Beginning of understanding the concrete acid stain by fabcrete

Posted by John on September 7th, 2015

Acid stains have a mild acid, typically hydrochloric acidity, to open pores from the concrete slab so the metallic salts from the stain can react using the free lime in the cement paste along with a chemical reaction in the concrete produces the colour variation typical of acidity stains. Reactive acid stains are limited by tans/ browns, greens, as well as reddish browns. They etch the cement by eating away the free lime between your sand particles. This etching is both a blessing along with a curse. This etching should be understood and properly regarded as when specifying acid unsightly stains. But first, it is essential to understand the role how the concrete itself plays within the success of an acidity stain project. Since each new concrete and aged concrete are candidates with regard to acid staining we may address both.

If you don't like the result…you cannot just pay more acid stain! The free lime within the top surface of your concrete is finished. You would have to grind the ground to expose all fresh concrete…and through the time you ground the ground that deeply…th aggregate (rocks) inside your concrete would probably start to show. So, basicly, you've one shot at acidity staining.

Keep in mind that acid stains etch (eat aside the cement paste) the very best surface of the cement slab. Something needs to fill those voids therefore the concrete does not crumble under foot and also the color walk off. Material suppliers are becoming better at understanding this particular, but many are still specifying a high coat that is 20% solids that's applied at 300-500 sq . feet per gallon. This isn't a good thing. Depending on my industrial coating history, that tells me (mathematically) which at 10% loss element and 400 square ft per gallon, only. 75 mils DFT (dry film thickness) are now being applied to the ground. A sheet of inputting paper is 4 mils –; Observe Acetone Dye and Urethane.

Acetone dyes put in polished acid stain concrete colors are much more color uniform than acidity stains, but to me personally, their main advantage is that they're literally “in” the concrete – not surviving in acid weakened cement insert. The dyes penetrate the cement paste right down to and around the sand particles of the acid staining concrete floors that's been honed with industrial expensive diamonds. Densifiers are then applied along with the dyes…so before the colour walks off, the hardened and refined concrete and sand particles will need to walk off.

When you are thinking of buying your how to acid stain concrete floors can recommend http://www.fabcrete.com/concstain.html for thousands and good advice.