Chemical Staining Concrete Floors

Timeless beauty long thought of as a building material to be covered over concrete has really put on a new face in recent years with designers and homeowners now appreciating it for its raw beauty and endless character.

Chemical staining concrete floors.

Old concrete should be free of any sealer oil grease paint dust and any other coating which might prevent penetration. Drop even non fragile items on stained concrete floors and you could find yourself in the business of replacing household and family treasures like crystal china and any items that are the least bit fragile. Commercial flooring systems include commercial polished concrete and commercial epoxy flooring coatings parkade systems and garage floor epoxy coatings concrete polishing epoxy coatings for retail areas offices auto service shops schools fitness centres public washrooms kitchens and restaurants. That being said you don t want to try and stain brand new concrete.

Each floor is a unique hand crafted surface that can be designed coloured and stained to suit your personal design taste. They work by penetrating the surface and reacting chemically with the hydrated lime calcium hydroxide in the concrete. Most acid stains are a mixture of water hydrochloric acid and acid soluble metallic salts. The best way to prepare the concrete is usually by grinding or sandblasting.

It rather works with the existing surfaces and possibly highlights irregularities. You can use either an acid based stain or a water based stain on concrete. Acid based stains will soak into the concrete whereas water based stains will be a paint like coating on top of the concrete. Staining a concrete floor takes time.

In order to be stained new concrete must cure for at least 3 4 weeks. Do not use any acids or chemical agents to prepare the concrete. The application of products containing hydrochloric acid and metallic salts to the surface results in a chemical reaction with the lime or calcium hydroxide in the concrete. Concrete can also be colored after it has been poured and hardened through a technique known as chemical acid staining also known as acid etching.

Depending upon the staining product you choose you could spend from two to five days applying this finish. Patinaetch is a mildly acidic water based solution designed to etch and stain concrete or masonry substrates. The advantages of a stylestone concrete floor. Unlike paints or coatings patinaetch does not cover the surface.

The chemical reaction with the substrate results in naturally variegated earth tones similar to the oxidation of a copper or the patina of a bronze sculpture. Depending on the look you want to achieve for your stained concrete floor you can choose from acid based chemical stains or water based stains. The acid in the stain lightly etches the surface allowing the metallic salts to penetrate more easily.