How to Finish Decorative Cement

Finishing your decorative cement flooring in an appealing manner enables your floor to withstand traffic for years to come. Applying an acrylic finish to your decorative cement floor gives it a high-shine finish and keeps your floor looking new. Work with the acrylic finishes in a well-ventilated area, as the fumes can cause difficulty breathing when inhaled in large amounts.

Oil-and-grease emulsifier
Stiff push broom
Water
Clear acrylic concrete coating
Short-nap paint roller

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the cement floor thoroughly with oil-and-grease emulsifier. Scrub the liquid around on the floor with a stiff push broom. This liquid compound will remove all traces of oil and grease from the floor, which is an important step. A surface that is not oil-free surface may compromise the adherence of the acrylic finish.
- 2
  Rinse the floor completely with clean water, ensuring that all of the emulsifier is removed. Allow the floor to dry for 4 to 6 hours, or until there is no sign of moisture.
- 3
  Apply a layer of clear acrylic concrete coating to the decorative cement floor using a short-nap paint roller. Avoid rolling over the same area more than twice; it is better to have more acrylic coating on the floor that needs to be moved to another area than to agitate the coating too much. Frequent rolling creates bubbles in the coating, which are difficult to remove.
- 4
  Wait for the clear acrylic coating to dry for 2 to 3 hours before applying a secondary coat, if desired. A single coat of the coating is all that is required; additional coats will make the floor shinier. Normal traffic can resume approximately 8 hours after the last coat is applied.

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Floors & Ceilings