Acid Stain

Malayan Buff Concrete Acid Stain: Project Gallery

Apr 21, 2026 Justin Richardson

Malayan Buff is the workhorse of the EverStain™ range — a warm, golden neutral that flatters almost any slab and plays well with every other color. It's the base coat under Avocado and Seagrass, the fill between English Red and Desert Amber, and a beautiful finish entirely on its own. Here are real Malayan Buff projects, from a 1902 chapel to a commercial kitchen.

"Post-renovation photo of the chapel floor, looking towards the front door, stained in Malayan Buff

The 1902 Armour Chapel floor restored with Malayan Buff EverStain™.

Shop EverStain™ Malayan Buff DIY Kits →

Note on results: every photo here is a real customer project in EverStain™ Malayan Buff. 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.

The whiskey bar revival

Kaitlyn Carhart (@carharthomestead) turned her Finger Lakes basement into a cozy whiskey bar — neutral hues, natural textures, and a Nordic-minimalist streak, all grounded by a Malayan Buff floor sealed with EasySeal™ Satin.

Image of the untreated concrete floor in the basement before renovation — Before — the untreated basement slab.

Image showcasing the finished whiskey bar in the basement — After — a finished whiskey bar over Malayan Buff.

Image of the concrete floor after application of Malayan Buff and sealer — Concrete floor after application of Malayan Buff and sealer.

Image featuring a cozy set-up with two reclining leather chairs, a cowhide rug, and string lights above — Cozy set-up with two reclining leather chairs, a cowhide rug, and string lights above.

Reviving history: the Armour Chapel

The Armour Chapel was built in 1902 in memory of Kirkland B. Armour by his wife Annie. Its concrete floor carried about 120 years of dirt and had gone a blackened gray. Elmwood volunteers cleaned it, hand-sanded it, and stained it Malayan Buff — with every drop of water carried in by the gallon jug, because there's no running water at the chapel.

Color: Malayan Buff EverStain™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin
Surface: 1902 concrete, hand-sanded
Size: 1,500 sq. ft.
Time: 10 days

"Pre-renovation photo of the worn-out chapel floor, leading towards the altar — Before — 120 years of dirt over a blackened gray floor.

Post-renovation photo of the chapel floor looking towards the altar, stained in Malayan Buff — After — warm, inviting Malayan Buff.

Close-up image of the newly stained chapel floor with Malayan Buff

The restored chapel floor — an earthy, even finish across 1,500 square feet.

“This was quite an endeavour because there is no running water available at the chapel! All water was transported in gallon jugs… completed by Elmwood volunteers who donated their time and effort to bring the floor back to life.”
Tip: “Take your time and be sure to mask off areas you don't want stained!”
— Elmwood Volunteers

A commercial kitchen

For a personal-chef service in a newly constructed building, the fresh slab was professionally ground first, then stained and sealed with a DIY kit — quick, smooth, and a fraction of the cost of a commercial coating.

Color: Malayan Buff EverStain™
Sealer: EasySeal™ Satin
Surface: New slab, professionally ground
Size: 575 sq. ft.
Time: 5 days

concrete floor in the commercial kitchen before staining — Before — the bare commercial kitchen slab.

Close-up image of the concrete floor after the application of Malayan Buff and sealer — After — Malayan Buff sealed for kitchen duty.

Image showcasing the completed commercial kitchen with the stained and sealed floor

The finished kitchen floor — durable, and easy to keep clean.

Tips: “Invest in multiple sprayers to avoid having to clean out the sprayer and save time. Use a respirator with appropriate filters — the smell is extremely strong. Spiked shoes work great too.”
— @fruitfulvintagechef

Mill House Pizza: a 30-year-old restaurant floor

Malayan Buff suited this restaurant's exposed brick perfectly, but the 30-year-old slab had problem areas that took the stain unevenly. Vibrance™ concrete dye came in to even the color out — a useful reminder that dye can rescue an acid-stain job that doesn't land evenly.

Image of the faded, aged concrete floor with white spots, before treatmen — Faded, aged concrete floor with white spots, before treatmen.

Close-up image of a portion of the floor after acid stain application, showcasing areas that did not accept the stain — Portion of the floor after acid stain application, showcasing areas that did not accept the stain.

Image of the floor post-Vibrance™ dye application and during the sealing process — Floor post-Vibrance™ dye application and during the sealing process.

Image of the fully sealed concrete floor — Fully sealed concrete floor.

Image showcasing the finished dining area of the pizzeria, with exposed brick walls and vintage posters — Finished dining area of the pizzeria, with exposed brick walls and vintage posters.

If your stain lands unevenly, see fixing acid-staining problems on concrete floors.

Fresh pour, new hue

A brand-new residential pour, cured a full 30 days before staining. The homeowners decided they wanted more depth, ordered more stain, went back over it, then sealed and waxed.

Color: Malayan Buff EverStain™ (two rounds)
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax Polish™ Satin
Surface: New pour, 30-day cure
Size: 600 sq. ft.
Time: 26 days

Image of a cured concrete floor before staining — Before — the freshly cured slab.

Image of the concrete floor after application and neutralization of Malayan Buff stain, now clean and dry — After — Malayan Buff with the depth they wanted.

Image of the concrete floor after sealer application — Concrete floor after sealer application.

Image of the concrete floor after the application of ProWax Polish — Concrete floor after the application of ProWax Polish.

Worth planning for: “In our experience, the neutralizing scrub and rinse took several hours to complete. People need to be aware this is a significant part of the process.”
— DIY Customer

A weekend floor revamp

Clean on Friday evening, stain Saturday, seal Sunday. Two coats of Malayan Buff got the exact intensity they were after — 425 square feet in three days.

Color: Malayan Buff EverStain™ ×2 coats
Sealer: EasySeal™ Gloss
Size: 425 sq. ft.
Time: 3 days

Concrete Basement — Before — the bare living room slab.

Malayan Buff EverStain and AcquaSeal stained living room concrete floor — After — two coats of Malayan Buff.

“After about 5 hours we decided we wanted it a bit darker so we sprayed a 2nd coat. Then that evening we neutralized it and the color is exactly as we want it.”
Tips: “We used a smaller paintbrush to apply the acid stain and sealer before spraying, to get into the corners and hard-to-reach places. We had to open windows and turn on fans to air out the sealer — it took around 8–10 hours, so keep that in mind if you use the solvent sealer. But really, this is so easy to do with such great, beautiful results!”
— DIY Customer

Golden retreat: patios & a fire-pit porch

Outdoors, Malayan Buff reads as a golden glow rather than a stain — warm and serene without shouting.

Concrete Patio Floor — Before — a plain gray patio.

EverStain stained Patio with Malayan Buff — After — a golden Malayan Buff patio.

Concrete backyard patio — Before — the back porch fire-pit area.

Acid stained backyard patio — After — rich, golden Malayan Buff.

Tip: “Don't be afraid to spray generously — it is such an easy process! The solvent works much better in my opinion.”
— DIY Customer

Malayan Buff as a base coat

This is where Malayan Buff earns its keep. As a base, it warms up whatever goes over it — Avocado for a marbled green, or a patina look against rusted walls.

Etched concrete floor in the barn, prepped and ready for acid staining.

Dog stall area with EverStain Avocado and Malayan Buff acid-stained concrete floor, showing a glossy green marbleized finish beside white stall gates.

A concrete floor freshly sprayed with Avocado and Malayan Bluff acid stains from EverStain, showing a raw and unsealed look.

A final shot of a sealed concrete floor, revealing the Avocado and Malayan Bluff stain's enhanced colors after the application of a high-gloss sealer — A final shot of a sealed concrete floor, revealing the Avocado and Malayan Bluff stain.

Both projects in full → Avocado gallery.

Warm blends: Cola, Desert Amber & English Red

Paired with browns and reds, Malayan Buff becomes the light that the darker colors play against.

Unstained interior room in a cabin addition, prepped and ready for Cola and Malayan Buff acid stain application.

Closeup view of the textured floor stained with Malayan Buff and Desert Amber acid stain, showcasing the warm, earthy tones.

The magic is in the details! See the rich, earthy texture of our Malayan Buff and Desert Amber stain up close.

A spacious living room area with floors beautifully stained with Malayan Buff and Desert Amber, exuding a cozy farmhouse vibe.

Kitchen area featuring rustic, farmhouse-style flooring enhanced with the warm hues of Malayan Buff and Desert Amber acid stain.

Acid stained concrete porch floors — A front porch in Malayan Buff with diluted Cola.

Tips from the porch project: “Make sure you use a sprayer with a plastic nozzle — acid reacts with metal. Cover rocks in your landscape as they may have lime in them and can get stained… Trust the process; concrete will look dull and patchy until the washing step.”
— DIY Customer

Round patio before application, showing dull concrete surface — Before — a 35-year-old patio.

Transformed round patio showcasing a rich blend of Malayan Buff, Desert Amber, and English Red acid stains, complementing the refinished redwood furniture — After — Malayan Buff outlines filled with Desert Amber and streaked with English Red.

That one in full → English Red gallery.

Cool blends: Seagrass & Black

Against green and black, Malayan Buff turns into a warm counterweight — the combination behind some of the most striking floors our customers have built.

Unfinished barndominium concrete floor — Before — a barndominium casita master suite.

Acid stained and sealed concrete floor after second coat of ProWax Polish™ application, satin finish enhances vibrant colors making the surface look even more beautiful — After — a two-tone Malayan Buff and Seagrass floor.

Tip: “When it comes to the sealer, I found it best to spray it on with a pump sprayer and then go over it with a moist paint roller with a light touch, to even it all out.”
— DIY Customer

Concrete Fire Pit — Before — a bare patio slab.

Used malayan buff inside the black highlights — After — Black, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass with a Miracle-Gro assist.

Round concrete patio acid stained with EverStain™ Seagrass, Blackish, and Malayan Buff using a wet-on-dry layering technique for a multi-colored outdoor finish — The same patio — depth.

Acid Stained Concrete Patio Floor — Movement from three colors plus Miracle-Gro.

A picture showing a kitchen with bare, cleaned concrete floors after vinyl removal, showing the raw state before the acid staining process begins — Kitchen with bare, cleaned concrete floors after vinyl removal, showing the raw state before the acid staining process begins.

A photo showcasing the finished kitchen floor displaying a unique, worn leather look after the application of the acid stain — Finished kitchen floor displaying a unique, worn leather look after the application of the acid stain.

Hard-won tips from that marble-style floor: “If your concrete is older and has paint or carpet adhesive, rent a good floor polisher with a coating-removal blade. Give the acid plenty of time to react. A good shop vac was the biggest help — especially cleaning up after neutralizing, with a squeegee to pull water. Don't use a sprayer for the sealer; the 3/8 roller is definitely the best option after I clogged two different sprayers.”
— DIY Customer

A multi-tone basement slab

A two-month-old basement slab in a new build, stained in three colors — Seagrass first to lay the veins, then Coffee Brown and Malayan Buff filled in and overlapped across 1,760 square feet.

Colors: Seagrass, Malayan Buff & Coffee Brown EverStain™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Gloss ×2 + ProWax Polish™ Gloss ×2
Size: 1,760 sq. ft.
Time: 4 days

Newly constructed bare concrete floor in a basement awaiting staining — Before — the bare slab during framing.

Final result of the basement floor project after the second coat of wax, exhibiting a glossy finish and deep, vibrant colors — After — a multi-tone floor after two coats of ProWax Gloss.

Technique: “We put each color in a pump sprayer. We started with the lighter color (Seagrass) to make the veins. We let it sit about 10 minutes for the color to start to show up so we could tell very clearly where we had gone. We then filled in with the other 2 colors and overlapped the browns in many areas.”
— DIY Customer

Carpet to concrete, wet-on-wet

Carpet out, and a warm earthy blend of Malayan Buff and Seagrass applied wet-on-wet — left about five hours before neutralizing. This customer skipped etching entirely and still got the look they wanted.

Colors: Malayan Buff & Seagrass EverStain™
Technique: Wet-on-wet
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax™ Satin
Size: 200 sq. ft.
Time: 4 days

Image of a room with bare concrete floor, prior to acid staining — Before — bare concrete after the carpet came up.

Image of the same room after renovation, showcasing the new acid-stained concrete floor in Malayan Buff and Seagrass — After — the first coat of sealer over Malayan Buff and Seagrass.

“Take the time to really research everything on the website. It really helped the process go much smoother than we expected. Trust the process — each stage the floor looked completely different, but the end product is beautiful!”
— DIY Customer

A photo displaying a bare, unprocessed concrete floor in a newly constructed house — Before — bare concrete in a new house.

A photo displaying the final look of the stained concrete floor, exhibiting a beautiful mix of colors — After — Seagrass, Malayan Buff, and Coffee Brown throughout.

Layering three colors on a 40-year-old slab

An entire downstairs — two living spaces, kitchen, entry, and hallway — layered in Malayan Buff, Cola, and Seagrass. They'd tried a generic water-based stain first and weren't satisfied; the acid stain gave them exactly what they wanted.

Colors: Malayan Buff, Cola & Seagrass EverStain™
Surface: 40-year-old slab
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Gloss + ProWax Polish™ Satin
Size: 1,100 sq. ft.
Time: 7 days

Old stained carpet — Before — old carpet over a 40-year-old slab. After — three colors layered.

Pet Friendly Acid Stained Concrete Floor — With the imperfections embraced.

“Prep work is very important. If you want great results, you have to put in the work… We were working with a 40-plus-year-old slab so we kept in mind that the acid would change the concrete in different and unexpected ways. We embraced the imperfections and liked the character they added to our end product.”
— DIY Customer

From woodshop to bedroom

A 35-year-old woodworking shop — cracks, paint smears, oil stains, varnish — became a bedroom. The concrete took the stain in wildly varied ways, which suited the organic look they wanted. It took two rounds of Malayan Buff with Seagrass and Cola accents to mask the stubborn spots.

Colors: Malayan Buff ×2 rounds + Seagrass & Cola accents
Surface: 35-year-old shop floor
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax Polish™ Satin
Size: 350 sq. ft.
Time: 6 days

Cleaned and mopped concrete floor — The old shop floor.

Acid stain application — The three colors going on.

Acid stains cured for 12 hours — The stain cured 12 hours later.

Neutralized and cleaned acid stained floors.

Splashing the Cola did not work and some areas did not receive stain well — A problem area where the stain didn't take —.

After spraying a second coat of Malayan Buff over Cola splashes, much more to our liking! — The same spot after a second round of Malayan Buff.

“We should have sprayed on the Cola instead of dribbling it on! Seagrass worked out being 'splashed' on but the Cola was too strong… I had thankfully saved back one quart of the Malayan Buff, and after neutralizing and 11 rinses we did another round of staining. I was much happier with the results after that.”
Tips: “Two people for the job is a must — one to be the go-fer so you don't have to keep putting the shoes and shoe covers on every time the water needs rinsing. Invest in a really good mop system.”
— DIY Customer

More Malayan Buff blends

Two more projects where Malayan Buff does quiet, essential work in the mix.

A Formica countertop in a kitchen, prior to the application of EverStain acid stain.

A finished concrete countertop, richly stained with a mix of Coffee Brown, Desert Amber, and Seagrass.

A freshly sanded and cleaned bare concrete basement floor, preparing for staining.

The completed stained, sealed, and waxed concrete basement floor, boasting richly pigmented colors and a beautiful, glossy finish.

An array of materials and tools used for creating a DIY concrete fountain — Before — a plain cast-concrete fountain.

The completed DIY concrete fountain, beautifully stained with EverStain's Malayan Buff and Desert Amber, standing as a vibrant centerpiece against the patio's brick background — After — Malayan Buff and Desert Amber, vivid when wet.

Buff in our other product lines: contractor projects

Beyond acid stain, Buff shows up across the range — and these are contractor-run jobs rather than DIY ones. Different products, same warm neutral.

Buff Antiquing™ on driveways

A dull, weathered broom-finished driveway refreshed with Buff Antiquing™ and EasySeal™ Satin — proof that professional prep pays off.

Before photo of broom-finished concrete driveway showing weathering, staining, and fading prior to staining — Before — a scored, broom-finished driveway gone dull.

fter photo of large scored and broom-finished driveway stained with Buff Antiquing™ Stain and sealed with EasySeal™ Satin, showing a smooth and refreshed finish — After — Buff Antiquing™ and EasySeal™ Satin.

Buff EasyTint™ on driveways & pool decks

EasyTint™ in Buff colors and seals broomed concrete in one step — an easy win on large exterior areas.

A blank slate ready for color—this broom-finished driveway was prepped for transformation — Before — a broomed concrete driveway.

Concrete driveway enhanced with Buff EasyTint™ tinted sealer for a smooth, professional finish — After — Buff EasyTint™ tinted sealer.

Broom-finished concrete pool deck stained with Buff EasyTint™ for a clean, natural look

A broom-finished pool deck refinished in Buff EasyTint™.

Portico™ on 20-year-old pavers

A tired paver walkway was power-washed, releveled, refilled with polymeric sand, then stained with Portico™ in Buff, Charcoal, Khaki, and Silver Gray and sealed with EasySeal™ Satin.

Before renovation: Old paver walkway before cleaning and releveling — The 20-year-old walkway before.

After renovation: Revitalized paver walkway stained with a blend of Buff, Charcoal, Khaki, and Silver Gray — Restored in four Portico™ colors.

Restored concrete banister finished with EasyTint Buff tinted sealer — A matching concrete banister in Buff EasyTint™.

Contractor tip: order extra stain for older pavers — they're far more porous than new ones and will drink more product than the coverage chart suggests.