Story:

Jim with Mountain Smoke Concrete in TN was asked to design a black and white floor for a client.

After some discussion on the phone with our Direct Colors decorative concrete experts, Jim decided to try the DCI Concrete Dye because it would create the look his customer had specified.

For this slab, he applied Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer on the concrete before spraying on the acetone-based dye. The concrete sealer helps insure the best possible performance on a porous surface.

Jim said the application went great and he continues to receive many job referrals from his customer.

“Easy application. DCI Concrete Dye creates unique looking floors with coloration that can’t be replicated with acid stain.” – Jim with Mountain Smoke Concrete.

Thanks for sharing, Jim!

Let us know what you think of the project, or send in your own pictures.

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Liquid Colored Antique is a flexible, easy-to-work with spray-on stain that can really be applied to any concrete surface. Originally developed to restore colored and stamped outdoor concrete, liquid colored antique can be applied to textured, smooth or stamped surfaces to achieve an accented and richly colored appearance. Liquid Colored Antique is available in over 30 colors and can be applied with a pump-up fence and deck sprayer, a foam brush or roller or a sponge.

Direct Colors Tinted or Colored Sealer is a one-step color and sealer application that can be used indoors or out on smooth or textured concrete. Any of our solvent or water-based acrylic sealers can be tinted to over 30 colors. Tinted sealer provides a solid, consistent coloration with some high and lowlights depending on the whether the concrete is stamped or not. Tinted sealer can be sprayed, rolled or applied with an applicator whatever is most appropriate for the surface and sealer type. Consider the level of gloss you’d like before you select a tinted sealer.

Want to try out the product before you buy? We offer kits and individual samples of all our Liquid Colored Antique and Tinted Sealer colors. Need inspiration? Visit our photo gallery to see what other customers have accomplished with our products.

Liquid Colored Antique - 623 and 844

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Question:
I want to acid stain the floors in my house. What can I do to hide the holes around the perimeter of my rooms after carpet has been removed?

Answer:
Covering carpet tack holes can be difficult. Acid stain will react differently to the patching material than the actual slab itself which in most cases highlights the patch more than the floor. If you can’t live with the holes, consider applying a thin layer of DCI One-Step Overlay in the form of a border around the room. The overlay will cover the tack holes while producing an attractive outline for your floor. Even when using the same color of acid stain, a variation in color will occur. A border does involve extra work but the finished product is outstanding. Good luck!

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B. Perry has a great patio. There’s a hot tub, a pool, a grill, nice bar-height chairs, and a basset hound named Freddy, who thinks it’s all his. The problem is Mrs. Perry is planning a wedding to held in this outdoor entertainment area and the patio needs some sprucing up!

Before:

Mrs. Perry had previously used muriatic acid on the concrete so acid staining wasn’t an option. We recommended Liquid Colored Antique because the product is so easy to work with and still provides color variation on the surface. Mrs. Perry selected 623, a reddish-brown color, and 844, a medium brown, to complement her brick work. She sealed the concrete with Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer and the difference is amazing.

“I love the patio. It is gorgeous. We could not have done this without your help.”
- B. Perry

After:

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B. DeVaughn, wanted to make their fading front steps and patio area look a little bit nicer. Originally, their outdoor decorative concrete was integrally-colored with Concrete Pigment, stamped and sealed but the color had faded over time in the hot Texas sun. So, they came to Direct Colors for Tinted Sealer to restore the concrete’s appearance. After testing a few sample colors, Mrs. DeVaughn selected 649, a medium brown, solvent-based high gloss sealer.

DeVaughn said, “…The project wasn’t ‘easy,’ but it was well worth the work. I must say that when it came to applying the clear coat sealer with the Sure Step product in it, it was a breeze! We have saved at least $3,200, and that was just for the pool area.”

They sure did a great job. For a close-up of the sealed pool deck area, visit our homepage. Check out how the front steps look now:

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Jim had a beach house that he intended to rent out, but he wanted it to be more than the standard white or gray. Here’s what he did:

“For my Santa Cruz beach house project, I conceptualized and designed the house and back courtyard with the assistance of a local contractor, who totally rebuilt the home and courtyard in about 8 months’ time.

“To get the ideal home exterior protection near the ocean, I chose stucco. We used one of your standard concrete pigment colors added to the final concrete mix or “color coat” in a small motorized concrete mixer which is applied (sprayed from a gun) on top of the grey scratch coat and lathe. We loved the results.

“We used a 10-1 concrete stucco to concrete pigment ratio (about 9-10 lbs. concrete pigment for each 90 lb. bag), which was mixed in a portable motorized mixer and sprayed directly onto the house with a stucco gun. We used the ratio that you suggested, and we added no other coloring. It was the stock color you provided. The base color of the concrete was grey.

“The stucco guy did not charge anything extra for mixing the color in. They always do a color coat of some kind; grey and white are just more common.

“The house took about a week to complete (each coat of concrete had to dry) start to finish. The backyard was done later, and took about three days.

“A few days after the initial application we applied (with a roller) a clear waterproof sealant. That was it!

“We saved almost $4,000 by not having to paint the exterior. Also, if the stucco gets chipped, it is the same color underneath.

“I highly recommend your products and your service. You guys are the best!”

- Jim Goudge
Santa Cruz, CA

Also, Jim was kind enough to offer a 10 percent discount to Direct Colors customers. Just visit him over at www.beachhouseforyou.com!

Jim’s Shopping List!

175 pounds of 1311 (Tarnished Brass) Concrete Pigment
10 gallons of Sprayable Satin Finished Sealer

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Liquid acid stain works great for large spaces. But how do you bring that beautiful color and texture to smaller projects, like statuary?

Direct Colors has come up with the perfect solution, Deco Gel. This is the only gelled acid stain mix available on the market today. We’ve used it to decorate a boring concrete bird bath, and you’ll get all the details below!

Shawna started with a pretty ugly gray concrete birdbath. She chose deco gel acid stain Malayan Buff and Coffee Brown Deco Gel to add color in a precise 2-tone design to give interest where the water will actually sit in the birdbath.

“Because the birdbath was shaped like a bowl, liquid acid stain was out of the question; it would just run to the middle of the bath. Instead we decided to go with a new product, Deco Gel. The beauty of this stuff, is you can really get artistic in small spaces. It won’t run all over the place like liquid acid stain.”

“As usual, I did a surface preparation with a diluted de-greaser and let the surface dry thoroughly. Once everything was clean and ready to go, I laid the lid in the middle to maintain the circle shape I wanted. Around that, I applied the deco gel in a thick layer with a foam brush for texture.

“I left this to process four or five hours, Then we neutralized the gel and cleaned it up. After the deco gel, we did a light misting of Coffee Brown Acid Stain to give a little additional color on the surface.

“We’ll be using Sprayable Satin Finish Concrete Sealer, applied with a plastic pump-up sprayer. We always recommend a sprayable sealer for statuary and garden decor because they are so easy to use, and can completely coat small crevices and creases.”

  Shawna’s Shopping List

Malayan Buff Deco Gel
Coffee Brown Deco Gel
Coffee Brown Acid Stain
Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer

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Question: My daughter has marked on every door and cabinet in our house with permanent marker. Can your icky-sticky unstuck get the marker off? We have literally tried EVERYTHING else.

Thank you.

K. Searcy

Answer: Icky-Sticky Unstuck easily removes permanent marker from painted or varnished surfaces like doors and cabinetry. The product should immediately remove the marks and leave no trace behind no matter how long the marks have been on the surface.

Thank you.

Shawna Turner

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Question: I recently used your residential wax on a project.  What should be used
for cleaning?  Can detergents be used or will they strip off the wax?

Thank you.

P. Habib

Answer: Most household floor cleaners will clean acrylic wax without damaging it if the dilution instructions on the package are followed.

Regards
Frank Turner

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Larry and Tina had just purchased some new property, but needed to build a retaining wall. Once the wall was built, they thought it would look better if they colored it somehow. Here’s their story:

“We bought a few acres of property, which is a south face and nice view, but is on a bit of a slope. We decided we needed to cut into a bank and needed a retaining wall. We found a company that made 3000-lb. ecology blocks nearby, so we decided to make the retaining wall out of them.

“We used about 160 blocks — 4′ x 2.5′ x 2′ — to make the wall. When it was finished, it looked good, but we decided if we could color the wall, it would not look so commercial.

“We looked into different staining methods and decided on the concrete acid stain for longevity and virtually no maintenance. We talked to different companies and had very good luck with Direct Colors Inc. They were very helpful on the phone on how to apply and had a very good price on the stain. We went with the Cola color concrete acid stain with the sprayable satin finish acrylic sealer.

“We let the blocks cure for three months and then pressure-washed them to make sure they were clean. Three days later, we sprayed the blocks with the acid stain.

“We used a cheap sprayer and a stiff long-handled brush. My wife and I were able to apply all the concrete acid stain in two hours. One of us would spray and the other would brush the stain in. We then let it set for another two hours, and then applied soda water with the sprayer to neutralize the acid.

“What we learned was it was very easy, but we should have covered up better. I was thinking because we were outside we would be fine, but we had a little burning skin afterwards. Nothing bad, but a word of caution: follow the directions and cover all skin and use a respirator.

“We had a nice hot day, so the next day I sprayed the sealer, which was very easy. I did both applications in the morning when it was cool, so when the day warmed up, the drying was very fast.

“We are absolutely satisfied with the results and get many compliments. We call our work the Great Wall of Glenoma for the little town it is located in. The wall now blends in with the hillside and doesn’t look commercial.

“Thank you.”

-Larry and Tina

Larry’s Shopping List

 10 gallons of Cola Concrete Acid Stain
10 gallons of Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer

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