# Red Oxide Floor Colouring



## soulman1949 (Aug 5, 2013)

We recently had the part of the floor of the dirty kitchen raised to stop the rain flowing all over it from the area open to the sky. The builder cemented the floor and then applied some red oxide floor colouring powder (from memory it was a lead oxide, but might have been an iron oxide) on top of the cement. We were told to apply wax on top to put a shine on the surface and keep the oxide in.

A friend told us the builder should have mixed the oxide in with the cement (or used red cement).

We're now finding that the oxide colouring is wearing off when the floor is wet and it gets on the soles of shoes, etc. I'm not happy walking barefoot on the surface if it's lead, although my fears about lead oxide may be unfounded. Either way it looks a mess.

The long term plan will be to complete building the dirty kitchen as a more permanent structure and with floor tiling but that's some way away as we have other more immediate priorities.

I wondered whether cleaning the surface off and painting it with a heavy duty paint might be a better bet than the present mess. Anyhow, I've no experience of floors done this way and would welcome advice and comments whether the builder was wrong in doing the job this way and, also, the best way to remedy the problem short term.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

soulman1949 said:


> We recently had the part of the floor of the dirty kitchen raised to stop the rain flowing all over it from the area open to the sky. The builder cemented the floor and then applied some red oxide floor colouring powder (from memory it was a lead oxide, but might have been an iron oxide) on top of the cement. We were told to apply wax on top to put a shine on the surface and keep the oxide in.
> 
> A friend told us the builder should have mixed the oxide in with the cement (or used red cement).
> 
> ...


First, rather than take any chances with the red color, I'd hire someone to clean it off and remove any of it from the property.

Painting the floor (from experience) is only a temporary stop gap measure. Within just a few months the paint will end up chipping off in many areas making it look worse than if left unpainted.
Best thing is to buy inexpensive tiles and have them installed. That will cover any residue in the cement from the paint and they will last for years. 



Regards

Jet lag


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Cement coloring*



soulman1949 said:


> We recently had the part of the floor of the dirty kitchen raised to stop the rain flowing all over it from the area open to the sky. The builder cemented the floor and then applied some red oxide floor colouring powder (from memory it was a lead oxide, but might have been an iron oxide) on top of the cement. We were told to apply wax on top to put a shine on the surface and keep the oxide in.
> 
> A friend told us the builder should have mixed the oxide in with the cement (or used red cement).
> 
> ...


We had a red coloring (unsure of what it was) mixed into our cement in area's of the house we don't have tiles but it never ran, the mason poured the floor and then sprinkled and smoothed out the red dye? on top, the wife does use floor wax.


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## pakawala (Sep 10, 2014)

Your post brought back memories of the coconut husk dance of many years past. This is one way the floors were done in many homes in the past. I lived in a rental in 83 that had the same floors. I felt sorry for house girl. Maintaining the floor seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. It was common to see many people with reddish colored feet & you knew they had the same floors as them.

I looked for and actually found a video someone posted of what you are describing.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

mcalleyboy said:


> We had a red coloring (unsure of what it was) mixed into our cement in area's of the house we don't have tiles but it never ran, the mason poured the floor and then sprinkled and smoothed out the red dye? on top, the wife does use floor wax.


Same with a place I had in a different part of the country. Cement itself was red and didn't come out when cleaning. Don't know what it was either but looked good when shined.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

From what I've seen it's only any good for inside and it's probably the wax that stops it staining your feet. Outside the colour fades quickly.


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