How to create this tile/wall effect?

[Mr Derek]

Went to a resort near Chiang Rai recently and liked the Roman-style feel of the balcony.

 

 

Thinking of doing something similar at home but I've no idea how they did this.

Broken tile floor should be easy, but what is used between the tiles? It has a gritty texture and is hard as rock.

 

The balcony walls look and feel like solid stone but I guess it might be concrete with a special coloured and highly polished coating.

 

Anyone know how to get that effect? Would Homepro have all I need? Appreciate any help.

 

 

 

[Mr Derek]

Some more of the stonework:

[bunnydrops]

For a general idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiWrG0ZA2Bs

skip to 5:12. I think it is just grout on the floor, you can get in different colors at the big home improvement stores

[chickenslegs]

Looks like "sandwash" between the tiles. AFAIK - It's a mixture of mortar and small pebbles which is finished with acid etching to expose the pebble surface. Very common here.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sandwash

 

Future issue could be with matching repairs, as the colour of the mortar and pebbles are almost impossible to reproduce.

[Mr Derek]

10 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

For a general idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiWrG0ZA2Bs

skip to 5:12. I think it is just grout on the floor, you can get in different colors at the big home improvement stores

Ah, poured concrete into a frame. That must be it. Curved edges must be tricky though. 

 

Looking into the antique effect, I've discovered that concrete can be coloured in various ways - I had no idea that was possible. In this case, I guess it is something like this:

Stone tone concrete acid stain

 

[Mr Derek]

10 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Looks like "sandwash" between the tiles. AFAIK - It's a mixture of mortar and small pebbles which is finished with acid etching to expose the pebble surface. Very common here.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sandwash

 

Future issue could be with matching repairs, as the colour of the mortar and pebbles are almost impossible to reproduce.

Never heard of sandwash before. That'll definitely be it - thanks. I'm going to try that with the cracked tile floor. 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Mr Derek

[Rimmer]

1 hour ago, Mr Derek said:

Ah, poured concrete into a frame. That must be it. Curved edges must be tricky though. 

 

Looking into the antique effect, I've discovered that concrete can be coloured in various ways - I had no idea that was possible. In this case, I guess it is something like this:

Stone tone concrete acid stain

 

 

Powdered color for cement comes in bags and just poured into the mix.

 

Round edges are done by building it up and using a half piece cut longways of the correct size plastic pipe drawn along the edge.

 

Sand-wash stone comes in bags and is available is different sizes from tiny up to quite large, depending on what finish is required. It is very hard to get the texture mix and color right. 

[Mr Derek]

2 hours ago, Rimmer said:

 

Powdered color for cement comes in bags and just poured into the mix.

 

Round edges are done by building it up and using a half piece cut longways of the correct size plastic pipe drawn along the edge.

 

Sand-wash stone comes in bags and is available is different sizes from tiny up to quite large, depending on what finish is required. It is very hard to get the texture mix and color right. 

Powder sounds easier but I guess that will produce a uniform colour rather than the rustic effect used here. And there was definitely a special surface to it which gave it a nice glow.

Inside they went for a darker. blotchier effect:

 

As to sandwash, Homepro, Thaiwatsadu, Lazada and Shopee seem not to have heard of it. It's going to take some finding...

 

[Rimmer]

33 minutes ago, Mr Derek said:

As to sandwash, Homepro, Thaiwatsadu, Lazada and Shopee seem not to have heard of it. It's going to take some finding...

 

 

I have sand wash around the pool and all the steps leading up to the house, I bought bags of the sandwash chips / rocks from a place at the side of the road that does stone  garden stuff.

 

My main contractor tried three times to get it right and and gave up so finally I had to go back to the team that did the edging around the swimming pool, they did it right first time, its put down as a mix over the bare but wet concrete then washed with Hydrochloric acid and finally  washed off with water.

 

The last few bags of it I had left over we used as cat litter ????

 

[bunnydrops]

The last house I built in the States had stained concrete floors.

https://directcolors.com/colored-concrete-sealer/?product_code=DC-AQT&variant_id=37727&campaign=15287831904&adgroup=&feeditem=&keyword=&matchtype=&device=c&network=x&creative=https://ad.atdmt.com/s/go;adv=11027242822695;ec=11027242823046;c.a=15287831904;s.a=google;p.a=15287831904;as.a=;qpb=1;?bidkw=&dvc=c&h=https://directcolors.com/colored-concrete-sealer/%3Fproduct_code%3DDC-AQT%26variant_id%3D37727&gclid=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuCFAKZBw0uXs4YTnvE_dngZT5-OASI6vKDefp8CQxpsbak6JslzZ1RoC5OAQAvD_BwE

[Mr Derek]

Thanks for above pointers.

 

I can't see AcquaTint in Thailand but the search has led me to concrete stainers such as this, which seems to fit the bill:

สีกรดย้อมคอนกรีต อมตะ สีทาพื้นปูน สไตล์ลอฟท์ Solvent Based | Lazada.co.th

 

Sandwashing sounds beyond DIY capability. I was hoping it would come in a package that ordinary mortals could use. Now I'm just wondering if mortar or grout mixed with grit would do the job, seeing as it is just for gaps between tiles of an inch or so and for bare-feet use only.

[Mr Derek]

After looking into the concrete effect a bit more, I'm now convinced they used 'microcement', which is apparently just a 2mm or so concrete-like layer plastered over any surface and then polished to a nice sheen. Again, I'd never heard of this.

 

It sounds easy enough.  Anyone had any experience with it?