How Concrete Stain Can Drastically Improve Your Concretes Appearance

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How Concrete Stain Can Drastically Improve Your Concretes Appearance

Concrete stain solutions are applied by brushing, spraying or rolling. The most effective way of applying these substances is by spraying the surface with a plastic garden sprayer. Concrete stain can actually highlight and intensify the variations found in the concrete a natural as well as man made blemishes and markings. Custom texture, color and finish are part of the quality craftsmanship of a true professional .If they are skilled in this trade they will create a look that magnifies the natural beauty of concrete.

Concrete stains are only left on an overlay for 1-2 hours as opposed to 4-6 hours on concrete slab. Frequently acid stains produce too much variation on an overlay. Concrete stains come in a variety of colors and can create a beautiful custom look to any walkway, patio or indoor floor. Concrete stain consists of an acidic; water based liquid containing acid and mineral salts. When applied, concrete stain can drastically improve the appearance of most concrete surfaces.

Acid Stain gives concrete a mottled, variegated, marble like look. It creates beautiful colors on concrete, mostly earth tone browns, reddish browns and greens, although now more vibrant colors are becoming available for a variety of taste and effects blues, violet and pink tints. Acid stains normally only come in 8-10 earth tones. Most cement yards carry reactive acid stains for concrete, acrylic concrete sealer, and stamped concrete products in stock. They also carry a full line of adhesive and non-adhesive stencil designs.

Acid stains provide a transparent marble like look to concrete; the colors are more limited and go from shades of blue-green to dark brown earth tones. The other option includes concrete dyes, which provide transparent colors and accents in bright hues that help achieve results not possible through acid staining.

Surfaces must be porous for proper penetration. If necessary, abrade surface by sanding, grinding or non-hazardous concrete etch. Surface contaminants such as curing agents, glue, sealers, waxes, paint, oil, dirt, water repellents and anything that will prevent stain penetration must be removed. There are several steps in cleaning an exterior floor.

Preparations for acid staining will depend on the condition of the slab; on new concrete the only thing needed is to allow time for curing, (at least three weeks after poured) and some rinsing and scrubbing to remove laitance. For old concrete, a thorough cleaning is necessary; any dirt, grease, paint, sealer or curing agent will prevent the stain from penetrating and reacting. Prepare concrete by using a sealer stripper, hot water pressure washing, rotary floor scrubber, sandblasting or shot blasting the surface. Clean areas that have no sealers or contaminants with a non-solvent degreaser, TSP, or citrus cleaner and follow with pressure washing.

Colored concrete is also something that you might be seeing more of lately. The color is applied directly into the concrete. Color floor can be applied via airbrush, high volume low pressure unit (hvlp), production gun, pump (bug) sprayer, sea sponge and traditional bristle brush. For best results, create a mist of Color floor on the intended surface.

Just be sure to do research on any company you might hire to perform this job. If you hire a company just based on price, it may not be your best decision. If the Concrete Stain is not applied correctly and the job turns out wrong then you might just be tearing your concrete out.

About the Author

DiCicco Building Company has been a Michigan Remodeling contractor for over 20 years. We are also leaders in Kitchen and Bath Remodeling along with being an award winning custom residential home builder. We also specialize in Finished Basements and home additions.

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