Acid Staining Concrete Basic Guide

Exterior Floors: Concrete should be cured (at least 28 days). Do not acid wash prior to acid staining! Surface contaminants such as curing agents, glue, sealers, waxes, paint, oil, dirt, water repellents and anything that will prevent stain penetration must be removed. There are several steps in cleaning an exterior floor. Always degrease surface, TSP. ( Tri Sodium Phosphate) is a good cleaner, degreaser and easy to use detergent. Rinse well after degreasing and check for water absorption, if there any area where the water beads, treat again. and re do as necessary. After degreasing pressure wash or clean by mechanical means. Once the floor is thoroughly clean and grease free allow to dry and proceed with Acid Stain application 

Interior Floors: Concrete should be cured (28 days). Do not acid wash prior to acid staining. Surface contaminants such as curing agents, glue, sealers, waxes, paint, oil, dirt, water repellents and anything that will prevent stain penetration must be removed. Degrease floor and check for water absorption, water beads indicate the presence of a contaminant and floor must be re treated until water is readily absorbed by concrete. When rinsing and cleaning an interior floor use a wet vac to avoid run off and to prevent staining adjacent areas. After degreasing clean floor with by mechanical means if possible e.g. shot blasting, sanding, or with a floor buffer. Rinse one more time to remove dust and dirt, mask all walls with tape and paper and any object you may want to protect,. and proceed with staining.

Saw Cutting: Score lines add a new dimension to acid stain, they provide a natural barrier between colors and enable you to create more eye catching designs. Use a 4” and 7” saw with diamond blades. Mark your lines with chalk and cut to a depth of about 1/4”, being careful not to over cut corners and or to miss the lines, use the 4” saw for small detail and larger saw for long straight lines. There are companies that manufacture saws just for this purpose that allow you to cut straight lines much quicker. 

Stencil Designs: Custom designs can be created by using stencils and sand blasting. This technique is a little bit more advanced but the results are outstanding. Please consult your supplier about the proper method of application and necessary training.