Commercial concrete staining

Helping you learn more about concrete restoration and concrete repair.

The point at which you should apply a chemical stain varies depending on who you ask. The answer is usually 2 weeks and a full month, but there are also those who say it should be done as soon as the slab is laid. There are some reasons for this.

As the concrete cures and hardens, it will accept stains less efficiently. The less moisture in the concrete (not no the concrete) the less the stain will hold, as it’s a water driven reaction. Color uniform is difficult to maintain, so it’s best if you do all your slabs at the same point during their laying; for instance, on the second of third day after they were laid. This is the best way to ensure color conformity.

Another thing you should think about is the way the stain is applied. Special sprayers are used very commonly by professionals, but you should be careful, as many stains contain some form of acid that will eat away metal or unprotected parts. Not only will this ruin a sprayer, but it will potentially have adverse affects on the color which is applied.

The suggested way to apply using a sprayer is to move in circular patterns, across the slab once, then again going the opposite direction. The spray should be followed by a good brush, scrubbing the stain deep into the concrete. The next, there should be one more light spraying to remove any marks or patterns made by the brush.

Paintbrushes are also often used to apply stain, but you should of course, be careful, and not expect the brush to survive the use, what with using acidic stains. You should also watch out for brush marks, the strokes with the brush may be visible, and that is rarely something you’ll like the look of. Something else that’s often done with stains is to increase or decrease the concentration by using some water.

Of course, you should consider your own safety. You’ll want to wear eye and hand protection, and be sure to protect anything near the area being sprayed, as this is a chemical stain, meant to be permanent, and it very well may become permanent on that bench or adjoining slab.

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