Answers to Common Questions About

Natural Stone Coating ä

What is Natural Stone Coating ä?

Natural Stone Coating ä (Polymer Modified Cement) is a very strong and durable thin decorative layer that is applied over concrete. Polymer Modified Cement is not a new product; it has been around for decades. However, applying it in a decorative fashion over existing concrete is somewhat new. Just like the relatively new faux finishes that have become popular for the inside of the house, the paint itself has been around for decades. Just the way it is applied is new.

What about using Natural Stone Coating ä on the inside of my home?

It’s a great option for those people who are tired of carpet stains and repeated cleaning, etc. and want a lower cost solution other than wood floors or tile. I would recommend tile with a epoxy grout (non-staining) if your budget will allow it, other wise the Natural Stone Coating ä is a great option.

What is the difference between Natural Stone Coating ä and similar products competitors offer?

Although there are several companies offering similar products, there are differences in materials used, installation methods, and finished appearance.  There are 3 important considerations. 1) The company you select. If you select a reputable company that has been doing decretive coatings for at least 10 years, they will do their best to do a good job and stand behind their work. 2) There are formula ingredient differences between our Natural Stone Coating ä and what the other companies use. Since we make our own mix, we use more expensive ingredients that make our mix cooler to walk on as well as stronger. But honestly, it is not significant enough to choose our company solely based upon this alone. Their mixes perform more than adequately, and unless they were applied side by side on your patio you would not know the difference. But it is an example of the extra lengths we are willing to go to to make the best possible product. 3) Other than selecting a quality company, what the finished product looks like is the most important thing to consider. We have a very unique and realistic multi-color looking stone, that other companies have not figured how to duplicate yet. Our flagstone, for example, looks very real. You will have friends and family actually think you have installed real flagstone.  You should go out and look at all of the companies work and then you will see what I mean. An example of what I mean is pictured below. Our customers feel that ours looks the best and the most realistic. Once people see ours, they feel the others have a fake look to them. But don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself. Samples, photographs and web sites don’t show it properly. We have covered over other companies work because the customer was not happy with what theirs turned out like, either after selecting from photographs or samples, or after they saw our work.

Example of Competitors Work  -  Natural Stone Coating ä

What about cracks?

To understand cracking you must first understand the concrete surface the Natural Stone Coating ä adheres to. Most concrete patios and walkways are 3.5" to 4" thick. Concrete expands and contracts with temperature and moisture and gets moved around from soil expanding, contracting and settling underneath it. All of this movement means that all concrete cracks. That is why concrete has control joints put in when it is poured.  These joints create a weak spot in the concrete in a straight line so that when the concrete cracks, hopefully it will follow and stay in the control joint. Unfortunately, concrete often cracks outside of a control joint and these are the ones most noticed by homeowners. For this discussion concrete cracks outside of a control joint can be put into 2 categories: (a) One time settling cracks without continuous expansion & contraction movement, and (b) Cracks with continual expansion & contraction movement. One time settling type cracks can be ground out & filled with epoxy and in most cases they won't return. Cracks with continual movement will return most likely unless relief joints are added to relocate the movement. In most cases (95%) relief joints will solve the problem and shift the movement away from the surface crack into the freshly cut relief joint allowing the face crack to be repaired. This, however, cannot be guaranteed. Only time will tell for sure.

Is it possible to pour new concrete and not have it crack?

Yes, but not usually done because of the cost. Each case is different, but can involve the removal of up to 24" of soil under the concrete & replacing with non expansive soil, using a higher PSI cement mix, adding steel mesh, rebar & fiber mesh, and making it a post tension slab. This is not normally done because it is 5 to 10 times more expensive than regular concrete and therefore is only done for applications where no cracking and control joints are desirable and the consumer is willing to pay for them as in the case of a Tennis Court or Sport Court.

How do concrete cracks affect Natural Stone Coating ä?

The same way it affects any other product, stone or tile applied over the concrete.  Natural Stone Coating ä is a very thin decorative layer that is applied over concrete. If the concrete cracks underneath, the crack will come through. This is the same as with any other product applied over concrete including cool deck, epoxy stone systems, color staining or sealing, etc. Even real flagstone, tile and slate will crack over moving concrete. (With real stone & tile a fiber mesh can sometimes be applied over the cracks and if the movement is very minor, then the crack will not come through). When concrete moves and cracks it is going to come through whatever you have on top of it. This is why cracking can’t be guaranteed. Cracking concrete is caused from how the concrete was poured, number and location or control joints, and what you paid for or did not pay for when the concrete was poured. It has nothing to do with the finish put on top. The good news is that with NSC you can touch up the cracks yourself or you can hire us to do it for you. The cracks won't disappear, but they can be minimized. If you truly desire to have a crack free deck then talk to your representative about if and how this can be done in your case and what the cost will be. Many customers actually like the look of hairline cracks especially in the simulated flagstone patterns. They feel is adds to giving it a more realistic appearance similar to that of real flagstone.

What about filling in the control joints?

Filling in control joints is not recommended. Your concrete needs a place to move and crack. If you fill in the control joints, the ones that have movement in them will crack out whatever is on top. This is why we simply follow the contour of your control joints and then run a diamond blade through them. This allows for concrete movement.

What about area’s of the concrete that hold ponding water?

In some cases your concrete can be re-sloped. In most cases however it cannot. I call it “chasing the pond”. What happens is we fill in one area that results in re-locating the water to another area. So we fill that in, and that pushes the water somewhere else. You get the idea? By the time you get done, the water is back in its original place. The real problem here is the concrete was not sloped properly to begin with. The best solution sometimes is to just live with the puddles or, if your budget allows, to remove the concrete and start over.

What about staining?

We use a water base sealer, which makes your deck stain resistant. Most stains simple wash off with a little soap and water. One of the great things about the Natural Stone Coating ä is that since it is multi-texture multi-color, stains that won’t clean up can be shaded over in about 30 seconds and you can do it yourself. It’s like putting on makeup. You simply put a little sealer on a sponge, dip it into the desired concrete coloring (we will leave you some if you wish) and sponge it on. It’s that simple!

Are there any drawbacks to having Natural Stone Coating ä?

Yes, for some people. People who are very obsessive (extremely detailed oriented, who vacuum the carpet in the house not because it’s dirty but because it shows footprints), need to beware and give the following some serious thought. I apologize if this offends you, its not my intention, I am just trying to be completely honest with you. Nothing against the Natural Stone Coating ä, its just that since the texture, shape, and colors can be changed, some people are always trying to get it “perfect”, or think the crew can do a better job, or change this or that. I have often shown customers my patio as an example and they love it. Then when the same crew does their patio, they pick it apart. Then they tell me my patio looked a lot better, and they don’t believe me when I tell them that theirs looks better than mine. I have to drag them back over to my patio to see for themselves. You see the first time they saw mine they enjoyed it from a broad view. They sat back and enjoyed it not looking at it under a microscope. On their own patio they were looking at it under a microscope. “Perfect” is a relative term and is different to different people. When you buy real flagstone or tile, once it is laid down there is no way to change the color or texture so even the very obsessive people just accept it as it is and sit back and enjoy it from a broad view. Sometimes that same obsessive person will focus straight down with a microscope view and might get bothered by a wide variety of things they see and want to change in the Natural Stone Coating ä or any other man made finish. If you are this type of person, I recommend that you look closely at a job done by the same crew that will do yours.  Then when yours is done, just sit back and enjoy it. All of your friends will come over and say, “Wow, this looks great”. They are not looking at it under a microscope and neither should you. If you do it will drive you crazy, and then you think it is your job to pass that on to me. Remember, not even real stone is perfect. Just sit back and enjoy it.

How long will Natural Stone Coating ä last? That’s one of the great things about the Natural Stone Coatingä is that as long as you maintain it and do the little touchups and repairs as you go along, you will never have to replace it. Because it is multi-texture, multi-color, touchups can be easily performed by you or hired done for low cost, and only you will know where they are!

What is involved in the installations process of Natural Stone Coatingä?

Natural Stone Coating ä Typical application process:

Step 1, Day 1 = Site preparation and pressure wash. Then the grout coat is applied.

Step 2, Day 2 = Application of additional grout coat if needed. Some times this may be done Day 1 - If not needed then go to step 3.

Step 3, Day 2 or 3 = Pattern layout and toweling in top stone over pattern.

Step 4, Day 3 or 4 = Stone color shading, grout exposure, cleanup and sealing.

Note: If you wish to have input into either the pattern or color selection then you must be present during step 3 and/or 4. If your not there, then the crew will do the pattern and coloring the way they normally do. Please understand that once it is done it cannot be changed (without it costing you an arm and a leg!). So make sure you are there if you want input. Also, if you want to learn how to perform your own touchups and repairs in the future, make sure you are present during step 4. We will be happy to teach you. We will also let you do some of the shading and sealing if you wish so you can get some experience for future use. Make sure you are home for this training because it is free if done at the time of installation.

Installer note: your crew can do between 1 to 4 jobs at the same time as yours… depending on how close the others are to you and the total footages.  So you may be first, last or in the middle each day depending on variable circumstances. This means the crew may or may not arrive at your home at the same time each day.  However, they will be happy to give you a more exact time in the case where you want to be there for shading or any other input. 

Additional Installation Notes:

1) We will remove all debris and do reasonable clean up as pertains to our work only. The nature of this work will create a lot of dust and debris and will collect in all places around the yard including the pool and spa. Customer is responsible for any pool and spa clean up due to any debris created from doing the work.  If your pool equipment is old we recommend you turn it off for the entire duration of the work being done. Then manually clean your pool before turning it back on. 2) If you requested crack repair, we will make every effort to repair the cracks and although we have a good success ratio with them, we do not guarantee that they will not return.  3) The color of the grout and the top stone will vary in color due to the different concrete areas we are going over, drying times, shaded areas, etc.  4) If you have requested us to go over something other than pure concrete (carpet glue, paint, stain, etc.) in order to save money from additional surface preparation, then you understand that delaminating problems are not covered under warranty.  5) Tiny pinholes are normal and not a concern.  6) Grout peal-up or separation at time of installation is of no concern. In most cases it is better to leave it alone than try to touch it up. Sometimes touchups, in the customer’s option should have been left alone. If the crew says its normal and you should leave it alone, I recommend leaving it alone. Remember, not even real stone is perfect. We will attempt to touch it up against our better judgment if you insist, but we cannot guarantee you will be happy with it.  7) Where your concrete meets your landscape, we will go over the edge down to the finished line.  8) Sometimes when we are not replacing deck strips or deco drains and they are older, they will turn a light or dark brown after the sealer is applied. It only happens approximately once or twice in 100 jobs we do but it does happen. If it does, we will be happy to cut the tops off and glue on new tops at our cost. Ask your crew to price it out for you if this happens and you wish to have them replaced.  9) You can put your patio furniture back on top of your patio as soon as it is not sticky to the touch, however it is recommended you wait 24 hours in the summer and 48 in the winter to let the sealer fully cure.

Other areas you should be aware of that can effect your new Natural Stone Coating ä

One of the great things about the Natural Stone Coating ä is that if you have a problem listed below, it can be easily touched up. It is very simple to do yourself or if you wish you can hire us to do it for you.

Drainage - Make sure all water drains away from concrete areas. Excess water near concrete areas can cause the concrete underneath to remain moist and can eventual cause small areas of delamination.

Misting systems - Low priced systems drip water directly on the NSC and can cause small delamination spots under each spray head.

Staining - Your NSC has a sealer over the surface that makes it stain resistant but not stain proof. Clean up spilled items as soon as possible.

Ponding Water  - Will collect dirt & mineral deposits. Squeegee off ponding water & make sure your swimming pool deck drains work properly.

Potted Plants - Use plastic bowls to catch water to minimize deposit rings.

Steak bones for Dogs - Leaves grease that collects dust & dirt. Get dogs to eat somewhere else other than on your patio if possible.

Oil from lawn mowers & weed eaters - Keep your surface sealed properly and clean up any spills as soon as possible.

Remember, one of the great things about Natural Stone Coating ä is that if you have a problem, it can be easily touched up. Do it yourself or hire us.

What kind of Care & Maintenance is required?

For most customers simply hosing off your deck once per week is all that is required. You may use a mild soap like Ivory liquid soap to take off more stubborn grit & grim like BBQ grease, dog & cat stains, etc.. Staining substances such as oil, ponding water, wine, etc should be cleaned up immediately to minimize staining.

Annual Maintenance:  Our customers love the fact that they may perform their own maintenance or hire us to do it for them. Once or twice per year you might wish to do some touch ups and apply a new coat of sealer. This will insure that the color of the stones and shading will continue to “look-like-new”. Over time the sun will take its toll on the sealer coat we applied. When the color looks like it is fading, that’s a good indication that the sealer is going. Simple clean your patio and let dry thoroughly over night. Then perform any touchups you wish. Small chips caused from concrete movement or failure, control joint movement, abuse, and normal wear and tear can be repaired (touched up). They will have a slight color variation from the original work but you can make them so that only you will know where they are. Then thinly apply sealer. Make sure that the surface is dry, hasn’t rained for a least a week and is not going to rain for another week when you apply the sealer. You may purchase the sealer at Home Depot (Jacso Cure Seal water base sealer). Follow the manufactures directions on the container. Touchups can be performed any time you wish. The best time to learn how to do them is during the shading process during step 4 on the last day of the application. If for any reason you were not able to be present during step 4 and would like this training, please call the office and arrange a training session. Average training session and product cost is $100.00.

Natural Stone Coating ä is a great product for any place that you desire a low cost, tough, slip and stain resistant finish that is cool to walk on and looks great!

If you have any questions about Natural Stone Coatingä, or any of our other products, please call me, Mark Johnson at 602-993-6333 ext 105.  I will be happy to answer your questions, or schedule an appointment for you to see our products and receive a free estimate.