Papercrete

This is my setup

A dustbin, a bucket with 3mm holes drilled into it to drain the water, and some magazines.

 

 

 

I then shred the magazines into strips and add enough water to cover it

Another tool. I constructed a mixer to use with my drill. I use it to make a pulp from the paper in the water.

This is my storage bin.

 

I store my pulp in it after removing most of the water with the bucket with the holes in it until I have enough to make something from it.

 

Paper Briquettes

If you don’t know what to do with all the paper the ends up in the dustbin. Try making Papercrete.

Papercrete is the same as concrete bur it is made with paper instead of sand and stone.

I only use paper and cement.

Here is how I make it!

I took the dustbin

 

I shred some magazines, used paper plates or any other paper products into the dustbin.

Then I put some water in the dustbin to cover the paper

I then leave it like that for two days

 

 

 

 

I made my own shredder by constructing a blade from a piece of steel.  I then use my drill to cut the paper to pieces.

 

 

I then put the pulp into a bucket that I have drilled a lot of holes in to drain the water from the pulp.

   





I then store it in a storage tank that is a plastic drum.

 

 

 

 

 

After most of the water is drained out I take a handful of the pulp

 

 

 

I start to squishes out most of the water.

 

There are various ways to do this but I found it to be the quickest way to make a briquette.

 

 

Now I put it in the sun to totally dry out. I make these for two reasons:

a.     As briquettes

b.     To store the pulp for use at a later stage.

I then just put it in water and I have pulp again

 

 

My briquettes are dry

 

 

This is how it looks when you make a fire from your briquettes

 

 

Sometime later

 

 

The ashes. You can used these ashes in your garden or in your compost heap.

 

There you are, I hope you enjoy making your own paper Briquettes.

 

Lukas Engelbrecht

 

 

 

DIY Concrete Staining Projects

Dear Future Concrete Artist,

Since 2002 I’ve been dropping jaws and making concrete beautiful.  Ten years may not seem long, but considering it’s only been popular for a few years now, I have years on most people in the trade.  I have had three separate projects in three different publications (Timber Frame Living Magazine, Midwest Living, and Better Homes and Gardens).  I State those facts not to brag, but assure you I am a professional with real world experience.

“All the Products you’ve been told to use are Junk”

I don’t buy any of the Core Products from Places you’ve heard off.  All the nice Pictures you see on Pinterest, they are also brands of stain you have never heard of, sold at places you’ve never been.

 

Here’s the problem.  I watch the DIY channels on TV over the Weekend too.  I see the products pushed to us on the box store shelves.  The 15 minute segment on stained concrete that ends with a happy home owner with a beautiful floor.  I often think they are trying to give homeowners ideas and inspire them.  But there seems to be a big disconnect on the actual process.  The floors they stain are best case scenario without any of the real world situations.  So many steps are not filmed, Skipped, or unclear.  The small things (tips and trick) are the difference between a nice floor, and an ugly mess.

 

Big box stores, I don’t think are trying to be deceptive.  They just have contracts with some of these huge manufactures…..that say make paint, and when they make a product to stain concrete they have to put it on their shelves instead of putting the products down that really work and professionals use.  They want to branch out into a new market that’s hot, but keep their bread and butter brands (Paint Manufacture in this case) happy.

Everyone Tells you to use something different and Do it a Different Way!

1. Often Advice about Staining Concrete is Jaded.  The Advice is given by someone trying to sell you their products.  So you have to ask yourself, did they just help me or sale me?  You need unbiased advice from someone who doesn’t give a darn about the products being used, but by the results they produce.

2. Often on other Concrete Training advice courses, videos, and Books I’ve seen, the instructor/Author spends so much time talking about things like concrete engravers to make fancy patterns, show casing their work portfolio, and not the important things.  Now are you going to spend $10,000 + on engravers, patterns and dyes to stain your floor?  No!   Would you like to know something important like efflorescence that can ruin a Stained Floor?  Yes

3. I lot of research on how to stain concrete is done online.  The advice is given by someone that stained or tried to stain the concrete in their own home and did report on the process and outcome.  I have seen an equal amount of good and bad stories.  Although even on the posts that had a successful outcome, I often find errors in their process that will lead to a real mess in a couple of months.  Whether it’s using a product incorrectly, not cleaning residue, not adjusting ph levels, or using single component patio sealers.

Majority Of DIY Concrete Staining Projects are DOOMED to FAIL on Day 1 “I watched this video on the internet and I ordered this and that and followed their directions, but now…..”

Staining Concrete isn’t hard, you just need a recipe that can help you through variables during your project. What I have created is a recipe for success, touching on variables that every floor might have, and how to overcome them with great success.

What are some of the common problems people face when staining a concrete floor?

• Concrete doesn’t take Stain.
• Sealer beads up (big problem).
• Stain Beads up (bigger problem).
• Sealer peels off (a huge mess).
• Stain is very chalky.
• Using the wrong products to fill holes.
• Not knowing what to do with the tack strip areas.
• Removing black glue incorrectly.
• Creating ugly start and stop points.
• Using Acid on the Concrete.

• Removing yellow glue incorrectly.
• Ghosting from past floors.
• Wrong sealer selection.
• Wrong Stain Selection.
• Not using the right tools (rental stores love to mess this one up).
• Not checking the two biggest factors before you start (Major Issue).
• What to do with those lines (control Joints) that are in the concrete.
• Not getting enough product. And how to measure.

 

Finally, A Step-by-Step Solution straight from a Professional with extensive field knowledge.  For less Than A Dime a Sqft on Average Projects.

 

Introducing…

“DIY Stained Concrete Guide”

Step by Step Instructions on How To Stain Concrete

 

 

Click here to get How To Stain Concrete

 

L.C.J. Engelbrecht

 

 

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