Concrete Stain: Do it Yourself

Using stained concrete one can get the look and finish of various natural elements, like, marble that too at inexpensive rates. With its features like durability and large variety of patterns, concrete surfaces make one of the popular surfaces at homes. Stained concrete floors, patios, doorways or driveways are the best way to enhance the interior or exterior of your house. There are various methods to stain concrete and the most popular ones are using acid stain or acrylic stain. Both are methods of staining concrete that use different techniques. These methods are discussed below.

Acid Concrete Staining

In acid staining, the lime content of the concrete is made to react with the acid, to form concrete stain. This method gives best results with new concrete. Due to the porous nature of concrete, it is easy to work on them and get the effect of natural elements like marble, granite, wood and many more customized looks. The acids used for concrete staining are usually made up of hydrochloric acid, water and certain metallic salts. Every concrete surface reacts differently to different types of acid used and hence gives various effects. As mentioned earlier, the metallic content in the acid reacts with the calcium hydroxide (lime) in the concrete and forms stains. Old concrete surfaces lose their lime content with time and hence there is not enough amount of lime in the concrete that will react with the acid to form a concrete stain. If you are using new concrete surface to stain, ensure that the surface has cured at least for a month. These acid stains are permanent stains that will not fade; they do not hide any surface imperfections.

Acrylic Concrete Staining

Acrylic staining is the preferred choice of contractors as compared to acid concrete staining. It provides a broad array of colors for concrete staining. Acrylic stains make a physical bond with the upper layer of the concrete surface and ooze through the pores of the concrete surface. These stains work best on old concrete surfaces as these surfaces are more porous and give better results. Acrylic stains are also good to hide the surface imperfections. These stains are not only easy to apply but are also economical as compared to acid stain. With a large variety of colors available, one can get the concrete stained with the colors of his/her choice. Acrylic staining may not give good results if the concrete surface is too smooth; it requires porous surface for better staining effects. You can even experiment with the Faux finishing technique for concrete staining. This is the best concrete staining DIY method and more suitable for old concrete surfaces that are not good for acid staining.

Steps to Stain Concrete

• Cleaning the concrete surface is the first and most important step of concrete staining DIY. Proper cleaning of the concrete surface will give you the desired and best results. So, before you start staining the concrete surface, remove all the adhesive, paint and concrete sealer remains. See that there are no small stones or rocks left on the surface as these may interfere with the staining process.
• Once you are done with the cleaning of the concrete surface, apply the type of concrete stain you have chosen, with the help of appropriate equipment, like, brush or mop. Use an acid tolerant brush for acid staining; for acrylic staining, all you have to do is spread the stain on the concrete surface.
• Ensure that you read the label of the products carefully and follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. Apply coats of the concrete stain until you get the desired effect. For acid staining, you will be required to remove the remains left on the surface.
• After completion of acid staining, seal the surface with appropriate sealant.

Concrete stain surfaces are permanent and they do not chip or peel off. Choose the concrete stain method depending on the type of your concrete surface and get desired effects. Staining concrete is a procedure that is suitable for any type of outdoor or indoor concrete surfaces. Doing it yourself instead of hiring a professional, can save you a lot of money.