Every project hits a rough patch—don’t let rough concrete stop you from creating a beautiful and durable concrete acid stain and seal. Follow Direct Colors tips and tricks of the trade to work around exposed stone and aggregate.
Staining rough concrete can be challenging as bumpy areas typically take less of the overall acid stain, causing it to appear lighter than where it is absorbed by smoother parts of the concrete floor.
No. The unique and striking color of acid stains are produced directly as a result of the chemical reaction between the acid stain and the lime found in concrete. Stone may be used to compliment your concrete work but will not take up the color of the acid stain.
HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD
If intensive surface preparation is required for your acid stain project, stone aggregate may be exposed after heavy grinding or brushing machines are used to remove surface contaminants. Depending on the quality of the concrete floor, sand and/or small stones can be unintentionally revealed leading to a rough or highly textured surface. It’s not the end of the world when this happens, but acid stain cannot chemically react with stones or sand so the color will be less apparent in those areas. If you are working with very old concrete, the likelihood of stone aggregate being a part of the mix is greater and users should be prepared with a backup plan if they start to see some bumps!
When aggregate is revealed on a concrete floor, it is still possible to find a color matching solution that does not clash with the exposed stones. If the area is not widespread, the stain should be expected to take to some degree. However, if larger sand particles or stones are present with little surrounding cement, the outcome will likely be less favorable
Antiquing Stain is specifically engineered to restore color to previously colored stamped, stenciled, textured or broomed outdoor concrete, and therefore makes an excellent choice for rough and porous concrete floors where darker colors might need to be blended.
Similarly, Direct Colors Tinted Sealer works best when trying to match a single acid stain color on the rough concrete floor as we have over 40 colors available
Sometimes we experience unique and unexpected surface conditions while working with rough concrete. As in the images below, “whirl” marks may develop on the concrete surface after profiling. If not dealt with directly, this texture pattern will become more pronounced once the concrete is sealed. To minimize the appearance of these markings, we recommend sanding the floor prior to acid staining with successive grit pads beginning with 80 grit and finishing with 200 grit.
