Concrete staining

[Tonyg 14]

Didn't see any place on the forum to post this but I know a few here offer it. I have a customer that was going to have decorative stone put down over a new (under 12 months) brushed concrete patio. The landscape designer talked him out of the stone and suggested having me stain it instead. She said the stone would be too busy for what he already has so they want something more basic to just add some color.

I looked at the H&C solid stains (SW) but that is not what I am looking for. Am I looking for acid etching? Can someone point me to some products or places that I can begin some research? I'm looking for a premium product or process.

[CedarSam 16]

Have you tried...Directcolors.com ?

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

I haven't done it yet but I believe that after the staining you are going to have to apply a sealer also.

Try giving these guys a call and ask for David. www.southernstainandseal.com They have been very helpful to me on the wood care but they also do concrete staining and are in the process of building a store.

[Celeste 341]

Tony - you can call us anytime - there are LOTS of options for concrete staining - I would suggest NOT going the acid route on this as your results will also seem "busy". If you are just looking to alter the existing color, there are some great water based products that will actually look like what they say when they interact with the minerals in the concrete. Then you seal and "tada" - no more ugly concrete!

Also, take a look at this treatment:

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Landscaping, Hardscaping, Water Features & Gardening - Pressure Washing and Contractor Cleaning Forums - The Grime Scene

We do have a forum, but it is not traveled much...

Beth

[Scott Paul 164]

We offer a concrete stain as well:

ColorCrete Exterior 1 Gallon | ColorCrete Stains | The ProSealer Store

[acegot 14]

Tony here is another source for a water-base concrete stain, good color selection. Good luck with this venture. « Concrete Stains & Supplies« Decorative Concrete Engraving Systems | Engrave-A-Crete

[Tonyg 14]

Thanks for the resources. I'm still checking into it and will probably apply something the week after next. Right now I am leaning towards the dyes.

Question (maybe dumb question)

Can water based dyes/stains be stripped? It would be nice (and a little self reassuring) to tell my customer that if the color, or end result is not what he is looking for, I could do something about it. If it were a wood deck I could produce samples and play around with a few products first. Might even get enough to do my own patio first.

[Celeste 341]

Staining concrete is pretty much on the permanent side - if you have issues with the customer and coloring, samples are the very best way to go. Also, make sure you have them sign off on the sample they choose so you're not screwed when they see the entire thing done and decide then they don't like it!

[Tonyg 14]

Staining concrete is pretty much on the permanent side - if you have issues with the customer and coloring, samples are the very best way to go. Also, make sure you have them sign off on the sample they choose so you're not screwed when they see the entire thing done and decide then they don't like it![/QUOTE]

Just thought I would post an update on this thread. The HO decided on a product and color. Samples would have been good but no samples were available and without ordering the product and actually applying it I was really shooting in the dark.

Applied the product and it didn't come out anywhere close to our expectations for pattern, color, or sheen. Applied per instructions but I just don't think staining brushed concrete is going to come out nice. It turned out horribly. It would have been funny if it wasn't true when the HO's friend saw it and said "look, a dinosaur took a pisss on your patio"!

Decided to apply a solid concrete stain - SW Shercrete - and in the process of trying to dull down the sheen noticed I was able to get some of it up. So, mixed up a very strong batch of caustic and cranked up the heat and after about fours hours the HO is thrilled with his new patio. He's thrilled that it doesn't look like dinosaur pisss!

Decorative concrete will not be in any future planning thats for sure.

Here is the Before, After, and the After After

Edited September 29, 2009 by Tonyg

[Tonyg 14]

here is a couple of the closer pics of the stain which is no more.

[PressurePros 249]

Holllly crap. Don't you love learning curves?

[bulletproof 14]

What product did you use to do the first stain/dye?

[Scott Paul 164]

He used the Color Crete that we sell.

ColorCrete Exterior 1 Gallon | ColorCrete Stains | The ProSealer Store

In actuality it is supposed to look like that besides the standing water.

Tony I am sorry it did not turn out the way you or the customer expected.

[Tonyg 14]

He used the Color Crete that we sell.

In actuality it is supposed to look like that besides the standing water.

Tony I am sorry it did not turn out the way you or the customer expected.

Well, I wasn't going to post the product because I don't think it was really a brand issue. I had to put down two coats to even out the pattern because it seemed I had to saturate it to keep from having spray patterns but then even with the very slight incline the color would "sag". I had the regional SW rep come out for recommendations for a top coat and adhesion concerns (before I was able to strip it off). He was very familiar with concrete and acid stains and said that the application was correct and although it looked like crap it wasn't beyond what could have been expected for brushed concrete or a concrete stain.

One of the biigest concerns that maybe you could help with, besides the appearance, was the water marks when water was splashed on it. We had rain the day before I took the pictures, which was about a week after application. There was some plastic that had been laying on the perimeter that has dark shades under it and when I pulled it off you could see how the water left marks from just getting splashed. The HO (which is also a builder) couldn't understand how moisture could be getting under the sealer to make the discoloration?

Overall it really looked bad in person and did not fit the landscape and house at all. Surrounded 3 sides by water he has spent a small fortune restoring this 1950 era lake house. I think if it was smooth concrete it would have been better but the brushed concrete just looked weird.

Edited September 30, 2009 by Tonyg

[Scott Paul 164]

One of the biigest concerns that maybe you could help with, besides the appearance, was the water marks when water was splashed on it. We had rain the day before I took the pictures, which was about a week after application. There was some plastic that had been laying on the perimeter that has dark shades under it and when I pulled it off you could see how the water left marks from just getting splashed. The HO (which is also a builder) couldn't understand how moisture could be getting under the sealer to make the discoloration?

Water will penetrate as the sealer is not 100% film forming. The moisture was probably trapped under the plastic causing the discoloration. Once it dried did the discoloration go away?

[Tonyg 14]

Water will penetrate as the sealer is not 100% film forming. The moisture was probably trapped under the plastic causing the discoloration. Once it dried did the discoloration go away?

The water penetrating was something I did not expect. It had a significant sheen and two coats and just from the appearance I would not think anything would be able to get in. What is the point of sealing concrete if moisture of that extent gets in?

The water would dry out and I can almost understand the discoloration under the plastic but look at where the water was just splashed on and the resulting water mark/pattern. If this customer would have loved the color I know I would have had a hard time explaining why moisture penetrates the sealer.