Concrete acid staining, Kemiko acid stain, stone tone technique

Concrete acid staining (stone tone styles) is a rich, durable, cost saving alternative to tile, stone, breaking out concrete. No more drab grey. Adds richness and ergonomic life to slabs, curb appeal, and value for a fraction of the cost of alternatives. NOT a coating. It's permanent. Our thorough, efficient, designer/artists do work in Southern California: www.tonecrete.com



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Architectural Concrete: Staining & Polishing Garage Floor

Polishing Concrete is the next "big thing" and Architectural Concrete is on the cutting edge of that trend. We take pride in our work and give every customer a long lasting finished product that we would be happy to display in our own homes. Whether your building your dream home or designing a remodel project Architectural Concrete is the contractor who can make dreams become reality. For over a decade Architectural Concrete, Inc. has specialized in the decorative concrete industry. We offer quality service and superior work that we believe is second to none. As each year goes by, we are always looking for ways to improve the decorative concrete industry.



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Low Cost Concrete Floor Staining

This is not an article for those looking how to acid wash concrete. This is about getting the same look, for less than half the cost of acid staining!

First off you need to gather your supplies. You can find them at any local home improvement store such as Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc. You will need solid concrete stain; I recommend two colors that complement each other i.e. a tan and a dark brown. Concrete sealer which comes in different sheens so decide if you want a flat look to your floor or a slightly shiny look, and get enough to seal your floors 6-8 times. You will also need a cheap gallon sprayer, just make sure it has an adjustable nozzle. A long handled roller with a semi-smooth nap and paint tray. And of course you will need plastic and painters tape to protect your other surfaces. And a large piece of cardboard or test space that you won't mind messing up.

Second, remove all furniture from the room and make sure you prep your surface and surrounding surfaces well. I recommend covering 4-6 feet up the wall so you avoid over-spray and having to touch up paint. Make sure you vacuum or sweep really well because whatever is on your floor will be on your floor forever once you start the process.

Now, you are ready to begin! Mix up concrete stain because just like paint, it separates and needs to be mixed. Carefully, off your surface, pour stain in your sprayer. Replace cap and if needed pump sprayer to prepare for spraying. Test your pattern on some cardboard or some other space you don't mind messing up; I tried it on my garage floor. Make sure to keep the sprayer a few feet away from the floor, otherwise you will get puddles of stain when you are looking for splatters of stain. When you are comfortable with the look you are creating, go to work on your prepped floor. Keep in mind, you are not trying to completely cover the floor, you are trying for a natural stone look. When doing the edges I recommend aiming a couple feet up off the floor to get all the way to the edge and not puddle, but still get the splatter look you are going for. Make sure you work yourself out the door instead of into a corner...you don't want to stand around waiting for it to dry for 4 or so hours! Pour any left over stain back into it's original container, and clean out the sprayer so it's ready for your next color! The whole process shouldn't take very long, my 130 square foot room only took me about 45 minutes to put one coat on.

Then, wait the recommended time before you start the second coat. After the first coat is dry, repeat the process from the first coat, filling in the areas you had less splatter in and covering the areas you had too much of the other color on. Again wait for the second coat to dry. If you are happy with the way your pattern turned out, continue on to sealing your floor. If you are not completely happy with your stain pattern, keep layering the different colors until you are happy with the pattern. The sealer will not change the look, unless you got a semi-shiny sealer, it will simply seal it so it doesn't scratch. I did three coats and for the third coat I used a hand sprayer so I could get a finer mist and a smaller area to worry about, because the bleach sprayer has a wider area it covers.

When you are ready, pour your sealer in a roller tray, get a good amount on your roller, just like you would paint, and start rolling the floor. Again, don't forget to roll yourself out of the room instead of into a corner! Then, wait the recommended time for the sealant to dry, then proceed with the rest of the coats waiting in between for each coat to dry.

You're done! Remove your plastic and coverings, move the furniture back into the room and enjoy your space!

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Staining Concrete - Green, Blue And Beautiful

Concrete floors are hardly a new phenomenon, many of us will have an old lumpy piece of concrete flooring or patio somewhere around the home! One of the most common questions that builders and concrete professionals get asked is "how do I make my concrete ______ look better?". For some time now builders and designers have been espousing the virtues of decorated or painted concretes. The most recent development, although hardly new, is concrete staining.

What you will want to know however is what are the advantages of staining concrete flooring, compared to the large number of options available to everyone nowadays? Hopefully I can give you some help here!

Why concrete staining?

Many people wonder why you would bother to stain concrete when there are so many other options open to you in terms of flooring. Tiles, wood floor, laminates, or even painting direct on to concrete are other options that maybe cheap, and simple to do. If you ask any professional they will probably give you a single word answer! "Character".

Stained concrete has a feel of rich, deep, translucent tones, similar to that find in fine oil painting, this means that the floor looks like it has aged into the site, rather than being a feature due to its newness. The results can mimic metal, marble, stone and wood, and because the effect is dependent on the underlying concrete, no two sites are ever the same.

Concrete is environmentally friendly in comparison to many other forms of flooring. Hardwood obviously has all the issues relating to sustainability, laminate floors are notorious for non-green production processes, carpet production is very environmentally unfriendly, so concrete is a relatively green process.

How is it done?

There are now two ways to stain concrete, one uses a weak acidic solution, and the other uses a pigment based solution. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

In the first category are chemical stains, these in effect do not have any color of their own, but color the concrete using a chemical reaction. The acid reacts with the lime deposits, and imparts the mineral agents into the concrete. This color is formed as a permanent bond and will not chip or peel away. The best finishes are achieved with acid staining, as the depth of translucency is achieved by the use of multiple layers of color and finishes.

The second category is the water based acrylic pigment solutions. These soak directly into the concrete and leave behind their pigment. These are preferred by many as there is a much wider choice of colors, than can be found in the acid stains. However they do not last as well, and certainly don't produce the same depth of color.

The most conventional way to apply a concrete stain is to place multiple thin coats onto the concrete, most professionals would use some form of spraying equipment. Be warned that the effects you achieve will vary with the quality and condition of the concrete. Concrete staining will only work where the stain can penetrate the substrate. An easy test for this is to pour a cupful of water on your slab of concrete and see if it will soak, if the water beads or wont penetrate, then the stain will not take either. If this is the case, then your other option is to apply a cement layer over your slab, this will give you a nice clean surface.

If you are going to stain a new surface, most manufacturers will recommend leaving the concrete to cure for at least 30 days. This is because many concretes will retain their chemicals, and water for at least that long.

What colors are available?

As mentioned previously acid stains only come in a limited number of colours, usually earth tones, light creams, green blues and some reds. However mixing these colors can achieve some good results, especially if you layer different colors one over another. You can find more examples of available colors in the galleries at http://www.kemiko.com.

Water based acrylic stains can be found in many more colors, often including metallics. Again colors can be mixed prior to application, or layed in coats to achieve different results.

Remember the following when choosing a color or colors:

With acid stains, color variations are normal. Surfaces will appear

mottled.


Stain colors from acids may not be what you seen in the bottle, due to their

nature their true color will be dependent on the concrete, the reaction type

and chemical mix. If you are at all unsure please try on another surface, in

a corner first.

Is it something I can do myself?

That rather depends on your skill level, it is certainly something a competent DIYer can do, but it is necessary for you to work out what you are going to do in advance. You must also ensure that you read up on preparation of the surfaces, application techniques, and checkout what problems you could encounter, even the best professionals can come up against major issues.

If you are going to do your own work, it is best to get the correct tools for the job, as this can save you time and effort, make sure you get acid resistant brushes and spray equipment, as the acids will wear away normal brushes.

Remember if you get it wrong with staining then you cannot go back and fix it easily. If you want any kind of unusual effects, then unless you feel particularly brave I would suggest you call in a contractor.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Although the stain is embedded into the concrete and won't flake, it will still be susceptible to the ravages of time. Most often the concrete simply wears away, or is tainted by weather effects. Most manufacturers will tell you to seal your floor with either outdoor sealant or a floor wax. These not only add to the protection, they enhance color and can form part of your design.

Protecting your floor with sealants or wax, will not eliminate the need for periodic maintenance, this will often only require brushing and mopping (with a neutral cleaner). If your floor starts to lose some shine, simply wax as you would any floor. Exterior areas may need a new coat of sealant once a year, or bi-yearly dependent on location and usage.

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How to Clean Concrete Before Staining It

Stained concrete floors are a popular choice of commercial flooring among business owners. For those who are considering staining their concrete floors themselves, you need to know it is important that the concrete be as clean as possible before you start the staining process. Here is some information that will help you get the task done right.

Why it is Crucial to Clean Concrete before Staining

Unlike paint and other concrete coatings that help conceal flaws, acid stains are not forgiving. If the surface is not correctly cleaned, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a proper finish. Chemical stains must be able to penetrate into the concrete in order to create the necessary chemical reaction within the lime content contained within. Spots from grease, oil, or curing renderings will prevent the penetration necessary for the color to take.

Choosing the Right Product to Clean Your Concrete Floors

There are many products available to clean concrete, but not all concrete cleaners work on every type of stain. It's not always easy to determine what caused a concrete stain just by looking at it. It's important to read the labels on each of the concrete cleaners you are considering. The label will give you valuable information you can use to decide which cleaner is the best for your concrete floor.

Facts you need to know before selecting your cleaner include:

Is this product safe for indoor use?
What substances does this cleaner remove?
Is it an environmentally safe product?
Does it give off fumes or noxious odors?
Is this product compatible with the concrete stain you have chosen?
How do you apply the product?

There are safe, environmentally friendly products available for cleaning concrete. You should always use caution, however, and be sure and read and heed any safety measures recommended by the manufacturer.

Concrete Cleaning Procedures

Start by sweeping and thoroughly scrubbing your concrete floor with trisodioum phosphate (TSP). Use a rotary scrubber with a pad specifically designed for aggressively scrubbing concrete.

Mastic and caulking compound can be particularly difficult to remove. There are two methods you can try. You can try using a nonflammable chemical stripper, available from hardware or paint stores or you may need to create a paste to apply where necessary.

First, scrape off as much of the unwanted glue or caulking as possible using a floor scraper or putty knife. Next, blend an inert fine powder like hydrated lime or fly ash with denatured alcohol to form a smooth paste. Apply where necessary and let dry. Once the paste is dry, the mastic or glue can usually be removed with a stiff brush.

After using your cleaning compounds, scrub the floor again with TSP and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Finally, you'll want to use a wet vac to dry the floor.

It is hard work to properly clean a concrete floor and prepare it for staining, but this step is crucial. A clean surface is the best foundation for your stained concrete floors.

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Video training how to renew stamped concrete by staining. StampMyConcrete.com (Befor and after)

Our customer called us to renew his 8 years old abused concrete. We did all the necessary prep, stained it and sealed it with 2 coats of high quality sealer. you will see the results. www.StampMyConcrete.com



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Patio Concrete Staining

With more and more people spending time in their homes and really getting a lot of use out of their decks and lawns, you will find that there has been a real trend towards patio concrete staining. With patio concrete staining, you can enjoy the natural look of brick or stone while still using concrete, which is simply the most affordable and easy to maintain building material out there.

When you want to make sure that you patio has a fresh new look that is ready for partying or even just simple relaxation, consider what this technique can do for you.

Exterior concrete unfortunately has reputation for being flat and boring, but even if this is what you currently have, you don't have to rip it out and start over from scratch. Whether you want to redo your walkway, your driveway or your patio, you'll find that patio concrete staining can give you a bold new look. While of course you can work with concrete that is already there, you will find that in many cases, it is worth your time to pour a new layer of thin concrete over it.

If you want to go ahead with concrete staining, you can pour new concrete, as suggested above, or you may wish to clean old concrete with a pressure washer. From there, you will essentially get to make your choice between two different kinds of stain. Some people love the look of acid stains, which will give you a translucent, lovely smooth color. On the other hand, if you are dealing with concrete that is more eroded or rough, consider an acrylic stain, which is a bit easier to work with, and won't harm your lawn near by.

If you are not putting down new concrete, you will find that the cleaner you make the concrete that you are working with, the better. A concrete cleaner that has muriatic acid can help the stain adhere to the surface much more easily. Also keep in mind the fact that you should absolutely soak the grass and shrubs near the concrete with water to protect them.

When you are considering patio concrete staining, there is a lot to think about, but don't let this stop you from getting a bold new look!

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