March 8, 2012 Thursday Stain Goes On

It is 70 degrees today but still overcast and rainy.  Makes it really hard for the guys to see how the concrete is accepting the stains since Remi used several shades of black and gray.  There is a big Northern front supposed to come about 5pm so they are hurrying to get as much done as possible.

MIKE (I asked Eric for the Number 2 guy's name) is extremely critical to this team.  They all work together and seem to get along well

Late in the day I stopped by the site and they had the stain on the floor but it was very much like black chalk.  It totally covered the bottom of my socks with just stepping in to take a few pictures.  This is from the front door looking into the front entrance.  The color is a little off from what it actually was...it was much darker but the flash on my camera lightened it up.  You can still see what I wanted to see which was the mottled or swirly (is that a word?) pattern that is showing up.  The Tung Oil is still yet to be applied.

This is a timed exposure and a better representation of the actual color without the flash .  The floor also did not have any sheen because the stain is fresh on the floor at this time and covers the polished surface underneath.  The sheen created by the 400 grit will be brought out later by the Tung Oil and the buffing.  I think it is going to be amazing.  The crew is very proud of their work as they should be.  It is great to see young people take such pride in doing a good job.

This is the front porch just after MIKE !!!!!  finished putting on the Tung Oil.  Looks like you could skate on it.  This also has stain on it.  It is very dark even in the cloudy, overcast day but MIKE!!! said it would lighten up when the Oil soaks in and when they buff it.

To get this kind of smoothness, so many things had to work right: the mix on the concrete, the troweling of the concrete, the grinding by Remi and his crew, the right kind of stain, the right kind of sealer and finally, the buffing.

This stain gets on everything--see the bottom of the posts.  I am glad I don't have to work with this stuff.  After they are finished, the outside porches will be covered with plastic to keep paint and other solvents from marking the surface and to keep mortar from sticking to it.

The weatherman says 40 degrees tomorrow and 4-5 inches of rain in the next three days.  

If I had started this house last summer, the drought would have been broken.  We are now filling up the Highland Lakes and Georgetown Lake which have all been at the lowest levels in 15 years.