Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement · Episode 34
Listen to this episode
Four of the questions Direct Colors fields most often. Why the color chart assumes gray concrete and what happens on white. Why a slab poured in the last decade may not stain the way you expect. The single rule for judging color before you seal — wet and clean, never dry. And what to do when removed tile leaves its outline behind forever.
7 min 32 sec · Download MP3 (10.4 MB)
For this job you need: EverStain™ Trial System · EasyTint™ · Vibrance™
Not sure which is right for your slab? Send us the details — the free project consultation is a person, not a form letter.
The written guide on this topic, with photographs: Fixing Acid Stain Problems.
Editor’s note. This episode was recorded some years ago. The transcript below has been corrected where the facts have changed; nothing about the technique has been altered.
- Direct Colors no longer sells a concrete overlay, so the branded name has been dropped. The passage still explains something worth knowing — a purpose-made overlay contains no fly ash, which is why it takes stain so richly — but treat it as background rather than a product recommendation. Any cement-based overlay from a concrete supplier will serve; confirm it is compatible with acid stain.
- “Tinted concrete sealer” is now EasyTint™ and “concrete dye” is Vibrance™. The color is spelled Seagrass as one word in the current range.
- ⚠ Safety, added by us and not said on air. The episode warns never to use a machine on black tile mastic but does not say why: black asphaltic mastic under older tile frequently contains asbestos. Grinding, sanding or dry-scraping it releases fibers. Have it tested before you disturb it, and if asbestos is present, use a licensed abatement contractor — this is not a DIY step. Bean-e-doo is a third-party product and is named as spoken.
- The consultation URL given on air, /resources/design-consultation/, no longer exists. It is now the free online project consultation page.
- One transcription slip fixed: “if the acid stain is taking a you’d like it to” reads as “taking as you’d like it to”.
- “Slabs poured in the last 5–10 years” dates from the recording, not from today. The point still holds — fly ash is widely used and a slab containing it takes acid stain less richly — but do not read the window as 5–10 years from now.
- Housekeeping, applied to every episode in this archive. The spoken sign-off has been rewritten to point here rather than at the old directcolors.com/listen address. The RSS-feed line, the social-media list and any pointers to retired photo-gallery, blog or video pages have been dropped, along with pointers to pages that have since been retired or superseded by the links under What’s Next — in some episodes that removes a whole sentence or a short exchange. Every speaker says “design consultation”; the service is now called the free project consultation, and we have used the current name throughout rather than send you to a page that no longer exists. Run-on speaker turns, duplicated intro lines and obvious transcription slips have been repaired without changing meaning. Nothing bearing on technique, safety or product choice has been altered; those changes are itemized above.
Still accurate and genuinely useful: the color chart is based on gray concrete, so white concrete gives truer, brighter results than you may expect; more than 10% fly ash changes how a slab stains; judge color wet and clean; and tile ghosting is an impression in the slab itself, not a residue.
What to use for this today
The episode suggests an overlay for tile ghosting and poor slabs. We no longer sell one, and in most cases you do not need it — here is the current route for each situation it describes.
- Tile ghosting you cannot live with
- Color over it with EasyTint™ Tinted Sealer, alone or with Vibrance™ Dye accents — opaque enough to break up the outline.
- Slab too poor or too smooth to react
- Profile with CitrusEtch™ and retest, or move to EasyTint™ Tinted Sealer / ColorWave® Stain which do not need a reaction.
- Previously sealed or acid-washed concrete
- Antiquing™ outdoors, EasyTint™ Tinted Sealer indoors — neither depends on surface minerals.
- Before you commit
- Prove it on the actual floor with a EverStain™ Trial System.
Full transcript
Shawna Turner: You’re listening to Direct Colors podcast Episode 34: Q&A, Customers Ask Top Acid Staining Questions. If this is your first time listening, then thanks for listening. I’m Shawna Turner, General Manager with Direct Colors. We talk to thousands of customers every year about their projects. Because acid stain is one of our most popular products, we receive the most acid staining questions about the process from start to finish and application techniques. Here are a few of the questions we thought would be helpful to DIYers interested in acid staining their floors or countertops. Let’s get started!
Customer question: Do you get a different result when you apply acid stain to white versus gray concrete or overlay?
ST: Yes, you do get a different result, but the difference might not be what you expect. Applying acid stain to white concrete tends to create a more “true” color than would be the case on gray concrete. For example, Azure Blue and Seagrass are more robin’s egg blue to sea foam green on white concrete, while Malayan Buff and Desert Amber can appear richer in color and more orange. English Red and Cola are considerably more red-orange on white concrete, which might not be part of your plan. Our acid stain color chart is based on stain applied to gray concrete, so take that into account when selecting a stain color. If you’re pouring white concrete, I recommend testing the acid stains before moving on to the actual project, to make sure you get the result you’re looking for.
Follow-up question: Does the acid stain perform differently on poured concrete as opposed to concrete overlay?
ST: Unlike a concrete slab, an overlay is specially formulated to produce the richest acid stain color possible. More often than not, slabs poured in the last 5–10 years contain a cement substitute called fly ash. Ready mix concrete companies, as well as concrete mix manufacturers, use the additive to reduce costs. It doesn’t affect the overall strength of the concrete, but if it’s more than 10% of the cement volume it can affect how the concrete ultimately acid stains. An overlay contains no fly ash, so you can significantly cut the stain with water and still expect great results. The stains can also be left on the surface for a shorter period of time with the same rich color outcomes. I think an overlay gives our customers the opportunity to be more creative and really push the envelope with their project.
Customer question: I’ve noticed that an acid stained floor looks really different when it’s wet versus dry. How do I know what the concrete will look like when it’s sealed?
ST: That’s a common question, but an important one. Our how-to guide for applying acid stain is provided with every purchase and outlines all the steps for applying acid stain, neutralizing and cleaning concrete. Once you’ve completed all the recommended steps, evaluate your concrete color while it’s wet AND clean. Residue from the acid staining process can often be misleading as to the final color, and dry acid stained concrete can be dull and unattractive, unlike the finished appearance. Wet concrete will approximate the gloss level of a solvent based sealer, so it might be slightly less glossy if you’re using a water based sealer, particularly if it is a satin or matte finish. Sealing makes all the difference in the world to the color and overall appearance of the concrete — like night and day in some cases.
Customer question: What can I do to avoid tile ghosting on concrete floors after removing laminate, vinyl or ceramic tiles?
ST: This is a tricky question. Tile ghosting occurs on older concrete slabs where the tile has been down for many years. As people walk on the floor, an impression is made over time in the concrete itself that is difficult to remove even with sanding. Because acid stain is chemically reactive, it can pool and stain darker along the edges of the tile as if it were still present. I’ve seen floors where that looks great and is exactly what the homeowner was after, but if that’s not the case, here are a few options to consider.
ST: You’ll need to remove all the tile and tile glue. Scrape everything off you can before either grinding the floor or using chemical stripper. If you run into black tile mastic, stop right there and read up on mastic removal — you definitely do NOT want to use a machine to remove black mastic. You can at this point do a small test area to determine if the acid stain is taking as you’d like it to, and if not, you still have options.
ST: First, you can use a tinted concrete sealer, or a tinted sealer and concrete dye combination. Acid stain isn’t the only option. Many of our customers use these products in basements, commercial floors or anywhere in the house, because it looks great, is much faster to complete and affordable.
ST: If the acid stain look is really what you prefer and the pre-application test wasn’t what you hoped for, I’d recommend an overlay. In most cases, if the floor has been ground down in advance, one or two coats of overlay will address tile ghosting problems. Using an overlay will provide a fresh surface to acid stain, eliminating problems with exposed aggregate or sand revealed in the grinding process, or other issues stemming from a poor quality slab. Acid staining will be a breeze from that point!
Reagan Smith: Thanks, Shawna. That’s sound advice, and we hope your recommendations will help homeowners decide how to best proceed with their next DIY remodeling project. If you have acid staining questions, call one of our expert technicians at 877-255-2656 and we’ll help you select the best products and technique for your needs. If you prefer email, send in a free online project consultation. We’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours. Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement podcasts were produced twice monthly for your enjoyment, and the show notes live here in the Direct Colors listening archive. I’m Reagan Smith, and thanks again for joining us!
What’s Next
- When staining goes wrong → Fixing Acid Stain Problems
- Tile ghosting specifically → Tile Ghosting on Acid Stained Floors
- Pick a color with the chart in mind → Acid Stain Colors Guide
- Faster alternatives → Tinted Sealer Gallery · How to Apply Concrete Dye
- Shop → EverStain™ Trial System · EasyTint™ · Vibrance™
