Of the many DIY projects one may undertake for home improvement, concrete staining is perhaps the most interesting and convenient that results to having better looking concrete floor.The alternatives, like epoxy, tearing out existing concrete and replacing with new or decorative overlays, are not recommended for do-it-yourselfers and can be very expensive. Some of the things you would do well to know before starting a staining project are mentioned herewith.
There simply are two types of concrete staining namely, acid staining and acrylic staining. Acid stains are caused by the chemical reaction with free lime on the surface and give a translucent floor with natural looks.They create a mottled, variegated, multi-hued coloring.Every concrete surface reacts differently to acids stains making each job unique. The outcome of acrylic stains is more consistent and imparts semi translucent color comparable to that of a dye because they are water borne pigments that seep thru pores and remain stuck to the surface of the floor. Acrylic stains help you to camouflage defects or discolorations of the floor, but acid stains may make them somewhat conspicuous.
For many surfaces, acid and acrylic stains will work equally as well, but which one you choose depends on the look you want.
However, there are situations where one type will work better than the other. For instance, exterior concrete older than ten to fifteen years may not be to hold acid stains as it has already lost most of the free lime on its surface. Such a concrete would give excellent results with acrylic stains because of its increased porosity over time. You can’t get this with epoxy paint. Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. If the concrete is already in need of repairs and requires a bit of patch work or scaling, it will be good to use acrylic stains as it helps to disguise repairs. Such patches would begin to look apparent on being treated with acid stains. Smooth trowel led interior surfaces with less porosity give better results on being treated with acid stains that do not require so much penetration for coloring the concrete.
Rick Maselli, Editor of LevelAdvice.com, has been a home builder and remodeler for over 40 years. He is also Founder and Editor of Showroom411.com, The #1 Home Improvement Resource on the web. LevelAdvice.com offers advice and information related to all aspects of home building and home improvement.
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