Does anyone stain concrete?

[seymore 90]

I was just wondering if anyone is staining concrete?

Here is the floor of an of an outdoor kitchen for a customer whose cedar house we treated.Actually the whole house has stained concrete inside and out .

[Mike Cappa 14]

I do, but have never done anything like that. I stain with solid colors. Wouldn't mind learning how to do the above type staining.

[svp07 14]

I new a guy in Hawaii who did staining like that in all different colors. It looks great and he did pretty well for him self. I don't think there are many out there that do the staining this way giving it a marblized look.

[RyanH 14]

Is that Captain America's kitchen? Looks great! How did you do it? Sponge the stain on for the texture and follow with a sealant, or acrylic finish?

[seymore 90]

Ohh the star these texans here like to show how patriotic they are:cool:

I'm sorry Ryan i should have said the homeowner had it done by another contractor.We only stained the cedar house but i'd like to find out how the concrete was done.

[John Doherty 126]

Wow, that looks great! I seem to remember seeing something like that before and I think it's done with an acid. That would be a whole line of work in itself.

I found this link a while ago http://www.acidstainconcrete.com/ not any kind of endorsement, I have no idea who this person is.

JD

[paul-uk 500]

ask away on this forum...after you have read the archives of course...paul.

[CLASSICPW 14]

I don't think it's stain at all. In Arundel Mills mall in Maryland all the concrete floors have a patina look. I heard it's some sort of treatment and polish technique. I heard they used some sort of orbital sander/polisher on the concrete, but it doesn't sound right. Then again sand is in concrete....silica.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

Try this for more info

[seymore 90]

I was told by the homeowner it is stain, it actually took them 3 times to get the color they wanted.Gonna try to get the product they used and some specs tomorrow after i stain their deck and walkway.

[seymore 90]

Thank Alan

The whole inside of the house is stained like that and it was slippery like glass to me.The homeowner said without shoes it's not as slippery tho.

[RyanH 14]

Alan,

That technique is getting VERY popular here (in GA) now for new stores like big grocery stores, all warehousing giants (Sams, BJs, Costco, although they have been doing that forever). Even many smaller, upscale clothing stores are getting into the trend.

Shane,

Just from the pattern it looks alot like a sponging application followed by a high metallic content floor finish. Most floor finishing chemicals have something like a 25% metal complex polymer that can make the surface look like its wet....looks awesome on a clean floor.

[Jon 533]

Sure would love something like that but WHAT, no concrete driveway, just DIRT?

hmm is this what they call dirt poor and property rich?

Really does look nice too! the house and staining that is.

[Celeste 341]

We're staining a driveway this week - will post pics when finished (unless - oh no - we have a total disaster!)

Celeste

[One Tough Pressure 580]

We're staining a driveway this week - will post pics when finished (unless - oh no - we have a total disaster!)

Celeste

Disaster or not, post them anyway, then we can learn the good and bad.

[Celeste 341]

This thread & the links posted prompted me to do some looking into the concrete staining thing. The job we're finishing today is a sealer with color: H&C Silicone Acrylic Concrete sealer. So far the homeowner is thrilled with her new driveway and it only has the first coat on. I'll put up the final results later today.

The other staining method most commonly seen is an acid based stain - gives a marble type look and someone above was right - it's being done EVERYWHERE! especially inside.

Has anyone ventured into the overlay systems? It seems pricey to get into, pricey to sell but the results are something to see.

[Celeste 341]

Here's the driveway we did this week - don't think you'd technically call it staining - definitely not compared to the acid staining process.

[staudend 14]

Looks good. How do you apply it and where do you get it?

Nick

[seymore 90]

That looks real good Celeste GREAT Job!! :cool:

[Celeste 341]

Kudos go to Roger - he does all the work - I just hang out on the boards :) We used H&C Silicone Acrylic Concrete Sealer - Sherwin Williams carries it. Comes in about 40 colors. It goes on with a roller. We added Shark Grip to this to keep it from being too slippery. 900 sq ft - sealer was just under $200 - about 6.5 manhours - bill was $1075 (she gave him a $25 tip :) so it pays pretty decent.

Thanks for the compliments :)

[seymore 90]

Wow very good margin! I love tippers too :cool:

Now does the concrete have to be completly dry for the stain to stick?

A shur flo would probally spray that and would cut down the man hours just shield/cover up and spray away.

[Celeste 341]

Shane, Roger corrected me on the application...it can be sprayed. However, we put the Shark Grip additive in it which would likely ruin any sprayer out there! Yes, the concrete must be dry. He cleaned then etched with muriatic the first day, rolled on the first coat the 2nd day and the last coat went on today.

[bill3752 14]

What type of concrete can you start with - broom brush or solid, or does it matter as llong as you acid treat first?

[Celeste 341]

It doesn't matter - this one was a smooth surface which is why we put the Shark Grip additive in it.

[seymore 90]

Celeste, I've sprayed a solvent based acrylic paver sealer with a shurflo pump.It was very fast to spray but also pretty harsh on the pumps.

Cause you are having to go back out to roll a 2nd coat is it because of the drying time of the 1st coat?

The clear sealer we used was dry in an hour or so.That could have been because the pavers are so porous it soaked it right up.

How many yrs. is the concrete stain rated to last?

[Celeste 341]

We rolled primarily because of the sandy additive we put in the sealer. The Xylene in the stuff is what is really hard on the pump also. It can be rolled both times in one day (during daylight savings time), however, mfg recommends 12 hours between coats (whether 2 or 3) and Roger didn't start until late afternoon yesterday. It was drying long before he finished though since it was about 150 degrees yesterday. We stuck pretty close to the instructions this time since it was the first one. This is supposed to last 3-4 years, depending on the traffic. Also they say if you use black, you may have to reapply much sooner as it seems to fade quicker......but then again, asphalt fades from black to a dark grey pretty quickly too doesn't it?