Yes?

And, do you also remember that Wednesday evening rain flurry that I mentioned?

I am into funky and distressed materials but I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed when I encountered the rain stained slab the next morning. It was still physically smooth but the water permeated the porous concrete and stained it with a very pronounced dot pattern that was still dark 12 hrs later. Some speckling would be neat- but leopard print was a bit much.

We soaked the slab that morning and again in the afternoon and evening. I'm not sure if the raindrops just dried out over the course of the sunny day or if each soaking and drying cycle evened out the moisture content and the color.

Better! I like the bit of speckling that is left (although that will probably fade too over the course of the month). We are also starting to see the expected increase in contrast between the integral color and the surface handeners as it cures. We really like how it has evolved but can't get too attached yet because it is still a work in progress. Curing, inevitable staining from our red dirt, mechanical dings from framing, natural cracks, and sealing will all change the look over the next 30 days. Basically, the floor is at the mercy of the environment for 30 days, at which point we can seal it with polyurathane or wax. The sealer will enhance the colors and give it a finished shine. It will also protect it from liquid staining (right now if anyone spills a glass of red wine on it, we would have to make them mop the whole floor with wine!)

Speaking of cracks- there are none yet! We opted for no control joints in the main living space. Typically they cut a large grid of thin lines into the concrete (or occasionally curved lines or any other shape) to control where the concrete cracks under the surface. We prefer the unpredictable randomness of natural cracks to the mall-like grid pattern of control joints. We expected the first big cracks to show up within 24 hrs when the majority of the curing happens (the cure takes a month but it is exponential). But so far- nothing! There is some beautiful texture emerging from micro cracks (I think), but nothing big.

Micro-cracks or more effects from water drying patterns?