAN GAUTHIER OWNER OF SBC