Concrete floors start out boring and gray, but acid staining can completely transform them into a work of art. While gray is the base color of concrete, a huge range of colors and finishes are available by using an acid stain.
Let’s talk about how this process works, and what kinds of effects you can achieve by staining concrete with acid.
How Do You Acid Stain Concrete?
It may sound a little intense to stain with acid, but it’s a straightforward process. Concrete is a naturally porous material, and staining takes advantage of this property, much like staining a piece of wood. To create the stain, a combination of water, acid, and metallic salts is applied to the surface of the concrete. A chemical reaction occurs, changing the color of the concrete. When the desired shade is reached, the chemical solution is neutralized. You can find a more in-depth description of this process here.
The Versatility and Artistry of Acid Staining Concrete
While that describes the basic process of staining concrete, there is so much more to this technique. With a vast array of colors and techniques, it’s possible to acid stain concrete in some truly remarkable ways. For example, concrete can be transformed into a completely convincing marble look-alike, at a fraction of the cost. This marbled effect works best on clean, smooth concrete, so it’s very important to properly prepare the area to be stained. Here are some of the most-used techniques for creating different acid stain effects.
- Wet on wet. This technique is commonly used to achieve a marbled look. One stain color is applied to the surface, and then a diluted version of the same stain color, or a second stain color is then spot applied. The result are natural-looking marbled and veined colors, much like authentic marble or other natural stone.
- Wet on dry. Similar to the above technique, this process begins with a stain color being applied to the surface of the concrete. It is allowed to then dry before applying the second stain color. The resulting finish is a more intense variation between the two colors, with more distinct lines and easier to predict patterns.
Why Choose Acid Stained Concrete Floors?
It is possible to mimic nearly any type of natural stone floor covering you might wish to replicate. The benefit of using concrete as the material is the low maintenance durability of the material. Combined with the cost savings, it is a winning choice. Returning to the earlier example of marble, using this natural stone as a floor covering can cost as much as $10 per square foot, depending on the quality and intricacy. By contrast, concrete with an acid stain is a very affordable $.37 per square foot, with the added bonus of far less maintenance and higher durability than natural stone.
Let Hard Rock Concrete Coatings Transform Your Concrete Floors
Whether you want to create a cool, modern effect, or add some old-world elegance, acid staining really can transform your concrete floors. Our experts at Hard Rock Concrete Coatings will work with you to create exactly the look and color you’re after. Check out our gallery for some of our beautiful past projects, and contact us today to start transforming your Utah home. We serve Salt Lake County, Utah.
