Concrete is a fantastic material that can be used in a ton of different ways that you can use around your home. Though plain gray concrete is a great material, it can be less than visually appealing. Concrete staining is a great means of changing up the look of your concrete without damaging or changing the concrete overall.

What is Concrete Staining?

Concrete staining is a process by which color is added to the concrete on the surface to make it look like something else. You can use it to make your concrete look like wood, to give it fun colors, or to change the overall tone of the concrete. There are a few ways to add concrete stain to concrete: you can use an acid stain or a water-based stain. Either stain type can be used with a concrete polisher to finish the look.

Acid stains are made with metallic salts, hydrochloric acid, and water and are used to etch the surface of the concrete and then create a bond between the concrete and the color that is being added. Acid staining is going to be ideal for deep tones and deep colors rather than light colors. It can also be used to make marbling effects that make the surface of the concrete beautiful and unique.

Water-based stains are made with acrylic polymer and pigments and are going to fill the pores of the concrete and are meant for a very opaque color and finish. You can use far more colors with this method than you can with acid stains. Water stains are thought to be more consistent and more reliable than other types of stains.

Which is Right for You?

When it comes to finding the right stain for your needs, you do need to talk to a specialist. Those that work with concrete polisher systems or that work on concrete can tell you what type of stain is going to work the way you want it to. A concrete polisher works to change the overall surface of the concrete to make it smoother and shinier.

Data from Concrete Decor shows that up to 15 or 20% of all flooring installed each year is polished concrete. A concrete polisher can make any concrete high shine and make it look like tile flooring. If you're interested in transforming your space with a concrete polisher, call us today!