Thin Crete Application April 2014

THIN - CRETE Quick Reference Guide
SURFACE PREPARATION
Remove all paint, oils, and any other foreign materials from concrete before degreasing and acid etching.
2. DEGREASE
Degrease the concrete surface with 4 - 8 fluid ounces of Grease Away degreaser to one gallon of water. Scrub and then rinse thoroughly.
3. ACID-ETCH
Etch the concrete surface with 1 part muriatic acid to 5 parts water.
4. APPLY BONDING AGENT
Apply two coats of BOND-CRETE liberally over entire surface with a roller, making sure not to leave any puddled areas.
5. MIX THIN-CRETE GROUT
Mix four to four and three quarter quarts of cool water depending on desired thickness with one 50-Pound bucket of THIN-CRETE. Must put water in mixer first, then add powder.
For maximum economy, set gauge rake at 1/4-inch thickness. A single bucket of THIN-CRETE should cover approximately 25 ft2 @ 1/4-inch or 12-15 ft2 @ 3/8-inch. NOTE: Some Thin-Crete patterns
require 3/8-inch thickness.
6. APPLY THIN-CRETE GROUT
Always have a fresh pail of Thin-Crete Grout available to lay down next to the previously placed material. Do not allow a “cold joint”, and apply the next pail of material ½ - ¾ inch away from the previous pour and work back into the previous pour with a gauge rake and trowel. Consolidate in order to prevent an obvious “visual cold joint” at the interface of individual pours. Pull material to desired depth with a gauge rake and smooth out all rake or trowel marks with a hand trowel. Thin-Crete can be very sticky to trowel. Increte Trowel-Glide should be used as a finishing aid to smooth out the surface of the Thin-Crete. This will allow the removal of all gauge rake and trowel marks. Using a pump up sprayer, mix Increte Trowel-Glide 12 parts water to 1 part Trowel-Glide. Spray surface and trowel until smooth.
7. APPLY RELEASE
Apply Increte Liquid Release to the stamping tools with a pump sprayer. Reapply as necessary not allowing material to stick to stamping tools.
8. TIME TO STAMP
As with all overlay systems, the proper time to create the finish will vary and is determined by ambient and surface temperature, humidity, solar exposure, wind, indoor/outdoor application, etc. However, there is one underlying constant factor that applies to Thin-Crete: The time to begin stamping is when the grout is in a sponge-like consistency, the material has consolidated and is plastic. However, if when the skinned over surface is depressed by a finger and the material immediately below the surface flows in a soft liquid state - STOP! Do not attempt to stamp a “twinkie.” You do not want a “cream center”; you want a “sponge cake.” Stamping too soon will result in excessive squeezing of material between tools. Set the stamp tools on the surface and walk on them until full texture is achieved. Once the tools have been stamped, move them to their next position. Use a tamper only if necessary, however, if heavy pounding is required to get an impression - it’s too late. Continuing to “pound” will cause de-lamination. Simply scrape off “kicked” material, mix a new pail, and continue stamping. Tip: Strong windy conditions will cause the surface to cure and dry out, losing its plasticity before the center is ready to stamp. Using a pump-up sprayer, occasionally apply a light mist of Increte delay, 12 parts water to 1 part delay, to the surface before Release is applied.
9. S-TOOL
Using the s-tool, spray release on s-tool. Tap down any material that has squeezed up between the tools and continue any lines where needed. Remove any large squeeze up areas with a trowel. Also, apply texture with the texture skin where needed. If squeeze joints are missing, use a hand grinder after 24 hours to clean grout lines.
ACID WASH AND SEAL-
1. ACID WASH
Using a plastic acid resistant pump sprayer and an acid broom, acid wash the surface with 1 part muriatic acid to 10 parts water solution. Spray the solution on a damp surface and scrub it with the broom. Flush thoroughly with water. Look for water beading on surface. Acid wash beading areas again.
2. APPLY ANTIQUEING COLOR
After the surface is dry, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of Increte antique color to 1 gallon of water. Apply either a pump up sprayer or watering can. Concentrate on leaving color in grout joints and lower textured areas. For grout lines, you may need to run or “paint” antique color to get consistent grout color. If too much color is left behind, simply flush with clean water while still wet or acid wash with a 10 part water and 1 part muriatic acid solution the next day. Let first coat dry for a minimum of 24 hours before sealing.
3. CLEAR SEAL
Using a pump up sprayer (Increte’s preferred method) or a solvent resistant roller, seal the surface with two coats of Increte Systems VOC compliant CLEAR SEAL. Let dry a minimum of 1 hour before applying second coat. The resulting surface will be a unique decorative surface.
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