Acid Stain

Seagrass Concrete Acid Stain: Project Gallery

Aug 22, 2024 Justin Richardson

Seagrass EverStain™ brings cool blue-green into a palette that is otherwise all earth tones — which is exactly why it works so well as a vein or accent against Malayan Buff, Coffee Brown, and Blackish. Add Miracle-Gro and the blue in it comes forward hard. Here are real Seagrass projects, from a budget barndominium to a home rebuilt after Hurricane Ian.

Image of a renovated home interior featuring a beautifully stained concrete floor in hues of Seagrass and Black

A living space transformed with Seagrass EverStain™ acid stain.

Shop EverStain™ Seagrass DIY Kits →

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

Barndominium beauty on a budget

Half of a large metal building, turned into a living space one piece at a time. Wood and tile were out of reach, and acid stain let this DIYer keep the damage the old slab had already lived through — and make it part of the design.

Color: Seagrass EverStain™
Prep: CitrusEtch™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Gloss + ProWax Polish™ Gloss ×2
Size: 700 sq. ft.
Time: 8 days

Concrete floor prepped for acid staining, showing a light texture and subtle variations before stain application — Before — the slab prepped for staining.

Polished concrete floor with a glossy green finish after Seagrass acid stain application — After — Seagrass across 700 square feet.

“I loved that with acid stain I would be able to not only let the damage that the slab had gone through become part of the design, but actually highlight its history — and pick a crazy fun color to do it in!!!”
Tips: “Set out your timeline ahead of time — I made mine as soon as I placed my order and it made me accountable. If you feel like you aren't getting the results you want, don't stress, keep going, because it just gets better and better. Flush your sprayer between layers of sealer! And if your spike shoes aren't staying on — duct tape them.”
— DIY Customer

A 934 sq. ft. porch, first time out

This homeowner's first-ever acid-stain project, and a big one: Coffee Brown, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass across a 934 square foot porch — results that beat their own expectations.

Outdoor Porch Makeover: A well-equipped outdoor kitchen sits atop the newly stained concrete floor, blending natural hues of Coffee Brown, Malayan Buff and Seagrass.

A picture of the outdoor porch showcasing the attractive acid stained concrete flooring — Outdoor porch showcasing the attractive acid stained concrete flooring.

Rustic shop floor: Seagrass with Miracle-Gro

A 16x30 room inside a workshop, stained Seagrass with Miracle-Gro to pull the blue tones forward, then marbled with Malayan Buff and Coffee Brown veining. Polished, it sits beautifully against the rustic wood walls.

Colors: Seagrass (+ Miracle-Gro), Malayan Buff & Coffee Brown EverStain™
Prep: CitrusEtch™
Sealer: EasySeal™ Gloss + ProWax Polish™ Gloss
Size: 450 sq. ft.
Time: 4 days

An indoor shop floor before acid staining, with smooth concrete prepped for application — Applying CitrusEtch™.

Acid stain applied with vibrant blue and amber tones on the shop floor, showing the wet application stage — Seagrass going over the Miracle-Gro.

The shop floor with wet acid stain, drying and showing a more defined marbled pattern — The three colors drying together.

Final look of the stained shop floor with striking blue and brown marbling, polished to a high gloss

The finished floor — Seagrass boosted with Miracle-Gro against Malayan Buff and Coffee Brown.

Tips: “Be sure and use the spike shoes — I didn't on the CitrusEtch, and the powder left footprints. Also, if you're going to use a pump sprayer for the chemical-based sealer, it needs enough pressure to actually mist the solution. I used the $11 sprayers and all it would do was spray in a stream — I ended up rolling it on.”
— DIY Customer

A canine-approved sunroom

Malayan Buff and Cola with touches of Seagrass gave this sunroom a fresh lift — and the household dog's full endorsement.

Image of a beautifully finished sunroom with Cola stained concrete floor accented with Seagrass, reflecting sunlight — Beautifully finished sunroom with Cola stained concrete floor accented with Seagrass, reflecting sunlight.

Image of a dog sitting in the finished sunroom with a Cola and Seagrass stained concrete floor, gazing out the window — Dog sitting in the finished sunroom with a Cola and Seagrass stained concrete floor, gazing out the window.

A natural marble look: let it pool

A raw slab that had sat unsealed for a year became a living room floor with a genuinely organic marble effect — Blackish and Malayan Buff alternated with a pump sprayer, then Seagrass misted over the top from a hand bottle.

Colors: Blackish, Malayan Buff & Seagrass EverStain™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ ×2 + ProWax Polish™ Gloss ×3
Size: 480 sq. ft.
Time: 3 days

Worker applying acid stain on the concrete floor, creating an organic pattern.

Acid-stained concrete floor with rich layers of brown, green, and black hues.

“Don't be afraid to let the acid pool and do its own flow and movement. I was going for an organic marble type of look, so I wish I had ordered a little extra product to make sure it was all pooling up in a way that looked natural and not too 'man-made' or sprayed on… The more the colors blend, the more natural it looks.”
— DIY Customer

Seagrass as the vein color

On a two-month-old basement slab, Seagrass went down first — laying the veins — before Coffee Brown and Malayan Buff filled in around it. Starting with the lightest color is the trick that makes veining legible.

Colors: Seagrass, Malayan Buff & Coffee Brown EverStain™
Technique: Seagrass veins first, browns filled in
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.

Basement floor displaying a mild luster after the application of the first coat of wax — After — the first coat of ProWax Gloss over three colors.

Woman applying three different acid stains - Coffee Brown, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass - onto the concrete basement floor using a pump sprayer — Staining in progress.

Concrete basement floor 12 hours after application of Coffee Brown, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass acid stains — The floor 12 hours later just before neutralizing.

Technique: “We started with the lighter color (Seagrass) to make the veins. We let it sit for 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

A barndominium master suite in two tones

The casita side of a barndominium got a two-tone master-suite floor in Malayan Buff and Seagrass — soft, organic, and no two square feet alike.

Colors: Malayan Buff & Seagrass EverStain™
Prep: CitrusEtch™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax Polish™ Satin
Size: 200 sq. ft.
Time: 4 days

Unfinished barndominium concrete floor — Before — the bare casita slab.

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.

Allowing acid stain colors to react with concrete floor — The stain drying.

A photo of a dry concrete floor with the acid stain fully dried and ready to be neutralized before the final cleaning and rinsing process — Neutralizing before sealing.

A photo of a concrete floor stained wet-on-wet with the Malayan Buff accent color over on Seagrass base color acid stain — Concrete floor stained wet-on-wet with the Malayan Buff accent color over on Seagrass base color acid stain.

barndominium floor transformed into a stunning, multi-layered and protected surface with acid staining and sealing — Barndominium floor transformed into a stunning, multi-layered and protected surface with acid staining and sealing.

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

A Zen garage

Seagrass and Shifting Sand together make a serene, light green finish — proof that even a garage can be a calm room.

A view from the inside of a finished garage, light-green stained floor gleaming, with cars parked outside waiting for the sealer to cure — A Zen-inspired garage floor in Seagrass.

The serene green finished garage interior viewed from outside, showcasing a wall-mounted bike rack and bicycles hanging neatly — Shifting Sand.

Modern marble-style: carpet and vinyl out

Living room, hallway, and kitchen, all replaced with a marble-style acid stain in Seagrass, Malayan Buff, and Blackish — a worn-leather look that beat the homeowners' expectations.

Colors: Seagrass, Malayan Buff & Blackish EverStain™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Gloss + ProWax Polish™ Gloss
Size: 900 sq. ft.
Time: 5 days

An image of a living room with bare, cleaned concrete floors, ready for the staining process — Living room with bare, cleaned concrete floors, ready for the staining process.

A photo showing the living room floor post-application of the Blackish, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass EverStain acid stains — Living room floor post-application of the Blackish, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass EverStain acid stains.

An image of the living room floor after the acid staining has been neutralized and cleaned, the floor appears dry — Living room floor after the acid staining has been neutralized and cleaned, the floor appears dry.

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

The polished, waxed result in Blackish, Malayan Buff, and Seagrass.

Tips: “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

An old slab becomes a log cabin floor

A 10-year-old slab in a new log cabin's kitchen and dining area, stained wet-on-wet in Malayan Buff, then Seagrass, then Blackish used sparingly — all in a random pattern, twice over.

Colors: Malayan Buff base, Seagrass, then Blackish accents
Technique: Wet-on-wet, random pattern, 2 coats
Sealer: High-gloss acrylic ×2
Size: 800 sq. ft.
Time: 7 days

Malayan buff application — Before — the 10-year-old cabin slab.

Acid stained log cabin concrete floors — After — Malayan Buff with Seagrass and Blackish accents.

“I figured that since I was doing random patterns it wouldn't be a problem if I screwed up. It was fun!… The floor came out beautifully, and when the other half of the downstairs is finished I will be doing another 800 square feet.”
Tips: “Don't be afraid to use lots of the stain — I feel like I went too light with the first coat. Rinse with lots of water after neutralizing, at least 3 times; I feel this was key to a great seal. And use a good roller rather than a sprayer for the high-gloss acrylic sealer — much easier and more even.”
— DIY Customer

Rebuilding after Hurricane Ian

After their home flooded in Hurricane Ian, this family had to strip out all the carpet and plank flooring. Retiling was too costly and contractors were months out, so they stained the concrete themselves — choosing Seagrass and Blackish deliberately, as a reminder of the ocean water that came through the house.

Colors: Seagrass & Blackish EverStain™
Prep: CitrusEtch™
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax Polish™ Satin
Size: 1,400 sq. ft.
Time: 5 days

Image of a flood-damaged home interior with removed carpet and plank flooring, revealing a bare, untreated concrete floor — Before — the untreated slab after the flooring came out.

“We chose Seagrass and Blackish as a reminder that the ocean waters had washed through our property — hoped to capture the moment forever in concrete as a reminder to us how powerful nature is and what we are enduring to rebuild. It wasn't without effort, or requiring us to learn new things, but nothing in life that's worth something is easy. We have made it through the rain, and made our place better than before.”
Tips: “The better the prep work you do, the better the results. It will take longer than you might think to do it right.”
— DIY Customer

Carpet to concrete, wet-on-wet

Carpet out, no etching, and a warm blend leaning brown with Seagrass coming through — left about five hours before neutralizing.

Colors: Malayan Buff & Seagrass EverStain™
Technique: Wet-on-wet (no etch)
Sealer: AcquaSeal™ Satin + ProWax Polish™ 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 the blend.

Image showing the application of Malayan Buff and Seagrass acid stains on the concrete floor using the wet-on-wet method — Both colors down wet-on-wet.

Image showing the concrete floor after 4 hours of reaction time with the acid stains, before neutralization — The floor after four hours before neutralizing.

“Trust the process. Each stage the floor looked completely different, but the end product is beautiful!”
— DIY Customer

A whole new house in three colors

Seagrass, Malayan Buff, and Coffee Brown carried through 1,800 square feet of a new build — the same three colors handling every room.

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

A photo displaying the final look of the stained concrete floor, exhibiting a beautiful mix of colors — After — sealed floors in three EverStain™ colors.

A photo showing Malayan Buff, Coffee Brown, and Seagrass acid stains applied on the bare concrete floor — Malayan Buff, Coffee Brown, and Seagrass acid stains applied on the bare concrete floor.

A photograph showing the stained concrete floor after the acid stains have reacted, have been neutralized, and cleaned — Stained concrete floor after the acid stains have reacted, have been neutralized, and cleaned.

A lakehouse basement, marbled

A smooth-finished basement slab in a newly built lake house, marbled in Malayan Buff, Blackish, and Seagrass — with water used as the blending tool between colors.

Colors: Malayan Buff, Blackish & Seagrass EverStain™
Sealer: High-gloss acrylic
Size: 300 sq. ft.
Time: 5 days

Basement floor — Before — the smooth, unstained basement slab.

Blackish, Malayan Buff and Seagrass EverStain — After — a marbled three-color floor.

“I used a lot of water to blend the three colors to make them look seamless. I used tank sprayers for the stain and had one just for water. I'd spray the stain, then 'feather' any lines with water. When I applied the next color I would use the water to blend the two stains… Once I started, the motions just seemed to flow. I absolutely love the results!”
And a warning: “I already have my next project planned. I love the process and am thinking of ways to use the product beyond the customary floor treatments — concrete statues, figurines, stepping stones. The possibilities are endless!”
— DIY Customer