F.A.Q.'s > Acid Stain
What is an Acid
Stain?
Acid Stain is not a paint or a sealer. Acid
Stain colors the concrete by creating a chemical
reaction. A solution with acid, inorganic salts and
water reacts with minerals (free lime) that are
already present in the concrete. This reaction
creates color. This color is permanent and will not
fade or peel as will other "concrete stains".
Can I use Acid Stain
anywhere I want?
Acid Stain is not for every concrete floor. The
concrete MUST be bare. There can be no sealers,
curing compounds, bond breakers, paints, etc. on the
surface. The surface must be clean and free of
grease or any other contamination that would prevent
the reaction from occurring? If you do have any of
these substances on your concrete they will need to
be removed before you stain. The use of concrete
cleaners and coatings removers may be necessary to
clean your concrete floor but they do have there
limitations.
Is Acid Stain for
interior use only?
Concrete Floor Stains can be used on the
interior or exterior. While some companies may tell
you that some Concrete Floor Acid Stain colors may
be more sensitive to moisture and can not be used on
the exterior the Artistic Decor System stains can be
used on just about any concrete surface.
What is the most
important step in my Acid Stain job?
SURFACE PREP is the most important step. If the
surface is not thoroughly clean and free of all
sealers, curing compounds, bond breakers and paints,
then the Acid Stain will not react and the job will
not be a success. We recommend the use of a mild
acidic detergent to open up the pores in the
concrete and clean the concrete surface properly and
remove as many of the stains on the concrete as
possible.
Will a water based
sealer and solvent based sealer give the same
appearance?
No is the usual answer to this question but our
Clear Cover WB sealer will bring out the color just
like a solvent based sealer. Many companies will
tell you that the solvent based will create a darker
appearance because it will penetrate deeper into the
concrete than a water based sealer. This not the
reason for the change it is a matter of the
chemicals used in the sealers.
Do I always need to
apply a floor finish after I apply a sealer?
A floor finish is designed for interior use only
and should not be used on exterior jobs. The floor
finish will act as a sacrificial lamb for the sealer
to be used. The use of a floor finish will also act
as a minimal anti-skid on the floor surface. All
floor finishes are manufactured to what they call
"Coefficient of Friction" of 0.05 or greater, this
is an anti-skid standard. On interior jobs a floor
finish will provide an ideal finish in high traffic
areas such as homes, schools, office buildings,
shopping malls, hair salons, hotels and restaurants.
Will the same color
look the same on different jobs?
Even when the same color is used on different
jobs, a different appearance may be the result. The
color will be different for many reasons such as,
the different pours of the concrete, the texture,
the cure time and the overall condition of the
floor. As such as always remember to do a test
sample in an inconspicuous space such as a closet to
see the stains reaction to YOUR concrete.
