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Acid Stain

Cola Concrete Acid Stain: Project Gallery

Justin Richardson

Cola EverStain™ is a warm, orange-brown acid stain that brings earthy depth to patios, porches, and interior floors. Here are real Direct Colors customer projects in Cola — indoors and out — with the products they used and their own tips.

A finished front porch of an earthy brick estate home, enhanced by the warm hues of Cola EverStain™

Cola EverStain™ on a front patio — warm, earthy color that plays off brick and stone.

Shop EverStain™ Cola DIY Kits →

Note on results: every photo here is a real customer project in EverStain™ Cola. Because EverStain™ is semi-transparent, your final color depends on the starting color and condition of your slab, so results vary. Always test a small area before staining the whole project.

Earthy elegance: a front porch makeover

The front porch of an estate home was transformed with Cola EverStain™. It harmonizes with the earthy brick tones of the house, so the porch now reads warm and inviting against its elegant columns.

The completed front porch steps of an estate home, displaying the warm, rich tones of Cola EverStain
Cola on the entry steps.
A concrete driveway with edging stained by Cola EverStain™, matching the earthy tones of the estate home
The same warm brown on a brushed-concrete driveway.

Outdoor kitchen revamp

This outdoor kitchen, tucked into a California room, was finished with easy-to-apply Cola EverStain™ over broomed concrete.

Outdoor kitchen featuring a gazebo, with the concrete enhanced by the warm hues of Cola stain

An outdoor kitchen and gazebo over broomed concrete stained in Cola EverStain™.

A one-day courtyard transformation

A 200 sq. ft. courtyard was revitalized with Cola acid stain in a single day. The key safety note from this project: always wear goggles and gloves, and follow the product instructions.

Clean, unstained 200 sq. ft. courtyard ready for application of Cola acid stain
Before — the bare courtyard slab.
Revitalized 200 sq. ft. courtyard, displaying the warm, orange-brown hues of the applied Cola acid stain
After — warm Cola EverStain™.

The BBQ porch: a stamped-concrete revival

A plain concrete porch became a cozy BBQ spot with EverStain™ Cola. On stamped concrete the warm color settles into the pattern and brings the whole surface to life for family gatherings and cookouts.

Unstained, broomed concrete of an outdoor kitchen ready for application of Cola stain
Unstained, broomed concrete of an outdoor kitchen ready for application of Cola stain.
An image of a concrete porch, highlighting the BBQ area and the depth of the stain color
Concrete porch, highlighting the BBQ area and the depth of the stain color.
A photo showing a newly stained concrete porch with a BBQ area, stained with EverStain Cola
Newly stained concrete porch with a BBQ area, stained with EverStain Cola.

Game room: a worn-leather look

Cola layered with Coffee Brown and Desert Amber gives interior floors a rich, vintage-leather character. For the technique, see how to layer two or more acid stain colors.

Concrete floor of the game room post application of Cola, Coffee Brown, and Desert Amber EverStain™ acid stains
Concrete floor of the game room post application of Cola, Coffee Brown, and Desert Amber EverStain™ acid stains.
Finished game room floor showcasing the rich, vintage leather look
Finished game room floor showcasing the rich, vintage leather look.

Cozy cabin addition: Cola & Malayan Buff

An addition to a charming cabin was brought to life with a blend of Cola and Malayan Buff acid stains, finished with a water-based sealer for lower odor — though this customer personally prefers solvent-based for the final look.

Unstained interior room in a cabin addition, prepped and ready for Cola and Malayan Buff acid stain application
Before — the new addition's bare slab.
Finished cabin addition room, showcasing the blended warm tones of Cola and Malayan Buff acid stains
After — a blend of Cola and Malayan Buff EverStain™.

Guest house floor: veining with Cola & Azure Blue

For a game room and guest house, this DIYer wanted something different with a pop of color — so they used the veining technique with toilet paper and added Miracle-Gro to Azure Blue for a brighter blue, then blended Cola around the veins.

Colors
Cola & Azure Blue EverStain™
Technique
Veining (toilet paper) + Miracle-Gro
Size
1,250 sq. ft.
Time
4 days
Spraying citrus etch residue into one area to be shop vacuumed up, after thoroughly neutralized and scrubbed
Scrubbing the CitrusEtch™ before vacuuming.
Application of azure blue "veins" with miracle grow to bring out blue intensity!
Applying the Azure Blue veins with Miracle-Gro.
Blending in the cola against the azure blue veins
Then blending Cola against the veins.
Applying first coat of sealer
The first coat of sealer.
2nd coat of sealer done
The second coat done.
Two coats of concrete floor wax all done and fully cured
Two coats of wax fully cured.
“We followed the how-to videos and guides and made sure to fully neutralize the CitrusEtch and scrub it off our tools. To make cleanup easier we scrubbed the CitrusEtch into one area before vacuuming it up — that minimized the mopping.”
Tip: “Have fun with it and don't stress too much. Mistakes can always be fixed, so be creative and enjoy the process.”
— DIY Customer

Curious about deeper blues? See using Miracle-Gro to enhance the blue hues of acid stain.

Screened porch: multicolor stencil magic

A 10x12 ft screened-porch addition became a showpiece with a Modello stencil and a blend of Azure Blue, Avocado, English Red, and Desert Amber EverStain™ — with Cola and Malayan Buff in the mix.

Colors
Desert Amber, Malayan Buff, Azure Blue, Avocado & English Red EverStain™
Sealer
AcquaSeal™ Satin
Size
120 sq. ft.
Time
4 days
Extra
Modello stencil
Before transformation: A plain, clean concrete floor of a porch
Before — the new screened-porch slab.
Finished and sealed porch floor showcasing the vibrant stencil design
After — a stenciled, multicolor acid-stained floor.
“Only the English Red had issues with bleeding through the stencil. We left the inside of the stencil without stain — the contrast was nicer than adding another color. Taking the time to lay the stencil out is key. I used a sponge to apply the colors to the stencil and a sprayer to stain the border. Do not judge your work until after the sealer is applied — it really helps the colors show. Overall it was a fun project. I would do it again.”
— DIY Customer

Updating a restaurant floor

For this restaurant renovation, the existing floor was covered with a cement overlayment and divided into sections, then acid-stained in Azure Blue, Cola, and Blackish across roughly 3,000 square feet.

Colors
Azure Blue, Cola & Blackish EverStain™
Surface
Cement overlayment, sectioned
Size
3,000 sq. ft.
Time
7 days
Faded Concrete Floor
Before — the existing restaurant floor.
Acid Stained Restaurant Concrete Floor
After — sectioned and acid-stained.
Lesson learned: “We needed twice as much of the blue acid stain to get the effect we wanted because we did not etch the concrete floor.” Etching opens the pores so the stain absorbs more deeply for a more vibrant finish.
— DIY Customer

Shop EverStain™ Cola DIY Kits →

What's Next

  1. Worn-leather floors → Acid-Stained Concrete Floors
  2. Coffee Brown projects → Coffee Brown Gallery
  3. See every acid-stain color → Concrete Acid Stain Colors Guide
  4. How to apply acid stain → How to Apply Acid Stain to Concrete
  5. Layer two colors → How to Layer Two Acid Stain Colors
  6. Shop → EverStain™ DIY Kits · Trial Kits

Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.

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Tags: Acid Stain Cola Color Gallery EverStain Photo Gallery

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Before You Checkout

EasyTint™ and OxiGrip™ are not compatible when used together directly. For slip resistance, use EasyTint™ as the color layer and apply OxiGrip™ only with a clear solvent based sealer as the topcoat.

Before You Checkout

AcquaTint™ and OxiGrip™ are not compatible when used together directly. If you need added slip resistance, apply AcquaTint™ as your color layer first, then use OxiGrip™ in a clear topcoat with AcquaSeal™ or HydroCryl™.