Concrete Acid Staining - Acid Staining Concrete

The demand for concrete acid staining is rising among homeowners who are finding out just how versatile and beautiful these floors can be! Installing a concrete floor is much more than simply pouring that dull, gray concrete and waiting for it to dry. There are now so many ways that you can spruce up a concrete floor by adding designs and colors, you really are only limited by your own imagination!

Concrete staining is just one of these ways that you can get the exact look you want out of your concrete flooring without breaking the bank! However, concrete staining can be a bit tricky as often, you only get once chance. Improper concrete staining can take just a few minutes to go wrong so it's important to know how to properly stain your concrete before taking on the task! When in doubt a concrete professional is the best person to talk to about the home owners ability to stain their concrete and have the best outcome.

Concrete staining always begins with first choosing the color that you want to use as a stain. These stains are available at any hardware or home improvement store and can be mixed to create different colors, allowing you to have the exact look that you want! When choosing a color, consider things such as what color the room is where the floor is to be stained and what color will be easy to maintain. Rich browns and darker colors will be easy to maintain where as choosing a lighter color will mean that you will need to clean the floor more often.

Always remember to look for actual concrete staining products. There are many products on the market that may appear to be stains but are actually just paint or film formers. These will not work as well as concrete stain. Stains have tiny particles in it that are actually absorbed by the concrete and can penetrate as much as 1/8" of the floor. These stains will work much better and last much longer than other products.

The next step is preparing the area that is to be stained. The floor will need to be clean and dry and you should always read the label on the stain to ensure that you are taking all measures to ensure that your floor is properly prepared before you begin the concrete staining. Anything around the floor that you don't want to be stained should also be covered in painter's tape before you begin. These areas include trim, baseboards, and walls. If the concrete floor has just been installed, you will need to give it an adequate amount of time to cure before you can begin to stain it.

After you have prepared the floors, choose a small inconspicuous area where you can test a small amount of the stain. Some stains may look different after they have been applied and dried and before you have an entire floor that doesn't look the way you want it to, it's best to try out the stain and then decide if you like it. Remember to allow this small area to dry before proceeding with the rest of the concrete staining as you want to be sure you know exactly how it will look. If you decide that you want to have any type of pattern on the floor, cutting the area with a diamond saw also needs to be done before concrete staining. This should also be done if you are planning on using two or more colors in different areas of the concrete. Defining these areas with the saw will make the cut marks to appear like grout lines in tile and will help the different colors not to spread and mix with each other.

Then just simply read the manufacturer's directions on the stain and apply as directed. You can get different shades of the same color for another great effect by simply applying more stain to certain areas. The first coat should be completely dry before another coat of stain is applied.

If you are doing this for the first time or doing a larger area you may want to consult your Concrete Professional for professional help. Although these steps are not difficult, as anything else, experience is the key to the perfect look the individual is looking for.