A broom-finish (brushed) driveway is one of the best candidates for acid stain — the texture grabs color and hides tire marks and wear. This is a real 3,500 sq. ft. project from Direct Colors contest winner Tom Kettler, done in six days with two EverStain™ colors. Here’s exactly how he did it.
The finished brushed-concrete driveway — Coffee Brown and Malayan Buff EverStain™ acid stain, before and after.
Step 1: Clean the driveway
Clean the concrete with an organic cleaner and degreaser — it must be free of debris, dirt, and oils. A generous sweep, scrub, and rinse usually does it. For heavily soiled driveways, follow additional surface-prep steps first.
Step 2: Apply the acid stain
Use a pump sprayer so the stain spreads evenly and you can get creative with the design. Add the acid stain to the sprayer and test on a corner first — if it’s too dark, dilute with water. Once you’ve dialed in the color, stain the whole driveway. Tip: choose colors that complement your brick or siding; exact matches are hard with acid stain, so most people blend at least two colors.
Step 3: Neutralize
Once the acid stain has had time to activate, neutralize the surface before sealing — the acid compounds will damage the sealer (and your color work) if you skip this. Each color has a different activation time, so check the timing for the colors you used.
A close detail of the neutralized, acid-stained brushed concrete before sealing.
Step 4: Seal
Choose the sealer carefully — driveways get wet, and no one wants to slip. Use a satin EasySeal™ acrylic, and add an anti-slip additive to the second coat for traction. On a brush finish, use a 1/2-inch nap roller rather than 3/8-inch.
— Tom Kettler, DIY Contest Winner (October 2020)
6-day timeline: Day 1 — power wash · Day 2 — stain application · Day 3 — more stain and touch-ups · Day 4 — neutralize · Day 5 — first sealer coat · Day 6 — second sealer coat.
Fixing sealer that turned white
If your sealer clouds white in spots, brush a little Xylene onto the affected area, work it in with a circular motion, let it dry completely, then reapply a fresh coat of sealer. That re-melts and re-flows the acrylic and clears the haze.
What’s Next
- Full driveway how-to → Concrete Stain for a Driveway: How-To Guide
- Driveway color ideas → Concrete Driveway Stain Ideas
- More before & afters → Stained Concrete Driveway: Before & After
- Shop → EverStain™ · OxiGrip™ · Trial Kits
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
